These 5 Healthy Food & Drink Trends Could Define 2025
From protein donuts to GLP 1-boosting foods, these nutrition trends are poised to dominate in the year ahead
While the obesity epidemic still runs rampant in America and much of the modern world, an ever-increasing number of consumers are prioritizing nutrition, leading to a proliferation of healthy food and drink options.
Driven in part by the GLP-1 weight-loss craze, the market for healthy eating continues to grow, with brands from Nestle to Hims & Hers entering the space.
Amid this backdrop, Lifesum, a popular healthy eating app with over 65 million users, has revealed its top five food and drink trends for 2025.
“The future of food is functional, blending nutrition with purpose to support holistic health and well-being,” said Lifesum CEO Markus Falk. “These trends reflect a growing desire for foods and drinks that not only nourish the body but also empower individuals to live healthier, more balanced lives, making wellness both accessible and enjoyable.”
Here are Lifesum’s predictions for the five healthy eating trends set to define 2025, based on anonymized user trends and behaviors within the Lifesum app, supplemented by industry research and insights.
GLP-1 Enhancing Foods
Foods inspired by GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are “set to dominate” in 2025, according to Lifesum. These foods help support weight management, either by boosting GLP-1 naturally in the body or by providing protein, which is vital for preserving lean muscle mass while losing weight. These foods are meant to complement weight-loss medications, not replace them, Lifesum notes.
Examples include green tea blends, which contain catechins that boost natural GLP-1 secretion for appetite control, and protein-enriched coffee and energy drinks.
Brands To Watch: Nestle, Hims & Hers and SoWell have all introduced pre-packaged food and drink lines designed to support people taking GLP-1s, underscoring the growing market for weight-loss companion meals.
Fermented & Gut-Health Foods
Gut health and microbiome supplements have become highly popular, but the right foods can produce similar effects. Fermented and probiotic-rich foods are expected to take off in 2025: searches for gut-health foods increased by 47% in 2024, according to Lifesum’s research.
Foods like fermented cashew cheese, a dairy-free alternative rich in probiotics, and kimchi superfood blends, which pair kimchi with ingredients like turmeric and spirulina, are foods to watch in 2025.
Brand To Watch: Supergut, a prebiotic superfood brand that launched in 2022, inked a deal with GNC earlier this year to bring its line of prebiotic drink mixes and bars to the health retailer.
Nootropic Beverages for Cognitive Health
As mental health becomes a bigger priority for people around the world, nootropic drinks have emerged. A category of supplements designed to improve cognitive functions like focus, memory and creativity, nootropics are commonly found in pill form, but they’re also making their way into prepackaged drinks.
Examples of nootropic beverage include cacao-based tonics, which offer adaptogens like rhodiola rosea for mood and mental clarity, and matcha + L-theanine combos, which seek to pair energy and calm for cognitive support.
Brand To Watch: Odyssey, which makes ready-to-drink beverages infused with nootropics, raised $6 million earlier this year.
Fiber-Rich Foods
The health benefits of fiber are becoming more appreciated by the general public amid the GLP-1 craze, thanks in part to the nutrient’s ability to regulate appetite. Searches for fiber-rich foods increased by 29% in 2024, per Lifesum.
To help busy people get more fiber on the go, fiber-infused sparkling waters and fiber-rich smoothie boosters could become more popular in 2025.
Brand to Watch: Vibi+ is among those getting in on the fiber beverage trend. The brand’s prebiotic-infused water contains 27% of the average American’s daily fiber needs in one bottle.
Protein Powder & Foods (especially for women)
Protein-enriched foods are nothing new in the fitness world, but they’ve got impressive staying power. Driven in part by the rise of strength training and the benefits of protein consumption for GLP-1 takers, protein is poised to remain highly popular in 2025. Women are seeking protein more than ever before for hormonal balance, muscle recovery and metabolic health benefits, Lifesum notes. Searches for protein-rich foods increased by 42% in 2024, according to the healthy eating platform.
Protein donuts, which can be enriched with whey or pea protein powder, represent one creative way brands are offering protein in tasty ways.
Brand To Watch: To help people get their daily protein while avoiding some of the GI discomfort that many experience while taking protein supplements, celebrity trainer Jason Walsh created Rise311, a plant-based protein powder that contains clean ingredients and enzymes for digestion.