GLP-1 Users Are Rewriting the Restaurant Order: Smaller Plates, More Protein, Less Beer
A Lumina Intelligence report finds GLP-1 users pick restaurants for health, want smaller high-protein portions, and are swapping beer for wine and lighter cocktails.
Much of the GLP-1 conversation has focused on the grocery cart. A new report looks at what users order when they eat out.
TLDR
- GLP-1 users want high-protein, freshly prepared food in smaller portions.
- Health drives where they choose to eat.
- Beer has dropped 10 points, to 42% of their drinking occasions.
- Burger King and Honest Burger have launched smaller slider formats.
The Findings
The Out of Home GLP-1 Navigator from Lumina Intelligence, reported by FoodNavigator, found that GLP-1 users eat dinner out less often. When they do, “health drives outlet choice,” while calorie count plays only a minor role in what they order.
The report’s advice to restaurants: “lead with high protein, freshly prepared dishes in smaller formats and sell the benefit, not the restriction.”
According to the report, GLP-1 users make up 6.1% of the UK population, more than vegans and vegetarians combined at 5.7%. Affluent women aged 25 to 45 are the largest group of users.
Drinks and Snacks
Users are skipping drinks with meals and favor “light, refreshing, low-calorie drinks that complement the food without filling people up.” Beer is “the clearest casualty of calorie-conscious drinking,” while wine and cocktails gain share. Smaller measures and mini cocktails suit drinks that are “sipped rather than gulped.”
Impulse and travel snacking are declining. The report sees opportunity in “hydration and functional formats.”
Why It Matters
GLP-1s are changing portion sizes, menus and drink lists, not just grocery shelves. The report expects use to accelerate as drug patents begin to expire from 2031. Restaurants and snack brands that build smaller, protein-forward and benefit-led options now will be ready for that customer.
Source: FoodNavigator. Read the report.