Hello restaurateur!!
Before anything else, Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to my dear restaurateurs!
May Bappa bless you with a flood of customers, new ones and old regulars who suddenly remember you exist, endless online orders, and, if he’s really listening, a little less commission taken out of every single one.
Now, coming out of my excited festive mode, let me tell you something interesting!
The 11 pm Cart That Gave It Away
A few nights ago, I was on Zepto at 11 pm doing what most of us do, aimlessly adding things to the cart while pretending it’s “just checking.”
I ended up adding a bar, a drink, and something in a pouch that I still can’t fully describe.
And when I actually think about why I picked them, the honest answer is a little embarrassing. I didn’t compare brands. I saw one word in bold letters, PROTEIN, and that was the entire decision made for me.
It was only the next morning, reading the label properly over coffee, that I realised I had no real idea what I’d bought. I just knew it had protein in it.
Apparently, my brain had decided that was information enough, and trust me, I’m nowhere close to being the only one shopping like this.
The Numbers Behind The Noise
Instacart’s 2026 Protein and Fibre Report backs this up with some genuinely wild numbers. Searches for “protein” are up 12.7% year over year, and “fibre” has jumped 26.4%.
Tinned fish grew 51%, largely by being protein-coded well on packaging. Cheerios Protein grew 157% in a single year.
Even Doritos and Blue Bell ice cream now have protein versions.
This isn’t really a health food moment anymore. It’s a labelling moment, and the two get mixed up a lot more often than we’d like to admit.
People aren’t necessarily eating healthier. They’re buying words that sound healthier, and food brands have figured that out fast.
What This Means For Your Menu
Right now, “protein” and “fibre” are the two biggest buzzwords in food, and this entire trend is being won on packaging and language, not some dramatic overhaul of what’s actually being made.
But that doesn’t mean the fix is only about renaming what already exists. Some of it is, and some of it genuinely calls for adding a few dishes that are properly protein-heavy or fibre-rich, not just implying it.
Start with what’s already strong and just isn’t being said out loud.
Your egg bhurji, your grilled chicken, your paneer tikka, your Greek yoghurt bowls if you serve them. These are dishes that actually hold up when you check the numbers, and right now they’re sitting under names that give away nothing about them.
But look honestly at the rest of your menu too, because there will be gaps.
If you don’t have a single dish that crosses a real protein threshold, or a side that’s genuinely fibre-dense like a proper sprouts bowl, roasted sweet potato or a black bean-based dish, that’s worth adding now while the moment is hot, rather than stretching an existing dish to fit a claim it can’t back up.
The smartest menus this quarter will do both. Relabel what’s already earning it, and quietly slot in one or two new dishes built specifically for this trend.
The Real Fix
Audit your menu honestly
Go dish by dish and check actual protein or fibre content, not just what sounds healthy. A dal might feel protein-rich, but the real number per serving often won’t hold up, so relabel only what genuinely earns it.
Add one or two dishes built specifically for this trend
If your menu has a gap, no dish that crosses a real protein threshold, no fibre-dense side like sweet potato, roasted chana or a black bean bowl, this is the moment to add one, rather than stretching an existing dish to fit.
Attach a real number wherever you can
“26g protein grilled chicken bowl” pulls harder than “healthy chicken bowl” ever will, because a specific number reads as proof, while “healthy” reads as marketing.
Rename the dish before you touch the kitchen
For everything that already earns the tag, make a small change in the menu description. Moving from generic names to ones that call out protein or fibre directly can shift ordering behaviour without any operational cost at all.
Train your staff to say the words out loud too
If a waiter can casually mention “this one’s high in protein” while taking an order, you’ve just turned a menu tag into a verbal nudge, and that closes sales faster than text on a page.
Only tag what’s true, every single time
Diners this year are trend-hungry but not gullible, and one dish that doesn’t live up to its protein claim can quietly undo the trust you’re building across the rest of the menu.
One More Thing
Use this moment to spotlight your genuinely nutritious dishes on social media too. A quick reel or story breaking down the protein or fibre count of a popular dish does double duty.
It rides the trend and builds long-term trust at the same time.
Order Up
Ganpati Bappa is the first god you worship before starting anything new: a new home, a new venture, or apparently a menu description that finally gives your sprouts salad the credit it has been quietly earning all along.
So if you’re doing one thing this week, let it be this. Go rename that one dish, buzzword and all. You’ve technically already got divine timing on your side.
Until next week!