credit: Pre Brands
As demand simultaneously rises for whole-foods and protein-rich offerings, premium beef brands are seizing the moment

Beef wants a seat at the wellness table, and consumers say it’s earned one.

Pre Brands, the Chicago-based purveyor of 100% grass-fed and grass-finished lean beef, released a national survey this week showing Americans strongly prefer whole-food protein sources over processed alternatives.

The study was commissioned by Pre itself, but the findings come as premium beef brands move to claim the same health-focused shopper that supplement makers are after.

The survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted by Atomik Research from May 1-4, found 85% of respondents consider whole-food protein healthier than protein from processed products, while 79% call it more satisfying. Nearly two-thirds (65%) said they’d choose minimally processed protein from food over a shake.

“Consumers increasingly want protein that comes from recognizable, minimally processed foods that fit into a balanced lifestyle,” Pre Brands chief marketing officer Nicole Schumacher said. “That shift in how people think about protein is shaping what ends up in their grocery carts and on their plates.”

The fatigue is something experts have seen coming.

“We’ve reached the peak. Protein has been added to everything it can be added to at this point,” epidemiologist and Zoe co-founder Dr. Tim Spector told ATN earlier this year, predicting consumers will increasingly turn to whole-food sources.

Flavor (52%) and nutrition quality (50%) were the top considerations in whether a protein feels premium to respondents, and 44% said beef delivers the best taste of any protein, with chicken just behind at 42%.

Cost topped the list of reasons consumers skip bars, shakes and powders (31%), followed by taste (24%) and the sense that the products are too processed or don’t feel “real” (22% each).

The findings align somewhat with the International Food Information Council’s 2025 Food & Health Survey, which found “good source of protein” topped the list of criteria Americans use to define healthy food for the first time. The same survey found the share of Americans following a high-protein diet hit 23% in 2025, up from 20% the prior year and just 4% in 2018.

While Pre Brands is a leader in the grass-fed, premium beef space, it’s certainly not alone.

Better-for-you beef brand Verde Farms, which debuted its “Beef From a Better Place” campaign in 2023 and last year refreshed its packaging to put its organic and non-GMO labeling front and center, announced leadership promotions in March amid national expansion. Private equity firm Manna Tree took a controlling interest in the brand in 2024.

Investors are on board, too. Earlier this year, Oakland’s Cream Co. Meats, which sources from ranchers who skip hormones and antibiotics and raise cattle on vegetarian feed, closed an $8 million Series A led by Soilworks Natural Capital to expand processing capacity and grow what it calls one of the largest regenerative meat programs in the country, with more than half its beef supply now certified regenerative.

On-the-go meat treats are also on the come-up, with the global meat snacks market having reached $22.25 billion in 2025 and projected to nearly double to $43.34 billion by 2034. Jerky leads the category, propelled by changing eating habits and rising awareness around protein-rich snacking, according to one market report.

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