These labels might highlight that a meal or snack is higher in protein and fiber, or simply a smaller portion size than other options \u2014 although consumers should be skeptical of any health benefits, experts say. <\/p>\n
\u201cA GLP-1 friendly label is good in theory, but it\u2019s bulls***. There\u2019s no real science behind it,\u201d Dr. Zaid Fadul, a physician and former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, told The Independent.<\/p>\n
Nearly one in five American adults has used a GLP-1<\/a> at some point. On average, within six months of starting the medication, a household spends 5 percent less on groceries<\/a>, so it makes sense food manufacturers are trying to claw their sales back.<\/p>\n \u201cThe companies are definitely hip to what we would recommend somebody to focus on eating on a GLP-1 diet, basically prioritizing protein, produce, fruits and vegetables,\u201d Dr. Ethan Balk, a clinical associate professor at NYU specializing in medical nutrition for bariatric surgery and metabolic weight loss, told The Independent.<\/p>\n Nestl\u00e9 debuted its \u201cGLP-1 friendly\u201d Vital Pursuit brand of frozen meals, with offerings like a white cheddar mac and broccoli bowl with 21g of protein, or a meat lover’s pizza with 32g of protein. Similarly, Conagra Brands added the label to 26 of its Healthy Choice frozen meals, including a beef merlot that packs in 13g of protein. <\/p>\n Popular tortilla maker Mission has also debuted a \u201cGLP-1 friendly\u201d label on some of its tortillas, alongside labels indicating that the food has high fiber and zero net carbs. <\/p>\n The Independent has reached out to both Nestle and Mission Foods for comment about the label.<\/p>\n The \u201cGLP-1 friendly\u201d label isn\u2019t regulated like other food markers, such as \u201cheart healthy\u201d or \u201corganic,\u201d both of which have strict guidelines to be used.<\/p>\n Even without any policing of the trendy new label, both Nestl\u00e9 and Conagra received approval to use it from the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Both brands were told the products must not mislead customers and must have statements about protein and fiber content.<\/p>\n Companies slapping the label across their products are \u201ccherry picking some pieces of the product to highlight that they are in the realm of what we recommend for somebody on a GLP-1,\u201d Balk said. With a suppressed appetite, GLP-1 users consume fewer calories, meaning the few meals they do eat need to be packed with nutrients.<\/p>\n Protein is always highlighted as a must for GLP-1 users since it helps prevent the loss of muscle mass that can occur during weight loss. Plenty of water is also advised, as the drug lessens a person\u2019s sense of thirst. Fiber is also considered essential, as the medication slows digestion, which can cause constipation.<\/p>\n While the new labels may seem arbitrary, some medical providers think they could be beneficial in getting people to pay closer attention to what kinds of foods they\u2019re eating. <\/p>\n Pre-packaged meals will never be as nutritious as whole foods, though they may be better than nothing for GLP-1 users who are in a pinch \u2014 or who are craving something that isn\u2019t as good for them.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of us could benefit from a lot more fiber intake, and so now you have patients who are being a little more mindful of their food choices, that\u2019s a net win for society,\u201d Fadul said.<\/p>\n But Balk, the NYU professor, compared the labeling trend to the low or 1000-calorie snack packs that were ubiquitous in the early 2000s amidst a horrific diet culture, noting, \u201cThis is like a total marketing, money-grab by companies.\u201d<\/p>\n A GLP-1 friendly pepperoni pizza may have more protein than a regular frozen pizza, but likely has \u201czero nutrient value,\u201d Balk said.<\/p>\n \u201cCompanies are freaking out because people are eating less on these drugs,\u201d Balk added. \u201cThis is just the newest iteration of marketing that is out there to try and maintain profit.\u201d<\/p>\n Consumers should be on alert because \u201cit\u2019s a matter of time before it gets abused,\u201d Fadul noted. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have regulation coming in, they\u2019ll stick a GLP-1 friendly label on celery.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624301,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[102,6591,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-624300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-health","tag-medication","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2179005538.jpeg\")
A new label is popping up at the grocery store: GLP-1 friendly, to appeal to users of the weight loss drug who may be looking to consume more fiber or protein. Though some experts have questioned how true it really is (Getty Images)![\"Conagra](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Healthy-Choice-Simply-Steamers-with-GLP-1-friendly-label.webp\")
Conagra Brands, which owns Healthy Choice, includes the label on several of its frozen meals, including a Grilled Chicken Pesto & Vegetables dish that packs 28 grams of protein and is only 200 calories (Conagra Brands)<\/p>\n![\"Vital](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Nestles-vital-pursuit-brand-offers-GLP-1-friendly-options.webp\")
Vital Pursuit\u2019s GLP-1 friendly meals include a meat lover\u2019s pizza that has 32 grams of protein (Nestle)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Mission-tortillas-GLP1-friendly.png\")
The popular tortilla maker Mission is selling a zero net carb tortilla that is labeled as GLP-1 friendly (Mission)<\/p>\n