Building a high-protein Grab & Go range: A buyer's guide
Author: Susanna Sapmaz (Merchandising Category Manager) & Ruth O'Sullivan, RNutr (Nutritionist)
Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes
The grab and go category is changing. For years, the formula was simple: sandwiches, crisps, soft drinks, maybe a chocolate bar by the till. But the customers walking through your door today have different priorities, and the fastest growing shift we're seeing is demand for high-protein, nutritionally considered options that work as a proper meal rather than a stopgap.
GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Mounjaro and Saxenda are part of that story. According to IGD, 95% of GLP-1 users have adjusted their food and drink habits since starting medication, with skipping breakfast or lunch among the most common changes. That means a growing pool of customers who still need to eat well during the day, just less, and more conveniently than before. But this isn't just a GLP-1 story. Fitness culture, calorie awareness and a general shift towards intentional eating mean that high-protein grab and go has gone from a niche request to a mainstream expectation across workplace canteens, cafes, higher education, care settings and travel and leisure outlets.
The good news is that adapting your range doesn't require a complete overhaul. It requires a clear understanding of your customer, a smarter approach to category mix, and a few simple principles around product selection and merchandising. That's what this guide covers.
Understanding your customer
The first thing to understand about high-protein grab and go customers is that they're not all the same, and neither are the settings you're operating in. What works in a busy city centre workplace canteen looks different to a higher education setting, a care home or a motorway services outlet, and getting your range right starts with knowing who you're buying for.
What we're seeing consistently across sectors is a customer who is more deliberate than they used to be. They're checking labels, prioritising protein content and calorie information, and making faster, more confident choices when the range makes it easy for them. When it doesn't, they leave empty handed or settle for something that doesn't really work for them, and they don't come back for it again.
GLP-1 users sit within this broader group but have some specific characteristics worth understanding. According to IGD, they frequently skip breakfast or lunch rather than eating smaller versions of everything, which means they're often looking for one reliable, high-protein option that genuinely replaces a meal rather than a selection of light snacks. They're also more likely to research their options before they visit, so if your range isn't visible, labelled clearly or easy to navigate, you may be losing customers before they've even walked through the door.
The sector context matters too. IGD research shows that workplace and travel and leisure settings see the highest demand for high-protein options, while care settings tend to need a slightly different approach given the broader nutritional requirements of that customer group. Education sits somewhere in between, with growing demand particularly around lunchtime options that are filling, nutritious and easy to eat on the move.
Understanding these nuances is what separates a range that performs from one that just takes up shelf space.
Getting your category mix right
Once you understand your customer, the next question is how to build a range that actually serves them without overcomplicating your offer or creating ranging headaches you don't need.
The way we think about it is two distinct formats with two distinct jobs: chilled as the anchor and ambient as the companion.
Chilled high-protein options, things like yoghurts, protein shakes and prepared protein pots, are the foundation of a credible grab and go range for this customer group. They convey freshness, they work as genuine meal replacements for customers skipping breakfast or lunch, and they're the format customers reach for first when they're looking for something substantial. If your chilled range isn't strong on protein, the rest of the range is working harder than it needs to.
Ambient high-protein options serve a different but complementary purpose. Protein bars and quality ambient snacks satisfy a different moment, something smaller, more considered, often more premium. This customer group tends to prefer a smaller, nutrient-dense option over something bulky and cheap, so quality and ingredient integrity matter more than pack size or price point.
The balance between the two will vary depending on your setting. Workplace and travel and leisure outlets tend to skew more heavily towards chilled, while education and care settings may need a slightly different split. As a starting point, high-protein options as a category deserve meaningful shelf presence across both formats, not just a token facing or two tucked in amongst everything else.
Choosing products that work
Getting the category mix right is one thing. Filling it with the right products is another, and this is where a lot of operators come unstuck.
The most common mistake we see is ranging products that look great on a nutritional label but don't actually perform at fixture. A product can have an impressive protein count and still sit on the shelf if it tastes dry, chalky or overly artificial. This customer group is health-conscious, but they won't sacrifice taste to eat something that doesn't actually appeal to them. Repeat purchase is what makes a grab and go range work commercially, and repeat purchase is driven by products people genuinely enjoy.
The other shift worth understanding is how this customer group reads packaging. "Low fat" and "diet" language has largely stopped doing the job it once did. What performs well now are products that lead with functional gains: "25g Protein", "High Fibre", "Added Vitamin D." Positive nutritional claims that tell a customer what they're getting rather than what's been taken out. If a product can't make a clear, credible nutritional case for itself on the front of pack, it's working against you in this part of the range.
Protein density is the key filter when evaluating new products for this space. Look for products where protein content is genuinely substantive, not just a headline claim on the front of pack that doesn't hold up when you check the nutritional information on the back. This customer group reads labels carefully and makes repeat purchasing decisions based on whether a product actually delivers what it promises.
In short: taste first, functional credentials second, diet language never.
Common stocking mistakes to avoid
Even with the right category mix and strong product selection, there are a handful of recurring mistakes that can undermine a grab and go range before it has a chance to perform. These are the ones we see most often:
Too much overlap, not enough breadth
It's tempting to stock several variants of the same product type from different brands, particularly in a category growing as fast as protein. But four different chocolate-flavoured protein bars from four different brands is not a range, it's a duplication problem. It confuses the customer, dilutes rate of sale across all four and creates a ranging headache when it comes to replenishment. Pick the strongest performer in each format and one credible alternative, then use the remaining space to add genuine breadth across different product types.
Neglecting the cold chain
High-protein chilled products, particularly ready to drink protein shakes, frequently get moved to ambient shelves when chiller space comes under pressure. This is worth resisting. Chilled placement drives significantly higher impulse purchase than ambient for this format, because customers want a cold, ready to consume product immediately. Relegating your strongest performers to a warm shelf because it's more convenient operationally is a false economy.
Underestimating the breakfast and lunch peak
With breakfast being the most commonly skipped meal among GLP-1 users, demand for high-protein grab and go options peaks earlier in the day than many operators expect. Running out of stock by mid-morning means missing your busiest window entirely. Build your replenishment schedule around that peak rather than treating this part of the range like everything else.
Ignoring the sector context
A ranging decision that works well in a workplace canteen may not translate directly to a care setting or higher education. Portion size, price point and format all need to flex depending on the customer you're serving. A one-size-fits-all approach to this category rarely performs as well as one that's been thought through for the specific setting.
Making the range easy to shop
You can have the right products in the right formats at the right stock levels and still underperform if the range is hard to navigate. For a customer group that is deliberately seeking out high-protein options, friction at the fixture is the enemy. The easier you make it to find what they're looking for, the more likely they are to buy, come back, and recommend your offer to others.
Group by benefit, not just by brand
The instinct in most grab and go settings is to merchandise by brand or by product type. A more effective approach for this customer group is to create a visible high-protein zone, a dedicated section of the chiller or ambient fixture that brings protein-forward products together regardless of brand. An intentional shopper looking for a high-protein option shouldn't have to scan the entire range to find it. Bringing it together in one place does that work for them.
Think carefully about placement
Eye level is buy level, and it applies here as much as anywhere else in retail. Your strongest high-protein chilled performers, particularly ready to drink protein shakes and protein pots, should sit at middle to upper shelf height where they're immediately visible. Hiding your best performers at the bottom of the chiller because they arrived last on the delivery is a ranging decision that costs you sales.
Keep signage simple and stigma-free
Clear, simple shelf signage that calls out protein content and nutritional benefits helps customers make fast, confident choices. Keep the language focused on what the product delivers: protein, fibre, calories. Avoid weight loss language or anything that could make a customer feel singled out for their dietary choices. A simple "High Protein" flag above the relevant section is more effective and more inclusive than anything more complicated.
Label clarity matters beyond the fixture too
As we noted earlier, GLP-1 users frequently research their options before they visit. Making sure your online menu or range information reflects what's actually on the shelf, with accurate nutritional information that's easy to find, is part of making the range easy to shop even before the customer arrives.
Quick-start checklist
If you're looking to act on this guide straight away, here's a simple checklist to work through. You don't need to do everything at once, but each of these steps will move your grab and go range in the right direction.
Range review
Audit your current grab and go range for protein content across both chilled and ambient
Identify any gaps, particularly in chilled meal replacement formats such as protein shakes and protein pots
Remove or reduce duplicated lines where you're stocking multiple similar products from different brands
Check that high-protein options have meaningful shelf presence rather than one or two token facings
Product selection
Prioritise products that lead with functional nutritional claims over diet language
Taste-test anything new before ranging it, nutritional credentials alone won't drive repeat purchase
Check protein density relative to overall calorie content for any new products under consideration
Operations
Review your replenishment schedule to ensure high-protein chilled options are fully stocked before the morning peak
Resist the temptation to move chilled protein products to ambient when chiller space is tight
Check that your online menu or range information accurately reflects what's on the shelf
Merchandising
Create a visible high-protein zone that groups relevant products together by benefit rather than brand
Move your strongest chilled protein performers to middle or upper shelf height if they aren't already there
Replace any complex dietary signage with simple, clean high-protein flags or shelf talkers
Building a high-protein grab and go range that genuinely works for this customer group isn't complicated, but it does require deliberate decisions at every stage, from the products you choose to how you present them at fixture. The operators who get this right early will build a loyal, repeat customer base that is only going to grow. Those who treat it as a box-ticking exercise will find themselves restocking underperforming lines and wondering why the range isn't moving.
If you'd like support with range planning or product selection for your grab and go offer, speak to your expert account manager or explore our full grab and go range online.