India's health food boom: Why protein-rich snacks are now in every basket

Such items that were once considered premium and available only on select supermarket shelves are becoming increasingly mainstream among urban Indian consumers, with more brands and platforms setting up health-focused offerings to cater to rising demand. Shoppers are seeking protein-rich items, salads, and millets in their snacks.

Earlier this week, online food aggregator Zomato launched a Healthy Mode in its ordering app, allowing consumers to choose from options such as low-carb and low-fat meals. Healthy Mode is currently available to Zomato users in Gurgaon, with plans for expansion to other cities. The company said it will provide users with comprehensive nutritional data.

Zomato has leveraged advanced AI and large language models (LLMs) to build detailed macronutrient profiles for dishes and introduced a score that ranks meals from low to super, based on data provided by restaurant partners. The launch comes amid rising demand for healthier food choices in metro cities, particularly among the 18–45 age group, Zomato said.

For years, India’s affluent households or those guided by dietitians and nutritionists sought better eating habits and nutritional information. Today, however, the trend has broadened. More consumers are turning to protein-rich foods and snacking on ragi chips and foxnuts, driven by growing awareness. Companies are also capitalizing on this demand with offerings such as protein shakes and oat cookies.

For instance, dairy brand Amul has launched a range of protein beverages, including lassi, milkshakes (priced at ₹40 for 180 ml), along with milk and yogurt with greater protein content. Britannia and ITC offer millet and oat cookies priced at ₹25-50. A small pack of regular glucose biscuits can be purchased for ₹2-5.

Not Niche

A recent report by Worldpanel by Numerator revealed that Indian consumers are willing to pay 22% more for "healthy" variants of food products, with even lower socio-economic groups (SEC D/E) paying 17% more. Categories such as tea and bottled soft drinks command the highest premiums.

“Health in India is no longer a niche but a daily choice. While staples like atta, salt, and tea anchor health adoption, the fastest growth is coming from categories such as ready-to-cook mixes and salty snacks," said K. Ramakrishnan, managing director, South Asia, Worldpanel by Numerator.

While households managing conditions such as diabetes, cardiac issues, or hypertension consume more health products (5 kg higher annually), adoption is now growing rapidly among regular, disease-free households. Health has transitioned from being problem-led to prevention- and lifestyle-led, particularly among younger homemakers (under 34 years) and rural households, it added.

Staple categories such as atta, salt, oil, ghee and tea continue to dominate health adoption, with 80% of households buying healthier variants. However, the strongest growth is from “other foods" such as ready-to-cook mixes.

Post-covid shift

Post-pandemic, the health and wellness segment has become mainstream in its own right, said Anand Ramanathan, partner, consumer products and retail sector leader, Deloitte India.

“Health-specific portfolios are clocking double-digit growth compared to the rest of the portfolio. While the base is smaller, it will grow. There is also greater loyalty when it comes to health and wellness products," he said, adding that most large companies see scope to expand health and wellness benefits across their portfolios.

Last year, packaged consumer goods company ITC Ltd launched Right Shift for consumers over 40. The line-up includes cookies, oats, and upma. Recently, ITC also introduced Aashirvaad Protein Atta, in addition to its moringa atta, khapli atta, ragi flour, gluten-free flour, and multigrain flour. Its ragi and jaggery cookies, priced at ₹80 for a 100-gram pack. It acquired Yoga Bar, which offers protein bars, cookies, shakes, plant-protein blends, and breakfast cereals, and invested in 24 Mantra Organic, strengthening its organic portfolio.

Hemant Malik, executive director at ITC, said rising awareness around nutrition, immunity, and demand for clean-label and functional products is driving this shift. “At ITC, we have implemented the nutrition-first strategy framework ‘Help India Eat Better’ with the aim to innovate future-ready nutritious food solutions while creating the right ecosystem to support the dream of a healthier nation. On the product front, we’ve witnessed a substantial rise in demand for health-focused packaged food," he said.

ITC uses its digi-tech-enabled Sixth Sense command centre to track social trends and consumer insights and convert them into nutrition-focused solutions.

Expanding offerings

More brands are also expanding health-first offerings.

Beverage major Coca-Cola now sells no-calorie or low-sugar variants across Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Sprite Zero, and Thums Up XForce. “While diet brands still account for under 2% of overall sales, growth on this base is significantly high," said Paritosh Ladhani, joint managing director, SLMG Beverages, one of Coca-Cola’s largest bottlers in India. “While the base is small, growth is 15–20x. From niche, diet is becoming mainstream. Eventually, the contribution of such drinks will go up."

Indians typically buy packaged foods such as cookies, namkeen, fizzy drinks priced between ₹5 and ₹20. However, most mass market products are made with basic ingredients such as sugar, palm oil and refined wheat flour. However, as urban Indians become more aware they are seeking richer, more nutritious ingredients.

Mumbai-based Marico Ltd took an early bet on health with the launch of oats over a decade ago. In 2022 it invested in health-focused snacking brand True Elements.

“We continue to innovate and bring consumers healthier food choices that don’t compromise on taste or convenience. Over the years, our Saffola Foods portfolio has expanded, from introducing everyday staples like Saffola oats, Saffola Masala Millets to recent offerings such as Saffola muesli, and snacking formats like Saffola Crunchiez," said Shilpa Vora, chief R&D officer at Marico. "Our innovation pipeline is guided by consumer-centricity, a digital-first portfolio, and sustainability, allowing us to respond to evolving needs such as the growing demand for health and wellness, environmentally conscious consumption, and convenient digital channels," she said.

Supermarket shelves are also filling up with new homegrown brands offering health-linked benefits, aided by the rapid growth of quick commerce platforms that lower entry barriers.

“Fifteen years ago, only those with nutritionists and dietitians could pay attention to health foods. Today, almost everyone wants to read labels and understand their food better—we haven’t seen this before. We’re seeing health-first brands enter the market across categories, reflecting the shift," said Mayank Gupta, founder of an upmarket Mumbai-based food and grocery store Food Square, which stocks everything in the segment: from khapli flour to locally-sourced kale and avocado.