Diet trends: Overview
- High-protein diets remain dominant, driven by fitness and ageing
- Low-carb diets like keto and paleo continue losing popularity
- Gut health interest has expanded beyond digestion into broader wellness
- Flexitarian eating grows as consumers reduce rather than eliminate meat
- Dietary trends increasingly shape product development and market success
The diets that consumers choose to follow can shape food trends, and, in turn, the success or failure of whole segments of the food industry.
Vegan and vegetarian diets can drive consumption of meat alternatives, for example, while low-carb diets like keto and paleo can bring meat and dairy to the fore.
Diets are not everything, of course, as not all food consumption follows a strict pattern. Yet exploring what diets consumers are following can provide a snapshot into which food products are likely to succeed.
High-protein diets remain popular
The high-protein trend is still dominant, with protein seen across a multitude of food categories.
“Across private clinic clients, exercise groups, and both middle-aged and younger demographics, there is a clear focus on prioritising protein,” says consultant dietitian and clinical nutritionist Shavina Patel.
There is a wide range of reasons that people prioritise such diets, she says: from fitness goals and healthy ageing to weight management and muscle preservation when using GLP-1s.
Protein has moved from the gym to the mainstream, says Corrine Toyn, registered dietitian at marketing and nutrition consultancy Chickpea Marketing.
The high-protein trend is not always healthy, however. It depends on the consumer, and the amount of protein that they eat. “From a dietitian’s perspective, while protein is essential, more is not always better,” says Patel.
“Individualised nutrition advice is key to ensuring kidney and cardiovascular health are also protected.”
Keto and paleo on the way out
Low-carb diets such as keto and paleo are declining, according to Karine Dussimon, global insight manager for health and wellness at Euromonitor International.
According to insights company Innova Market Insights, around 11% of consumers follow a low-carb diet such as keto or Atkins in 2026, compared with 12% in 2025.
“In practice, the named diets of the last decade, like keto, paleo and Atkins, have lost a lot of their pull,” says Toyn.
“I still see people trying them, usually for quick weight loss or because something went viral on social media. But fewer people describe themselves as ‘doing keto’ than five years ago. The rigid, all-or-nothing rules are hard to keep up, and people are increasingly wary of cutting out whole food groups.”
Gut health diets are popular
The gut health market is profoundly successful, with market research company Fortune Business Insights valuing it at $71.3bn (€63.7bn).
The gut health diet remains popular, explains Patel. Probiotics and prebiotics, as well as fermented foods, kefir and yoghurt, continue to be in high demand and are heavily influencing product launches.
Furthermore, dietitians are increasingly incorporating probiotics into care plans where appropriate.
Expectations around gut health products have expanded significantly in recent years, going from an association mainly with digestion benefits to incorporating a wide range of others as well.
“In the past, gut health was often thought of primarily in terms of helping people to ‘poo more regularly’,” says Dr Megan Rossi, founder of The Gut Health Doctor.
“Some may now assume that a gut health product or probiotic will improve everything from their hormones to their mood.”
Plant-based diets shift to flexitarian
Despite the decline of plant-based meat, plant-based diets in general are still popular.
“Plant-based options – such as alternative milks, yoghurts, and ready meals – have become supermarket staples,” says Patel.
Flexitarianism in particular is popular, she explains, with many consumers opting to limit meat intake instead of giving it up completely. “Many consumers are adopting a flexitarian approach, increasing their intake of beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts, and seeds.”
In particular, she says, pulse and soya-based consumption has increased.
“From a dietary standpoint, this is a practical way to increase fibre and plant variety to support gut and cardiovascular health while maintaining overall nutritional balance.”
The diets that consumers follow don’t just reflect trends, they help to create them. For products to succeed, innovation must follow these closely.