Protein makes room for the rest

Fibre is gaining attention as restaurants expand their health focus.

Restaurants are broadening their definition of healthy food beyond protein as consumers increasingly look at fibre, overall nutrition, and benefits such as digestion and fullness.

“While protein has been predominantly in quick-service restaurants, fibre seems to be picked up across the wider away-from-home industry and less so in quick-service restaurants at the moment,” Shannon Goldsmith, senior insight analyst at the Institute of Grocery Distribution, told QSR Media in an emailed reply to questions.

She cited Pret’s Super Plates, Wahaca, Compass and BaxterStorey joining the Bang in Some Beans campaign, and Australian burger chain Grill’d replacing standard buns with high-fibre versions as examples of operators adding fibre to menus.

Fibre remains limited to the most health-conscious consumers, Goldsmith said, but awareness could increase as terms such as “fibremaxxing” become more common in mainstream and social media.

Protein, meanwhile, remains the dominant commercial trend among restaurant suppliers.

“All I see is a continuing trend of protein,” David Dawson, commercial manager at Newly Weds Foods (Thailand), told QSR Media.

He said the company is selling more coatings and seasonings used in value-added protein products, particularly chicken and shrimp.

Poultry consumption is also growing across developing markets, whilst interest in plant proteins has weakened, he said.

High-protein foods, drinks, and supplements generated more than US$3t in retail sales in 2025, whilst global protein demand is projected to grow 11% between 2024 and 2029, Euromonitor International said in a June report.

Global chicken consumption has increased sixfold since 1961, whilst global meat supply has quadrupled, according to a June 2026 report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization based on food supply data from 1960 to 2022.

Protein is nevertheless becoming less of a standalone health claim as restaurants pair it with other nutritional benefits.

Anuran Dhar, practice head for foodservice within GlobalData Plc’s Consumer Division, said protein remains important to foodservice, but operators are increasingly combining it with benefits such as gut health, energy, and fullness.

“The next phase is not simply ‘more protein,’” he said in an email. “It is better protein architecture—balanced bowls, hybrid plant-and-animal formats, higher-quality protein cues, seafood, tofu, legumes, nuts and seeds, and protein paired with gut health, energy, satiety or sugar-management benefits.”

Dhar added fibre and prebiotics are amongst the emerging opportunities, although adoption remains at an early stage in quick-service restaurants.

Entire meals

Dhar said demand is developing differently across markets. The UK and Australia have more established demand for vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free products, whilst Asia-Pacific markets vary by country.

Indonesia has stronger demand for halal and natural ingredients, whilst Taiwan and Vietnam are seeing interest in added nutrients and Singapore in sugar-free products.

Restaurant operators are also seeing customers pay closer attention to entire meals.

Sohail Alimohamed, co-founder of Chaiiwala, said protein remains important, but customers are looking beyond individual nutrients. He said demand is also increasing for lighter meals, smaller portions, and drinks made with real fruit.

Natalie Sharpe, CEO at Oliver’s Real Food and a licensed dietitian and nutritionist, said protein has an advantage because it is easy for consumers to understand and for restaurants to market.

Demand has also grown alongside the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 weight-loss medications, she added.

“Protein has been easy to commercialise because it's widely talked about, visually associated with strength, muscle, and performance, and supported by clear physical outcomes,” Sharpe said in an emailed reply to questions.

Fibre has not achieved the same commercial appeal despite its role in digestion, metabolic health, and fullness, she said. Its benefits are less visible and harder to communicate through restaurant marketing.

Sharpe said restaurants should make food appealing before promoting its health benefits, with flavour, texture, colour, and presentation carrying the product.

“The next wave isn't just single ingredients; it's functional meals designed to support satiety, digestion, energy, and metabolic health in a holistic way,” she added.

Alimohamed said consumers are likely to move beyond individual nutrients towards food quality and broader health benefits, prompting restaurants to build healthier meals around the overall eating experience rather than a single ingredient.