2026 Protein Preferences Survey Results

By Pete & Gerry's

Walk down any grocery aisle in 2026 and you’ll see protein everywhere: bars, powders, shakes, chips - even pancake mixes - are promising 20+ grams a serving. While the marketing has gotten louder, shoppers have become a lot more curious, even skeptical, about where their protein comes from.

New national survey findings* commissioned by Pete & Gerry’s in honor of National Egg Month reveal clear shifts in how Americans are thinking about protein. The headline? When given the choice between processed protein products and simple, recognizable whole foods, more consumers are reaching for familiar, trustworthy staples... like eggs.

Here’s what we learned:

Americans Are More Protein-Focused Than Ever

More than 4 in 10 Americans say they’re more focused on protein today than they were five years ago, signaling a sustained evolution in eating preferences.

Protein is no longer the language of bodybuilders and meal-preppers. It’s gone mainstream, becoming a critical part of how families plan dinner, how busy professionals piece together breakfast, and how parents pack healthy school lunches. As protein moves from fitness culture into everyday wellness, shoppers are looking past the buzzwords on the front of the package to read what’s actually inside.

Eggs Are Earning the Trust

Among every protein option tested in the survey, eggs are cited as the healthiest and most trusted source of protein, ranking above bars, powders, shakes, and even meat, seafood, and beans.

It’s not hard to understand why. The protein category has become increasingly crowded and confusing, so consumers are gravitating towards foods they recognize and understand. Eggs are a familiar, versatile, single ingredient food. In a category increasingly defined by complexity, eggs offer something genuinely rare: trust.

Eggs Are a Deliberate Choice, Not Just a Default

Two-thirds of Americans eat eggs every week, specifically for the protein.

That distinction matters. Eggs aren’t just showing up at the weekend breakfast table out of habit. They’re being chosen intentionally for the protein content throughout the week, for snacks, lunches, and dinners. A hard-boiled egg in a lunchbox, a frittata for an easy weeknight meal, a fried egg on top of a grain bowl: the daypart lines that used to define eggs are quietly disappearing as protein has become a daily priority.

Whole Foods Are Winning with Protein

A majority of Americans surveyed say whole foods like eggs offer better nutrition than protein bars and powders.

That doesn’t mean convenience has lost its appeal. It means shoppers are getting more discerning about which conveniences they’re willing to trade nutrition for. It turns out that a whole food protein that takes as little as three minutes to scramble up is pretty convenient.

Younger Shoppers Want Transparency

More than 70% of Gen Z and Millennials ages 18 to 34 say it’s important to know the sourcing practices behind their protein choices.

This is the generational shift that brands can’t afford to ignore. For younger shoppers, trust isn’t built on a nutrition label alone; it’s built on transparency, reflecting more mindful, informed eating habits. Where did this come from? How were the animals treated? Who is the brand accountable to? These answers matter just as much as the nutrition macros.

Why Pete & Gerry’s Was Built for This Moment

For 30 years, Pete & Gerry’s has been doing exactly what shoppers are now asking for: producing "real" food options such as high-quality organic, pasture-raised, and free-range eggs from family farms, with the certifications and transparency to back it up.

As a certified B-Corp, and the first Certified Humane® egg producer in the United States, Pete & Gerry’s helped write the playbook for ethical egg farming. Today, we partner with more than 350 family farmers across 18 states. We were first to do it better, and we’re still doing it best.

As Americans rethink protein, eggs are meeting the moment, and Pete & Gerry’s is delivering a simple, high-quality, and versatile whole food protein raised with transparent and ethical farming practices shoppers can trust.