2026
9
US Nutrition Drinks Market Report 2026
2026-03-30T16:27:53+00:00
REP5A4071EE_E12C_4DC7_8071_EEE12CEDC770
3695
192321
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Report
en_GB
The US nutrition drinks market is steady, experiencing 5.6% growth in 2025 and current sales hitting $9.2bn. Across the industry, economic pressures are intensifying price sensitivity, while the proliferation of…
US
Drinks
Specialised Nutrition
simple

US Nutrition Drinks Market Report 2026

"As a category well suited to address increased nutritional demand, nutrition drinks must adapt alongside modernized health and wellness strategies."

Jack Doggett, Food & Drink Analyst

Jack Doggett, Food & Drink Analyst

US Nutrition Drinks Market – Trends and Insights

  • The US nutrition drinks market is steady, experiencing 5.6% growth in 2025 and current sales hitting $9.2bn. Across the industry, economic pressures are intensifying price sensitivity, while the proliferation of protein and fiber claims in snacks and waters is blurring traditional category boundaries, slowing consumption. Despite this, nutrition drink sales are projected to grow, albeit modestly, to $10.1bn by 2030. Differentiation through complete nutrition paired with timely evolution alongside new wellness strategies (eg GLP-1s) is key to maintaining growth.
  • Protein continues to be most important to consumers but the desire for additional benefits, particularly fiber, is strong. Most consumers are willing to pay more for added benefits in their nutrition drinks, urging brands to push beyond the traditional nutritional profile offered. Confusion about the category persists, especially among Gen Z, amplifying the need for nutrition drinks to differentiate from adjacent categories such as sports and performance drinks so as not to lose share.
  • Price is a major barrier to increased usage, a signal for brands to upgrade messaging to be more inclusive and nutritionally convincing. Opportunities exist in nutrition innovation, naturality, and perception in order to establish nutrition drinks as a modern-day nutritional companion.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Macro factors impacting the nutrition drink market
  • Market size and forecast of nutrition drinks
  • Types of nutrition drinks consumed and frequency
  • Target audiences of nutrition drinks
  • Change in nutrition drink consumption and reasons why
  • Barriers and perceptions of nutrition drinks
  • Desired benefits and ideal macronutrient quantities of nutrition drinks
  • Innovation and marketing activity

Market Definitions

For the purposes of this report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

  • Nutritional drinks: liquid drinks and drink mixes that fill a specific nutritional need, including meal replacement, such as providing additional amounts of vitamins/minerals to supplement a regular diet or support a special diet (eg Ensure, Glucerna, Boost, Carnation Instant Breakfast).
  • Weight loss drinks: liquid drinks and drink mixes that are specifically positioned to aid in weight loss efforts (eg SlimFast and Atkins)
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for nutrition drinks
    • Opportunities
    • Meet the potential demand for wholesale nutrition to differentiate
    • Graph 1: agreement with the statement, “I consider performance drinks and nutrition drinks to be the same thing”, by generation, 2025
    • Keep baseline protein presence steady while increasing areas like fiber
    • Become a weight wellness tool without alienating consumers
    • Discover the top five trend territories for success in US non-alcoholic beverages using Black Swan’s social prediction technology
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Market context
    • Economic uncertainty makes price barriers worse
    • Graph 2: consumer sentiment index, 2022-26
    • Other categories gaining competitive edge over nutrition drinks
    • Graph 3: new total food/drink launches with each claim, 2023-25
    • Weight loss strategies have evolved
    • Graph 4: GLP-1 usage and opinions, 2025
    • Nutrition drinks expected to experience modest growth
    • Graph 5: total retail sales and forecast of nutrition and weight loss drinks, 2019-30
    • Weight loss drinks have lost relevance; nutrition drinks are the avenue for potential
    • Graph 6: total retail sales and forecast of nutrition and weight loss drinks, by segment, 2019-30
    • Weight loss drinks are reaching their low
    • Graph 7: total retail sales and forecast of weight loss drinks, 2019-30
    • Market share/brand share
    • Brands, both small and large, are reloading their nutrition drinks
    • Graph 8: MULO sales of nutritional drinks, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2025 and 2026
    • Brands, both small and large, are reloading their nutrition drinks
    • Weight loss brands continue to see declines across the board
    • Graph 9: MULO sales of weight loss drinks, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2025 and 2026
    • Weight loss brands continue to see declines across the board
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • The varied audiences of nutrition drinks
    • Defining what a nutrition drink is in a beverage world that is blurring
    • Nutrition drinks continue to see popularity, but repertoires are slim
    • Graph 10: P6M consumption of weight loss, meal replacement, or nutrition drink/mixes, by generation, 2024-25
    • Graph 11: P6M repertoire weight loss, meal replacement, or nutrition drink/mix, 2025
    • Win back the oldest and youngest
    • Graph 12: P6M consumption of any weight loss, meal replacement, or nutrition drink/mix, by generation, 2024-25
    • Gen Z want more from nutrition drinks
    • Graph 13: select attitude statements, Gen Z, 2025
    • Convince Baby Boomers with nutrition
    • Graph 14: important ingredients in a nutrition drink, % in top 3, Baby Boomers, 2025
    • Nutrition drinks: a welcome luxury for some but not for all
    • At present, price perceptions are a problem
    • Price paints a value-related picture
    • Graph 15: reasons for decreased consumption of nutrition drinks, 2025
    • Lean into convenience for lower-income consumers
    • Graph 16: factors encouraging purchase of a nutrition drink, % in top 3, struggling financial status, 2025
    • Bring nutrition drinks to the next level
    • What consumers want out of a nutrition drink
    • It’s what’s inside that counts
    • Graph 17: factors that would encourage purchase of a nutrition drink, 2025
    • Finding format-specific formulations
    • Graph 18: important ingredients in nutrition drinks, % in top 3, by format, 2025
    • Building the ideal nutrition drink
    • The connection between protein and flavor continues to grow
    • Graph 19: select polar statements, 2025
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • New arrivals to nutrition drinks help establish identity
    • Ensure shows how protein can be multifaceted
    • Powering through with Ensure
    • Boost pushes protein beyond just fitness
    • Plant-centric nutrition takes off
    • Nutrition drinks for children lean clean
    • Premier protein shows off the many use cases their drink can have
    • GNC’s multi-benefit weight loss drink
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Total retail sales and forecast of nutrition drinks, at current prices
    • Total retail sales and forecast of nutrition drinks, at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Average annual household spending on nutrition drinks
    • Total retail sales of nutrition drinks, by channel, at current prices
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology – US
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • US generation groups
    • Gen Z polar statements
    • Graph 20: polar attitudes, by Gen Z, 2025
    • Abbreviations

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