A protein bar fits in a coat pocket and leaves no washing up. At one British supermarket, it costs almost as much as a chicken sandwich, which contains more protein, and is gradually becoming a lunch option.
The organisers of SIAL Paris, an international food trade fair, produced the SIAL Insights 2026 report to look at what people are eating, what they buy and what food companies are putting on shelves. It draws on research from Kantar, ProtéinesXTC and Circana.
Kantar carried out its Food 360 survey for SIAL Paris, polling about 500 people in each of 15 countries. Circana supplied consumer surveys and retail and foodservice data. ProtéinesXTC tracked new product launches, including what manufacturers chose to highlight on the packet.
Two of the report’s ten findings shed light on the current lunchtime situation. Manufacturers are highlighting protein as a selling point on more commonplace products to cater to people’s desire for portable meals. From 2021 to 2025, the number of new foods promoted in France based on their protein content increased by 86%.
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In a Circana survey across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 32% of respondents said they chose a protein-rich alternative rather than a traditional meal.
45% of respondents in Europe and the US said they snacked throughout the day. Europeans snacked more in the morning, while North Americans snacked more in the evening.
Kantar asked a different question. One in ten respondents across its markets said they were increasingly replacing traditional meals with snacks. In France, the figure was 4%, even as manufacturers were launching more products with protein on the label.
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The appeal of a desk-drawer lunch
A protein bar makes sense on a day when there’s barely time to stop for lunch. But how does it compare with the other things you could grab? At Tesco in the UK, a Grenade caramel bar was listed at £2.70 with 15g of protein.
A chicken salad sandwich cost 30p more and had 26g, while a 75p pot of high-protein strawberry yoghurt had about 21g.
The bar has one advantage the nutrition label won’t tell you about. It can sit in a desk drawer until the day you need it.
