Get ready for a protein-palooza on restaurant menus

Lazy Dog’s Protein Crunch Bowl can be ordered with chicken, steak or salmon, with protein grams called out. | Photo courtesy of Lazy Dog Restaurants

Is protein the magic bullet for optimum health and fitness? TikTok users think so, with more than 2.8 million #protein posts at last count.

And on Wednesday, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services gave their endorsement, with the release of the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In his announcement of the Guidelines, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called for “prioritizing high-quality protein” with a focus on meat and dairy, among other recommendations.

While plenty of high-protein menu items rolled out in 2025, at the start of the new year, millions of consumers made resolutions to eat healthier. And right now, healthy eating means packing in the protein. GLP-1 weight-loss dieters may have sparked the protein craze, but eaters of all shapes, sizes and ages are fueling the fire.

Restaurants are following consumers’ lead and filling menus with high-protein foods and beverages. Dozens flowed out of the pipeline in the first weeks of 2026, joining the scores that launched at the end of last year.

Protein in new places

For the launch of its new Protein Pockets on Wednesday, Subway simply had to remix its menu to put protein front and center. 

“While protein is having a moment in the restaurant industry, it has been a cornerstone of Subway’s menu and innovation strategy for more than 60 years,” said Paul Fabre, SVP of culinary and innovation for the Miami-based sandwich chain. “You can’t make a great sandwich without great protein as the star.”

So Subway folded its meats and cheeses into soft wheat tortillas, adding veggies and sauces for flavor and texture, to create Protein Pockets, each with more than 20 grams of protein. Baja Chicken features grilled chicken, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes and jalapeños with Baja Chipotle sauce, while the Peppercorn Ranch Chicken variation uses Peppercorn Ranch. There’s also an Italian Trio with Black Forest ham, pepperoni, Genoa salami and cheese, and a Turkey & Ham pocket. The Protein Pockets run about $3.99.

At $3.99, Subway’s Protein Pockets offer value along with protein power. | Photo courtesy of Subway

“Today’s diner is even more intentional about what they eat, and view protein as the fuel they need for the day ahead,” said Fabre. “Subway developed Protein Pockets with those guests in mind, offering a new protein-forward option that tastes great and comes at an unbeatable value.”

When Subway added the word “protein” to the name of its pockets, the item took on an instant health halo. Blaze Pizza did the same with its new Protein-zza, also launching Wednesday. The personal-size pie has a cauliflower crust topped with mozzarella, a double portion of grilled chicken, onions, mushrooms, fresh basil and a Buffalo sauce drizzle, a combo that adds up to 56 grams of protein. 

Like Subway, fast casual Blaze Pizza just had to reach into its pantry to create this protein-centric pizza. “One of the advantages of Blaze’s build-your-own model is that we already had the ingredients needed,” said Blaze CMO Casey Terrell. “The Protein-zza is a thoughtful combination of existing proteins and toppings assembled in a way that makes the protein content more intentional and transparent.”

While pizza is not typically a choice for protein seekers, Blaze had noticed that guests were customizing pies with multiple proteins or asking questions about protein content, said Terrell. “The Protein-zza simply brings clarity to behavior that’s already happening and shows how pizza can fit into a balanced, protein-forward approach,” she added. 

Blaze pumps up two pizzas with protein. | Photo courtesy of Blaze Pizza

And this is the first time Blaze is calling out protein grams on a menu item. “We did that to make it easier for guests who are actively tracking nutrition, whether for fitness, satiety or lifestyle reasons, to make informed choices quickly,” said Terrell.

Indeed, menus are now noting protein counts right at point of purchase, no longer sending consumers to the website to hunt down nutrition data. Casual-dining chain Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar introduced a Protein Crunch Bowl about a week ago, a mix of oven-roasted garbanzo beans, jammy eggs, avocado, almonds, tomatoes and feta cheese on a bed of supergreens with a honey apple cider vinegar dressing. The menu guides guests to add chicken for 51 protein grams or steak or salmon for 40 grams each. 

And El Pollo Loco rolled out its Double Pollo Salads on Monday, each featuring a double portion of the chain’s signature citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken. There’s a Mexican Caesar with avocado, cotija cheese, tortilla strips and salsa fresca on greens and a Street Corn Salad, both boasting 52 grams protein. The Bacon Ranch Double Pollo Salad comes in at 61 grams protein with its addition of bacon. 

Like Subway and Blaze, fast casual El Pollo Loco didn’t have to add any new SKUs to give its menu a protein boost. 

Protein to spoon and sip

For those looking for a maximum protein fix with minimum effort, coffee and smoothie concepts have it covered. 

Starbucks introduced protein cold foam as a coffee enhancer back in September and added to the lineup Tuesday with the Caramel Protein Latte (27-29 grams protein per grande size) and Caramel Protein Matcha (28-31 grams protein). On Wednesday, rival Dunkin’ jumped in with jacked-up Protein Milk. To spotlight the new addition, the chain partnered with Megan Thee Stallion to promote Dunkin’ Protein Refreshers, each made with Protein Milk and delivering 15 grams protein for a medium size.

Included in the collection are the signature Megan’s Mango Protein Refresher as well as a Strawberry Protein Refresher. They are joined by three lattes: Caramel Chocolate Iced Protein Latte, Almond Iced Protein Matcha Latte and Iced Protein Latte with Sugar-Free Vanilla. 

New protein-packed Refreshers and Lattes from Dunkin’. | Photo courtesy of Dunkin’

Not to be overshadowed by the big guys, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf also kicked off the new year with its first-ever Protein Lattes. Available hot or iced in vanilla, caramel and hazelnut, each weighs in at 20 grams protein. And Peet’s Coffee returned its Vitality Menu featuring three Protein-Powered Smoothies in Cold Brew, Matcha Peach and Strawberry flavors, each delivering 16-19 grams protein.

Adding protein powder to smoothies isn’t exactly a new idea, but some players are pumping them up with even more of the nutrient to meet demand. Dallas-based Smoothie King released its first Healthy Habits and Smoothie Trends Report this week, which revealed that 43% of Americans say they are actively trying to consume 100 grams of protein per day. 

Smoothie King got into protein loading early, introducing its 45-gram Gladiator Smoothie and a GLP-1 Support Menu of smoothies in 2024. But on Wednesday, the chain launched a new 100-gram Protein Pack, bundling the Gladiator with a Protein Box and Peanut Butter Toast to make it convenient for fans to reach that 100-gram mark in one easy swoop. The Protein Box pairs foods like hard-boiled eggs and cheeses with fruit and flax seed crackers.

Smoothie King launched 100-gram Protein Packs to make it convenient to meet protein goals. | Photo courtesy of Smoothie King

“Whether it’s hitting protein goals, navigating GLP-1 medications, or simply choosing something that tastes great and feels good, our role is to remove friction and make choices easier, more approachable, and more enjoyable every day,” said Smoothie King’s CMO Claudia Schaefer in a statement.

Competitor Tropical Smoothie Café was right behind Smoothie King, announcing three new protein smoothies on Wednesday, too. The protein source here is Chobani Greek yogurt blended with other protein-rich ingredients. On offer are a Chocolate PB Protein Smoothie made with peanut butter, chocolate, banana and cacao nibs (39 grams protein); Cherry Berry Protein Smoothie with dark cherries, cranberry and almonds (33 grams) and Almond Banana Protein Smoothie blended with almond butter, banana and coconut (38 grams).

And earlier in the week, Playa Bowls introduced a new Protein Wave menu featuring three smoothies and two bowls, coming in at 31-42 grams of protein each. This lineup is powered up with more protein “for the active and protein-aware Playa consumer,” said co-founder Abby Taylor.

“Playa Bowls has served protein options since day one, and as the menu grew we offered more items,” she said. “For the January Protein Wave LTO, we added smoothies with unique ingredients and a substantial amount of protein, and the bowls are two of our best-selling acai bowls with added extra protein to pack a serious punch.” 

Vanilla protein revs up the smoothies, with ingredients including blue spirulina added for immune system support. For the Protein Power Acai Bowl, acai is blended with chocolate protein and topped with granola, bananas and a generous drizzle of peanut butter. The Protein Tropical Acai bowl has the same acai-protein base, topped with fruit, granola and honey. 

Once again, the marquee value of protein is played up in the items’ names, a trend we expect to see continue.

Pat plans and executes menu, food and drink stories for Restaurant Business and hosts the weekly Menu Talk podcast. She provides in-depth coverage of chefs, trends and menu innovation.

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