Experts from at-home testing and nutrition company Zoe spoke with Athletech News about where they see industry trends going, for better or worse, in 2026
The fitness and wellness industry saw a variety of nutrition trends this past year, from functional beverages and healthy-eating franchises to brands going all-in on GLP-1s. But which ones are sticking around, and which ones are being left behind in 2025?
To make sense of the ever-changing landscape, Athletech News spoke with the experts behind Zoe, the at-home testing and nutritional guidance company, who revealed not only what’s booming in the industry, and why, but also what’s on its way out — or should be.
Processed Protein May Be On Its Way Out
It’s undeniable that protein is dominating the nutrition market nowadays, with brands including Starbucks rolling out products like protein cold foam and women surpassing men in seeking out protein supplements.
Dr. Federica Amati, head nutritionist at Zoe, has observed that protein labeling increases purchasing behavior, further motivating brands to invest in protein-forward products.
That does concern her, however, as it can lead to “protein-washing” of ultra-processed foods that aren’t inherently healthy, but catch eyes with their high protein quantities.
“It’s not going anywhere, unfortunately,” she told Athletech News. “I’m hoping people will stop valuing junk food with protein.”
Protein supplements have recently come under fire, too, as certain brands’ products were revealed to have concerning levels of lead, per an explosive Consumer Reports expose.
Amati thinks that’s only the beginning of a larger trend of consumers increasingly scrutinizing protein quality, especially as people overall are shifting towards plant-based proteins for their nutritional and environmental perks.
“We’ve reached the peak. Protein has been added to everything it can be added to at this point,” Dr. Tim Spector, co-founder of Zoe and an epidemiologist, told ATN.
“The bubble hasn’t burst yet,” he added, but noted he predicts increased negative views toward processed, protein-packed products as consumers look to higher quality, whole-food and plant-based sources of protein.
‘Fibermaxxing’ & Gut Health Will Take Over
Potentially taking the place of the protein craze is a trend Amati and Spector have observed called “fibermaxxing,” in which people look to maximize their fiber intake for its longevity, gut health and even weight-loss benefits.
Amati noted we’re already seeing fiber’s popularity surge with products like prebiotic sodas and products advertising gut-friendly properties. She even predicts that, similar to the protein craze, consumers will begin to see products like fiber ice cream and prebiotic skincare and toothpaste.
Public excitement about fiber, Amati predicts, will also lead to “the return of healthy carbohydrates, and re-embracing the importance of including healthy carbohydrates in our diet.”
According to Spector, “We’re going to see an explosion of fiber” in the coming years.
Whole Foods’ 2026 food predictions were aligned with Amati’s and Spector’s, as the supermarket giant pointed out that brands are shifting towards fiber-forward callouts on their packaging and in marketing campaigns.
In the research world, Spector has found postbiotics — dead gut microbiome bacteria — have measurable gut health benefits, and foresees them being added to food as well.
But still, Spector believes the probiotic/prebiotic trend is going to “die off.”
That’s because, he claims, people are going to turn to fermented foods to boost their gut health over supplements. In the U.K., he’s already observed fermented food sales going up 15 to 20% per year.
In 2024, the global fermented food market size was valued at $750 billion, projected to grow to $1.1 trillion by 2032. Spector said the U.K. has already moved past commercial probiotic supplements quite a bit, but the U.S. is lagging behind; however, 2026 may see a shift in a similar direction.
GLP-1-Centric Diets Are Key
Another reason Amati predicts fiber will take over: GLP-1s.
“They’re a drug that’s going to be here forever,” she said. As more and more people hop on the medication, Amati said there will need to be more conversations about not only nutritional guidance through treatment, but also how to structure diets once off the drugs.
Amati warned that those on GLP-1s run a high risk of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency without proper nutritional education.
That’s where fiber comes in, as most Americans are already deficient in the gut-essential nutrient, and run the risk of falling further behind on the recommended intake of 25 to 38 grams per day.
Amati said that fiber-rich, gut-healthy foods are also growing in popularity due to their ability to naturally mimic the effects of the weight-loss medications, with brands marketing that narrative in new GLP-1-esque supplements.
For Supplements, Its Quality Over Quantity
Amati also said the exponential growth of supplements is one of the biggest trends she’s seen in nutrition.
“We’re getting to this point where people have supplement stacks,” she said, referring to the large number of people showcasing the many supplements they take on a daily basis.
While Amati acknowledges there is benefit to targeted supplementation based on bloodwork, at least for a period of time, she also worries about the quality and marketing claims of many supplements.
She predicts that as consumers become more quality-conscious, they’ll turn to reputable brands with transparent third-party testing and the correct ingredient quantities (some brands, she pointed out, have dangerously high levels of certain compounds in their products).
Are Peptides the Next Industry Fad?
For Spector, there’s one specific area of supplementation that he’s seeing everywhere, and might be the biggest trend heading into 2026: peptides.
The compounds are short-chain amino acids marketed to have a host of benefits from anti-aging and immune health to muscle recovery and weight-loss — GLP-1s are a type of peptide, for example — and are often used among elite athletes for marginal performance benefits.
But according to Spector, there’s very little evidence that peptides do what many claim they do in the absence of clinical trials among humans. While he does think that GLP-1s are a “miracle drug” that helps countless people, the peptides that are growing in popularity now, he said, are “another fad” that he envisions will fade away.
“I think there will always be this magic snake oil thing,” he said of the compounds. “Everything I’ve seen so far is pretty much nonsense.”
