David Protein Forecasts $300 Million Revenue as GLP-1 Drug Use Raises Both Protein Demand and Ingredient Costs

David Protein projects $300 million in revenue this year as demand for high-protein foods rises alongside use of GLP-1 receptor agonists. The brand’s products are sold in about 16,000 stores. Founder and CEO Peter Rahal said the absence of new diet fads this January marked a shift from prior years.

He previously created RXBar and sold it to Kellogg’s for $600 million before launching David Protein’s bars and ice cream in 2024. Rahal attributed the change to GLP-1 medications. “My general view on food trends is that because of GLP-1s, diet trends are over,” he told Fortune.

About 10 percent of the U.S. population has taken a GLP-1 drug, and Morgan Stanley projects the market will reach $82 billion this year. WeightWatchers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year and later announced partnerships with makers of Wegovy and Mounjaro.

Rahal said consumers now turn to the drugs rather than diets for weight loss. The trend has increased demand for protein. “That’s why protein is popular, is because it’s all GLP-1-driven,” Rahal said.

David Protein has absorbed higher costs for whey concentrate, which rose from $7 per pound to nearly $12 per pound since late 2024. U.S. Department of Agriculture data show the price of high-protein whey concentrate increased 40 percent in recent months.

Kathleen Wolfley, vice president at Ever.Ag Insights, said users of the drugs require extra protein to maintain muscle mass. Rahal said the company plans to continue its current approach without altering recipes. “The strategy is just, like, survive versus changing anything,” he said.