---
title: "Franchises Can Beef Up Menus with Protein"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/425e753e-2a95-4bc9-bbd9-e3bc69cc63d2
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/franchises-can-beef-up-menus-with-protein-1468
category: "Restaurants"
industry: "Restaurants"
published: 2015-04-13T16:11:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T13:23:53.057Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/8d777f385d3dfec8815d20f7496026dc6288.png
---

# Franchises Can Beef Up Menus with Protein

**TL;DR:** A new NPD Group report finds that 80 percent of consumers view protein as part of a healthy diet, with many seeking to incorporate more protein into their eating routines. The report suggests that food marketers can appeal to consumers by highlighting the protein content in their products.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2015-04-13. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/franchises-can-beef-up-menus-with-protein-1468).*

## Story

That's a question more Americans may be asking, as protein - the fuel du jour of gym rats everywhere - is increasingly important to U.S. consumers , according to a new NPD Group report titled Protein Perceptions and Needs.

In fact, just under 80 percent said protein is part of a healthy diet, while more than half of adults said they want to incorporate more protein into their eating routines.

However, the best way to get protein is a matter of debate. Approximately half of consumers said good old-fashioned meat and fish was the best source while the other half chose non-meat sources.

“Consumers want more protein in their diets. In fact, the only issue that U.S. adults are now checking on the Nutrition Facts label on the back of foods and beverages is the amount of protein,” Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst at NPD Group, said. “While our interest in protein is growing, we’re looking for alternatives to meat. Many of us are looking to lower the cost of our protein sources, and animal meat is generally more expensive than plant-based protein, which explains the growth in Greek yogurt and other alternate protein sources.”

Darren Seifer, an NPD analyst and co-author of the Protein Perceptions and Needs report, said food marketers would be wise to play up the protein in their products to appeal to consumers. Lean protein in particular strikes a chord with the public.

“The study also found nearly half of primary grocery shoppers have purchased protein-enriched foods, and many are willing to pay, or have already paid a premium for these products,” Seifer said.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- menu development (topic)
- consumer preferences (topic)
- protein trends (topic)
- nutrition labeling (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/franchises-can-beef-up-menus-with-protein-1468). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/425e753e-2a95-4bc9-bbd9-e3bc69cc63d2).