Protein is everywhere on restaurant menus now
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Chains from Dunkin' to Subway are opening the year with protein-packed launches as the trend pushes deeper into everyday menus.
Why it matters: Protein is having a restaurant menu moment — and it's getting bigger. Now shorthand for "better-for-you" eating, it's reshaping menus as consumers dine out less, scrutinize value more and increasingly use GLP-1 drugs.
- The push reflects growing consumer demand for high-protein menu options, fueled in part by drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound that encourage smaller, protein-forward meals.
Driving the news: Protein-heavy additions hitting restaurants this week include:
- Dunkin' adds Protein Milk to the menu Wednesday, allowing customers to add protein to coffees, lattes, matcha and Refreshers with 15 grams of protein in a medium. It also adds a line of Protein Refreshers and drinks.
- Blaze Pizza launches a limited-time "Protein-zza" Wednesday, a cauliflower-crust pizza topped with double chicken and marketed as GLP-1-friendly.
- Smoothie King debuts a 100-gram Protein Pack, a bundled offering designed to help customers reach a full day's protein target in one stop. It builds on the chain's earlier move as the first quick-service restaurant to launch a dedicated GLP-1 Support menu.
- Subway rolls out Protein Pockets Thursday, soft tortilla wraps with more than 20 grams of protein priced at $3.99.
- Jack in the Box takes its Protein Bowls nationwide with the chicken bowls containing up to 35 grams of protein as part of a broader menu refresh.
Protein power growing
The big picture: This wave of launches reflects how protein has already moved from niche to normal.
- Starbucks added protein lattes and protein cold foam last fall, pushing protein into everyday coffee orders.
- Chipotle rolled out its first-ever High Protein Menu in December, explicitly tying items to the rise of GLP-1 drugs and calling out certain bowls, salads and snacks as "GLP-1 friendly."
State of play: Even chains built around "lighter" or wellness-forward positioning are redesigning menus around protein counts.
- El Pollo Loco is doubling chicken on its three new salads to push them past the 50-gram mark.
- Playa Bowls recently launched its first dedicated high-protein lineup, Protein Wave, with smoothies and bowls delivering 31 to 42 grams of protein.
Protein joins the value menu
Between the lines: This isn't just about nutrition. It's also about value, frequency and habit-building.
- Dunkin' is pairing its protein push with aggressive promotions and a $5 Meal Deal, signaling protein is meant to drive repeat visits rather than sit behind a premium price wall.
- Subway's Protein Pockets make the same bet at $3.99.
What they're saying: "Getting more protein in their diet is important to so many people. But all too often that protein is expensive or fried," Subway North America CMO Dave Skena said, adding that Protein Pockets are meant to make protein more accessible without sacrificing taste.
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