- Food companies are trying to cater to shoppers taking GLP-1 medications.
- Many people on Ozempic, Wegovy, and other drugs eat less and get full faster.
- Companies like Conagra and General Mills are responding with special frozen meals and soups.
Food companies behind everything from canned soup to frozen dinners are trying to win over a growing group: People who are eating less due to GLP-1 medications.
General Mills, Conagra, and other companies are launching new, smaller-portion products and adding labels aimed at people taking Ozempic, Wegovy, and similar weight-loss drugs. The goal is to keep grocery shoppers buying their product — even if they eat less of it.
However, some of their products don’t involve a revolutionary new approach. They’re items that people on a health kick who aren’t on the drugs may already be choosing.
For example, Conagra, which makes Marie Callender’s frozen food and Slim Jim beef jerky, now labels some of its Healthy Choice brand frozen meals “GLP-1 Friendly,” CEO Sean Connolly said at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York’s annual conference on Tuesday. The meals tend to be smaller portions, reflective of users’ tendency to eat less, he said.
“That’s a navigation aid or a wayfinder for consumers who are currently on GLP-1s,” Connolly said.
The companies’ actions are the food industry’s latest response to the spread of the drugs.
Many people using GLP-1s feel full faster and have fewer cravings for salty or sugary foods. One study has suggested that medications like Ozempic lead people to drink less alcohol.
“They’re actually eating more single-serve meals, more bites and appetizers, and more vegetables,” Bob Nolan, Conagra’s senior vice president of demand science, said during Conagra’s presentation at the conference.
About 6% of consumers are taking a GLP-1 medication, Nolan said. The company expects that percentage to grow, thanks to advances such as GLP-1s that can be swallowed as a pill instead of injected and better insurance coverage for the medications.
General Mills, which makes Progresso canned soup, is now marketing a high-protein version to users.
“This year, we’re targeting GLP-1 consumers and telling them how Progresso’s protein and fiber benefits can fit seamlessly into their new routine,” CEO Jeff Harmening said at the conference in a separate presentation on Tuesday. High-protein diets are also popular among many athletes — and ordinary people looking to tone up at the gym, perhaps.
General Mills has introduced other foods meant for Ozempic users, such as Betty Crocker brownie mixes with lower sugar.
