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Today’s consumers expect more from their nutrition bars, and brands that can deliver will see high growth ahead.
Nutrition bar brand FITCRUNCH demonstrated just how fast a brand can grow when it delivers what consumers are looking for at the moment. Offering delicious candy-bar-like flavors and textures while reining in sugar and featuring protein as the first ingredient, it’s no surprise that FITCRUNCH led the category in sales growth (+41%) and volume growth (+45%) this year.1
Protein has become the most in-demand ingredient in nutrition bars for mainstream consumers. 56% of US consumers are trying to increase the amount of protein in their diets, and over one in three use fortified foods to get enough protein.2
Our Usage & Attitude Study shows that 8% of US consumers started using protein bars in the past year, while 27% of regular protein bar consumers eat them more often than the prior year.3 The same trend is playing out globally, with the $3.8 billion global protein bar market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% between 2023 and 2027.4
Consumers’ interest in protein has expanded beyond the need for exercise and muscle support, with energy/stamina and weight management now the top reasons for having protein.5
Top 5 Reasons Consumers Ensure They Eat Protein
Source: Innova, Top 10 Trends 2024: Ingredients Taking the Spotlight – Global, Jan. 2024
Within the protein bar segment, “high protein” bars (those with at least 15 grams of protein) are driving growth, posting 5.2% volume growth and 5.1% sales growth compared to the year before to reach $1.4 billion.6 Delivering 16 grams of protein per bar, FITCRUNCH high protein baked bars have been riding this wave.
Nutrition bars with fiber are also catching consumers’ attention. In the US, 53% of consumers are trying to consume more fiber,7 which is linked to weight management through satiety, regulating blood sugar, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Globally, 30% of consumers consider fiber an essential ingredient, with older generations expressing the strongest interest.8 This points to an opportunity in healthy-aging nutrition bars that emphasize both protein and fiber.
| Region | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 44% | 30% |
| Latin America | 48% | 34% |
| Europe | 35% | 29% |
| Asia | 47% | 28% |
What’s not in a nutrition bar may soon be as important as what is. The consumer trend in sugar reduction has become a global phenomenon, impacting purchase decisions in diverse categories, such as beverages, desserts, confections, sauces, ready meals, and snacks.
Nearly three in five US consumers are trying to reduce their sugar intake,9 which is viewed as a straightforward way to eat healthier. Concerns around sugar range from weight gain to blood sugar spikes to inflammation. Among better-for-you sweet snack consumers, no/low sugar/not too sweet is the third most important product attribute after great taste and protein.10
Clean label—whether all-natural, non-GMO, or organic—is also becoming a desired attribute of nutrition bars and can easily provide a competitive advantage. This stems from more than an expansion of the clean label movement and now reflects a growing concern about ultra-processed foods.
While 53% of consumers are concerned about ultra-processed foods, it reaches as high as 71% for health-conscious consumers.11 This has led to some reducing their consumption of certain products, particularly sugary drinks and fast food items.12 However, 14% are eating fewer bars for this reason,13 indicating now is the time to act on a clean label strategy.
Many brands differentiate their nutrition bars through ingredients that provide sought-after functional benefits. These range from improved mood and sleep to weight loss to support for specific bodily organs like the gut or brain.
Functional ingredients showing up in bars include superfood blends, MCTs, omega-3s, probiotics, functional mushrooms such as lion’s mane, and adaptogenic botanicals like ashwagandha. Nearly one in four global consumers who buy sports or functional nutrition products are influenced by functional benefit claims when choosing a product.14
R&D is essential to developing nutrition bars that meet so many criteria. R&D relies on the integration of food science and consumer insights. Since balancing taste and nutrition is now a major focus in bar development, R&D teams often turn to ingredient solutions—from clean-tasting proteins to masking flavors that can cover the bitterness of botanicals and alternative sweeteners.
Texture appears to be the next frontier. Innova reports that the snacks category is the third fastest-growing category for texture claims, with younger consumers most drawn to texture.15 About one in five Gen Z and Millennials think an interesting or enjoyable texture is one of the most important drivers of pleasure from food.16
A successful nutrition bar launch also depends on marketers understanding their target consumers to determine the best product positioning. For protein bars, use is the highest among 18 to 44-year-old active consumers (those who exercise at least three times per week), a group that consists of approximately 51 million people in the US.17
Those who purchase high protein bars, in particular, are more likely to be Millennials, live in two-member households, and have a household income of around $100,000, with 42% also consuming energy drinks.18 This background indicates that a premium high protein bar with added energy ingredients and active lifestyle messaging could do well.
The surging interest in healthier eating drives consumer demand for convenient, delicious snacks like nutrition bars with more protein and fiber, less sugar, clean labels, and functional benefits. Listening and addressing these needs is paramount to keeping up in the competitive nutrition bar market.
Our innovative nutrition bar ingredients—from functional proteins for long-lasting soft or chewy bar textures to crunchy protein inclusions—combined with our bar R&D formulation experts make us the partner you’ve been looking for.
Let’s collaborate to develop your next high-protein nutrition bar!
