The high protein craze: Fad or fixture in the Singaporean diet?
Products claiming to be high in protein are filling up Singapore's supermarket shelves as a result of a booming fitness culture, but health experts warn that not all proteins are created equal.
More brands are hopping on the high-protein bandwagon, and more Singaporeans are biting. (Illustration: CNA/Clara Ho)
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Walk into any supermarket in Singapore today and the word "protein" is hard to miss.
Alongside the usual fresh food suspects of chicken, salmon and eggs – which most shoppers would readily recognise as high in protein – a multitude of other products sit on the shelves, vying for your attention.
From cereal and yoghurt, to even chips and water, packaged products are screaming out how they are packed full of protein goodness.
Their protein content is not hidden in the nutritional label, but displayed front and centre on the packaging in bright, large font.
Ms Chloe Lim, 29, a regular supermarket shopper, said: "In the early 2000s, everything used to be low-fat.
"Now, there are 'high in protein' labels everywhere."
Ms Lim, an account manager at a marketing agency, has been making a concerted effort to track and increase her protein intake since September last year with the aim of getting leaner and physically stronger.
Though her daily protein tends to come from whole foods, the occasional bottle of high-protein milk from a vending machine or supermarket shelf has become part of her routine, and she is far from alone.
High-protein products, once associated mainly with avid gym-goers such as Ms Lim and people with special diets, have now become much more commonplace in the shopping carts of everyday consumers.
Ms Emil Fazira, the Asia-Pacific insight manager for food at market intelligence company Euromonitor International, said that the high-protein trend has now reached new audiences and penetrated more categories and aisles than ever before.
Convenience store chain 7-Eleven, for example, has "significantly expanded" its high-protein range of products, carrying close to 100 protein-focused products spanning both domestic and international brands across its network of more than 460 stores, its Singapore managing director Anushree Khosla said.
"In around 60 per cent of the stores, we have created dedicated protein bays as well as added clear protein call-outs within the chillers that offer a wide range of ready-to-drink and ready-to-eat options," she added.
A representative for online food and grocery delivery platform Foodpanda said that it, too, is seeing more targeted searches for products on its app for protein yoghurt, protein shakes, granola bars and other protein-rich products, for example.
In Singapore, brands have also branched out to create high-protein variations of their existing inventory.
Last year, oat milk brand Oatside launched a high-protein line of its oat milk in chocolate and vanilla flavours. Its marketing director Cindy Lin told CNA TODAY that it has been seeing strong demand and consistent growth for high-protein products.
Before that, F&N Foods Singapore launched a high-protein milk range for its Magnolia brand in 2022, and introduced a high-protein variant for its isotonic drink 100Plus in 2023.
The company's managing director Siew Peng Yim said that these products have seen "encouraging interest".
This demand is despite high-protein products tending to cost more than their standard counterparts.
For instance, at a FairPrice Finest outlet in Woodleigh, a 475ml bottle of Meiji low-fat chocolate milk costs S$2.47, while a 350ml bottle of the high-protein version by the same brand costs twice as much before promotion – but it is a price that consumers appear willing to pay.
The attention drawn to protein means that businesses big and small here are making the macronutrient the centrepiece of their marketing collateral.
Mexican food chain Guzman Y Gomez held two promotions in March and April that were marketed as "double-protein", where customers were allowed to add extra protein fillings to their meals for free.
It said that the promotion "far exceeded expectations" with nearly half of all orders on its mobile application during this period tapping the promotion.
Ms Vanessa Kua, the founder of high-protein ice-cream brand Goodlato, said that she has seen a 30 per cent growth in online sales this year compared to this time last year.
"I've noticed throughout the years, when I emphasise my ice-cream's protein content (in my marketing), there seems to be more people interested in trying it out," the 28-year-old said. She uses Google Trends to analyse which keywords can drive more traffic to her site.
PROSELYTISING PROTEIN
The rise of a high-protein diet in Singapore can be traced to a series of events abroad, chief among them was the surge in popularity of weight-management treatments such as Ozempic around 2021.
The drug mimics a hormone called GLP-1, which suppresses appetite by telling your brain that you are full.
Because consuming protein also stimulates the body to produce and release more GLP-1, influencers worldwide started touting high-protein diets as a more affordable way to achieve weight loss as well, especially since Ozempic treatments can cost more than US$1,000 (S$1,270) a month and in many countries, they require a prescription.
These developments may have planted the seeds for the boom, but personal trainers told CNA TODAY that the biggest driver of protein's overall popularity here is the "trendiness" of keeping fit in the post-COVID era.
For many people, this means finding a way to recover quickly between every high-intensity exercise session.
Mr Lucas Lim, 36, who has been a personal trainer in Singapore for 13 years, said that in recent years, the surge of interest in fitness races such as Hyrox and high-intensity workouts including Crossfit has led people to seek more ways to optimise recovery.
The numbers bear this out. Participants for Hyrox Singapore – which combines running with functional workout stations such as pushing weighted sleds, doing lunges with sandbags and rowing – have increased substantially year-on-year.
Attendance grew from around 3,500 on its debut race in 2023 to around 14,500 in its latest event last month.
With an array of fitness content online, Mr Lim, who is also the founder of the FITLUC Gym in Singapore, said that people naturally became more acquainted with the benefits of protein in building and repairing tissues, helping to maintain muscle mass during weight loss and regulating blood sugar, for instance.
"And it's not just protein," he added. "(People are using) terms like casein, body composition analysis – in the past, only trainers would know such things."
Mr Nicholas Lee, 33, is one such gym-goer who has become well-acquainted with the terms associated with a high-performance fitness journey, so much so that he has since become a personal trainer himself, leaving his job as a claims analyst in the corporate world.
In 2024, Mr Lee decided to manage his nutritional intake more seriously, learning mostly through online sources and content creators.
Today, he keys in what he consumes for every meal into ChatGPT to track if his protein intake is to his target – even carrying a small weighing scale with him to keep the numbers accurate.
The results have been tangible and have increased his productivity and performance in the gym, he said.
"When I wasn't tracking my protein intake, my body's recovery time could take anywhere from two to three days. Now that my nutrition is more 'on point', and I clock in my protein every single day, the recovery is about one day or less.
"Because I can recover quicker, I can hit another intense session. Whereas if I'm still aching, I would have to take it easy."
Even though he mainly turns to fresh or whole foods, Mr Lee occasionally picks up a bottle of high-protein milk from a convenience store or supermarket when there is just not enough time.
"It's expensive, but people pay for the convenience. Foods like chicken breast, you'll have to microwave it or heat it. Minced beef is raw and you need to cook it," he said.
"Whether you know how to cook it or if you have the time to – that's stopping people from getting their protein from more nutritious sources."
BOOM TIME FOR PROTEIN
This hyper awareness about the need for more protein in our diets has trickled down from the fitness junkies to the everyday consumer, particularly the middle-aged demographic.
Mr Jason Tan, a professional stunt driver who sits in his car for hours at a stretch to perfect a manoeuvre, is one such example.
The 49-year-old noticed that he was getting tired more easily in the last year or so when he had projects stretching for months at a time.
So when videos from bodybuilders and fitness influencers appeared on his social media feeds extolling protein's ability to speed up muscle repair, his interest was piqued.
"When we hear what these people say, we believe that if we drink more protein, we may work out and hopefully end up feeling less tired or lethargic," he said.
He decided to give it a go and made a conscious effort to eat more fish and beancurd daily, while also picking up a high-protein drink from the supermarket about once a week.
"I definitely feel better than when I didn't make the effort to consume more protein."
Feeling the difference on the days when he raises his protein intake, Mr Tan decided to stock up on high-protein drinks when a tranche of the government's Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers for Singaporeans to offset daily expenses were expiring late last year.
"These brands are really smart – if you put the label and tell us how much protein we'll get for each serving, as a consumer, there's a high chance I will want to buy it if I am conscious of my protein intake," he said.
Personal trainer Viviane Then, whose clients are typically women in their late 30s to 50s, said that awareness of protein's importance has also been growing steadily among the demographic she serves.
"In restaurants or cafes, you'll always overhear conversations on the side that go, 'I better have more eggs or more chicken because I need to have my protein'," Ms Then said.
The 41-year-old attributed this partly to efforts by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to encourage sufficient protein intake as part of a balanced diet – particularly as a defence against sarcopenia, which is the progressive, age-related loss of muscle mass, strength and function.
Indeed, Associate Professor Verena Tan, programme leader of dietetics and nutrition at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), noted that for women in their 40s and 50s, protein needs become more critical because muscle loss can accelerate during this period, especially around menopause.
For speech therapist and counsellor Kate Lim, 47, learning about the risks of sarcopenia came from reading the news, but the wake-up call to switch up her diet came from seeing older clients appearing more frail and visibly losing muscle mass over time.
She used to enjoy having wraps, potato chips and chocolate hazelnut spread on bread, but she now reaches for quinoa, lentil chips and peanut butter without added sugar instead. She also now keeps a supply of high-protein milk in the fridge for her husband and three sons.
MOST CONSUMERS MEET THEIR PROTEIN NEEDS
So, how much protein do individuals need? And are high-protein products the best way to get there?
Health experts said that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, because protein needs depend on age, body size, activity level and if the person has any medical conditions.
The good news is that three-quarters of adult Singapore residents already meet their recommended protein intake, the 2019 National Nutrition Survey showed.
Existing HPB guidelines state that a useful baseline for a healthy adult aged 49 and under is around 0.8g of protein for every kilogram of body weight daily.
To put that in perspective, someone weighing 60kg would need around 48g of protein a day, or about 16g each meal. One hard-boiled egg could give about 6g of protein, while a 100g serving of lean chicken breast packs about 30g of protein.
Within these parameters, most Singaporeans do not need to go out of their way to get an extra fix of high-protein products.
Although the Asian diet is often perceived as carbohydrate-heavy, Ms Then the personal trainer said that the picture is more nuanced.
"We forget that our diet also has legumes, beans, soy, tofu and tempeh. We also lean towards a lot of seafood and white meat like chicken – these are generally heart-healthy and still pretty high in protein."
For those watching their spending, Assoc Prof Tan from SIT said that basic foods can provide far cheaper protein for every gram than branded high-protein snacks and desserts.
"Especially for those feeling the pinch of rising costs, adding an extra egg, a serving of tofu or legumes, or a cup of milk or soy milk, is more affordable and nutritionally sound than paying a premium for a logo," she added.
For people who have higher protein needs such as active individuals, or those who have trouble consuming enough protein through meals, Dr Glenn Low, a resident physician at DTAP Clinics, said that products such as high-protein milk – which are increasingly popular – can still be a good way to meet protein needs.
However, he noted that they should still be viewed as supplements to one's diet and they should not be replacements for whole foods.
"For most healthy individuals, there is no inherent harm in moderate use of high-protein milk … The bigger risk from the trend is not protein itself, but the idea that 'high-protein' automatically means healthy," Dr Low cautioned.
A balanced diet, he said, still needs carbohydrates, fibre and healthy fats.
Over-relying on fortified products risks narrowing dietary variety and crowding out other nutrients essential to long-term health.
"Whole food protein sources still provide a broader range of nutrients and tend to be more satiating," he added.
Mr Lim from FITLUC Gym said there is a common misconception among newer gym-goers that consuming more protein alone is enough to accelerate results.
"Because protein is so well-known, and people see on social media the ambassadors of various brands of protein, it's natural for them to think that even if they train once a week, they need a lot of protein to have maximum growth," he said.
"Protein is great for that, but at the same time, it's really the balance of having the proper stimulus, which is through resistance training. If you're not training as much, there's only so much that extra protein can do for you."
For those above the age of 50, the picture is slightly different, because the protein intake target rises to roughly 1.2g per kg of body weight – which means that an older adult who weighs 60kg would need 72g of protein a day, or 24g each meal.
Recent data shows that about one in two older adults aged 50 to 69 did not meet this figure.
In these instances, Assoc Prof Tan said that some high-protein products can help if they deliver a meaningful dose of 10g to 20g per serving, taste good and are eaten regularly as part of meals or snacks, especially for seniors with low appetite.
"Evidence suggests that the most helpful products for seniors are not chips or confectionery, but familiar foods and drinks that are protein-fortified in small, easy-to-eat portions, such as enriched soups and porridges," she said.
THE REAL DEAL VS SAVVY PACKAGING
With high-protein labels increasingly pervasive, how then can consumers ascertain if they are getting genuine nutrition or just falling for persuasive packaging?
Assoc Prof Tan warned that some products now carrying "high protein" claims have not changed much nutritionally, and that the label simply makes existing protein content more visible.
There are also ultra-processed snacks where protein is added primarily to justify a health-sounding claim, but the product remains high in salt, sugar or fat.
"From a scientific perspective, that is essentially opportunistic marketing; the 'high-protein' halo does not make it a healthier choice overall, and the consumer should not assume that it does,” Assoc Prof Tan said.
However, there are indeed products that have been reformulated to provide substantially more protein with a reasonably good overall nutritional profile – and these can be a useful option, particularly for older adults and those with higher needs, she said.
Dr Low from DTAP Clinics said that the foundational need for protein is real and grounded in science, but the concern is the form that this focus on protein takes.
"If the focus gets pushed from 'adequate protein' to 'optimising protein at all costs', that becomes more emotionally trend-driven rather than evidence-driven."
MORE THAN FLAVOUR-OF-THE-MONTH?
Ms Fazira from Euromonitor said that the current high-protein trend is not new by any means, and it is simply a different form.
"The previous waves in the last 20 years were more niche and diet-based – high-protein low-carb, and high-fat high-protein to complement the keto trend pre-2020s and early 2000s."
Except now, with shifting consumer mindsets around holistic health, it has reached "a new frontier" with the mainstream consumer, Ms Fazira added.
This may not be protein's first time in the spotlight, but it is undeniably its biggest this century.
From a scientific perspective, that is essentially opportunistic marketing; the 'high-protein' halo does not make it a healthier choice overall, and the consumer should not assume that it does.
Just earlier this year, the United States unveiled a "historic reset" of dietary guidelines for Americans, with the very first item being "prioritising protein".
In Singapore, figures from Euromonitor International showed that the sports protein product market here grew from S$106.8 million in 2020 to S$141.5 million in 2025 – an increase of about 33 per cent over five years.
The protein supplements market grew by 18 per cent over the same period, from S$5 million to S$5.9 million.
Although these product categories do not encompass snacks and everyday items with a "high-protein" label, they are indicative of Singaporeans' growing appetite for the macronutrient.
Dr Low believes that the trend has more staying power than its predecessors.
He drew a distinction between the protein wave and earlier food trends such as plant-based milks or chia seeds, which were anchored to specific foods or categories.
Protein is different because it is a macronutrient that "can be found everywhere, or even added into snacks and other processed foods", he said.
"That potentially makes the protein trend more durable."
Ms Fazira sees the same pattern playing out in the data. Protein has spread far beyond its traditional home in dairy, with dairy's slice of the high-protein packaged food market in the Asia-Pacific region shrinking from 47 per cent in 2020 to 41 per cent in 2025.
The macronutrient is now showing up in snacks, drinks and categories that never used to carry a protein claim.
As for longevity, Ms Fazira expects the current trend to ease off due to "protein fatigue", as the market gets crowded and products that do not deliver fall away.
However, with wellness priorities among consumers continuously evolving and brands increasingly adopting a health and wellness-first strategy, "it will not be the last we see of it", she predicted.
For self-professed "carbohydrate-lover" Joy Ong, 27, learning to add more protein in her diet was never about following a fad.
Many of her meals used to consist of potatoes and rice without much meat, so when she started to exercise more often last year, she found herself feeling constantly hungry, which made her eat more and put on more weight.
"This defeated the whole purpose of me working out," Ms Ong, who is unemployed, said.
After replacing some of her usual carbs with eggs, Greek yoghurt and high-protein milk, she said that she felt "fuller for a longer time" and turned less to snacks.
"Since then, I've made a conscious effort to incorporate more protein into my diet, and I don't see myself going back."
