Consumers Want to Kick-Start Their Day With Protein
The breakfast meal occasion is a rising opportunity for grocers that recognize that eating habits have changed, that consumers’ idea of what breakfast might be has expanded, and that sales once lost to foodservice can be won back by approaching consumers with products that meet today’s standards and concerns.
As Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at San Antonio-based 210 Analytics LLC, points out, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the breakfast business of convenience stores and quick-serve restaurants (QSRs), leading to a drop in the foodservice operations that had won over a lot of the meal occasion. Post-pandemic, these retailers started taking some of that business back, but grocers and their suppliers have become more competitive. For example, notes Roerink, traditionally popular products found in the meat department have been generating above-average performance versus total processed meat.
Craveable Proteins
“While year-on-year dollar growth is down a bit due to deflationary conditions, the real demand is reflected by pound sales that are holding steady in a marketplace where flat is the new growth,” she says. “In the month of May, breakfast sausage pound gains accelerated to +0.8% and smoked ham to +1.0% in comparison to May 2023. In a way, this isn’t a surprise, with the nation’s eye on protein. Protein plays a growing role for every consumption moment, including beverages, but breakfast is definitely one where we’re seeing consumers wanting to kick off the day with protein, whether breakfast meat, eggs, protein bars/shakes or yogurt.”
Over the past several years, the Jimmy Dean brand, from Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods, has been building off such consumer trends as convenience and protein consumption to create a range of new products, among them Egg Bites, Breakfast Nuggets and Omelet Minis, and even plant-based patty breakfast sandwiches.
According to Amanda Keedy, senior director of product management for Jimmy Dean, the evolution of breakfast means that products must be convenient and affordable, with “craveability” or flavor profiles that generate resale, something that QSRs have been good at creating.
Quality is the base on which anything has to be built, observes Keedy, “but whenever I look at what we’ve come out with over the past years, we have been leaning into that craveability. Last year, we launched maple griddle cake sandwiches, and this year we’ve launched an extension of that, blueberry griddle cake sandwiches. That is combining the sweet and savory together. We’ve noticed that consumers are not wanting to compromise, so we need to meet them where they are and make sure we’ve got delicious offerings that they can have on the go at an affordable price. So, certain items that maybe historically they’ve gone to QSRs for, they can now enjoy that at home and not feel like they’re compromising.”
New products in the breakfast space frequently derive from traditional items with a twist. For instance, Baltimore-based Mason Dixie Foods has introduced a line of single-serve breakfast sandwiches that offer the convenience and portability of drive-thru meals but consist of simple ingredients with no preservatives.
As such, the Croissant Sandwich, Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich, Pancake Sandwich and English Muffin Sandwich combine convenience and popular flavor profiles with the kind of clean ingredients that many consumers want these days. The offerings also include protein elements such as eggs and cheese, along with pork sausage or, in one case, Canadian bacon.
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Briana Pace, director of marketing at Mason Dixie, says that in developing the breakfast sandwich line, the goal was to create clean, convenient comfort food options, “contrasting with the long ingredient lists and ultra-processed options typically found in the frozen food aisle. We are committed to creating restaurant-quality clean-label products that replicate the homemade quality of our restaurant roots.”
Mason Dixie had younger consumers in mind when it developed the new products, “Millennial and Gen Z consumers who are on the go and need a product made with clean ingredients, that tastes good and fits into their busy lifestyles,” says Pace.
To provide consumers with choice, whether they favor traditional or more on-trend breakfast items, requires regularly upgrading product offers. Franklin, Tenn.-based Red’s, which produces convenient, clean-label upmarket freezer staples, has been developing product additions that give consumers options in a familiar, easy-to-eat-at-home or on-the-go form that also address content and taste considerations. The company’s recent introductions include English Muffin Sandwiches, Croissant Sandwiches and Ciabatta Sandwiches, all containing natural ingredients and flavors, including, but not limited to, chicken maple sausage and turkey sausage, egg, and cheese. The idea behind the line has been to give consumers the kind of quality they’ve come to expect at breakfast, whether at home or out.
“We have been searching for years for the perfect artisan bread and are delighted to be launching Ciabatta and English Muffin sandwiches,” observes Red’s Chief Growth Officer Angi Rassi. “In addition to launching chicken maple sausage in our highly successful Egg’Wich, we feel like the time is right to offer consumers a wide array of premium breakfast sandwiches, given their desire for protein-packed options that are convenient, delicious and made from high-quality ingredients.”
Naturally Authentic
As the frozen examples above show, many consumers want foods that are more natural in composition. On the fresh and refrigerated side, Coleman Natural Meats, based in Westminster, Colo., recently rebranded with a new logo and packaging so it could call greater attention to the brand’s family farm heritage and commitment to all-natural, humanely raised pork sourced from American farmers who use all-vegetarian feed and forgo antibiotics or added hormones.
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Patricia Bridges, senior director of marketing and communications at Coleman, says that the rebrand aligns “with consumers’ desire for transparency and clarity in food package claims, which includes our breakfast meats.”
Coleman provides a wide range of pork products, including ham steak, smoked sausage and bacon, that suit the breakfast occasion in ways that many consumers now prefer.
“Our products have a clean ingredient list such as no artificial ingredients or preservatives,” says Bridges. “We are also working on several new products as part of the rebrand that will expand our bacon offerings with on-trend flavors that will delight families and bring a new twist to breakfast.”
In reconsidering the business, Coleman also decided to key in on its Heritage Duroc pork.
“Heritage Duroc is known for its abundant marbling, resulting in a more tender, juicy and flavorful pork,” notes Bridges. “Coleman has an exceedingly high standard for our premium pork products. Every hog that enters the Coleman family comes from an American family farm where humane animal care is a priority, and every farm must be American Humane Certified.”
Meanwhile, River Bear American Meats, a Denver-based salumeria and smokehouse, emphasizes authenticity, a quality that resonates with many shoppers, by making a point of using old-world techniques. Its bacon is dry-rubbed and cured with a proprietary blend of herbs and spices, and then smoked with pecan and peach woods as a point of differentiation.
John Scaggs, River Bear’s chief revenue officer, says that the company emphasizes tradition and quality.
“We approach it from every step we can throughout the whole process,” asserts Scaggs. “We source the best antibiotic-free [pork] bellies from Iowa. We start with the very best bellies we can get our hands on. It’s a Duroc pork, so it’s a beautiful mix of lean and fat. We only use a celery cure. It’s a natural curing agent. Then we use the very best spices we can get our hands on. We buy whole fresh spices here in Denver. We grind everything. We make the brine by hand. What’s unique with [our product] is we smoke it with peach wood, which is a little bit of a different flavor profile: subtle and smoky.”
According to Alicia Baker, director of marketing at Claremont, N.H.-based North Country Smokehouse, consumers are more health conscious, want to know what’s in their food and are concerned about the origins of what they’re eating, but they’re frequently pressed for time in terms of both food prep and research time that they can dedicate to finding products that live up to their standards and principles. North Country produces items and packaging that make it easy for them to cook up meals conveniently and assure themselves that their breakfast or other meal occasion is satisfying to them ethically.
“What we’ve noticed as a company, and where we’ve seen tremendous success in the breakfast meat category, is offering some of the most tried and true traditional breakfast proteins like the bacon, like the breakfast links, and most recently a ham steak we package in a 6-ounce really convenient size,” says Baker. “They’re fully cooked in the ham and sausage categories, so people are able to use them to pull them in quickly, to know what’s in their food, and that it checks all those boxes. So we’re producing those tried and true recipes, those flavors people like and what they’re used to in certified and in organic varieties.”
True Story Foods, based in Berkeley, Calif., produces bacon made using the Kurobuta heritage breed of hog, also called Berkshire and known for its marbling, rich pink color and slightly sweet flavor, the company notes. Further, for consumers concerned about the treatment of farm animals, True Story emphasizes that its bacon is compliant with California’s Proposition 12, which prohibits the sale of pork raised in gestation crates.
“The breakfast category is a growth opportunity for True Story,” affirms Valeria Fiorito, the company’s VP of marketing, “Animal welfare is important right now with consumers, and they are coming to True Story for that transparency and trust, so we will be looking to expand into more of this segment. Consumers also are working more from home and therefore wanting healthy clean-ingredient options from the comfort of their own kitchens. And, of course, protein continues to be top of mind.”
Ron Godshall, president of Godshall’s Quality Meats, in Souderton, Pa., asserts that the company is the market leader in beef bacon and is outpacing the segment’s double-digit growth. According to Godshall, beef bacon does double duty, appealing to both traditional bacon consumers and those who have dietary restrictions or preferences. Consumers are looking for different tastes and new experiences, and beef bacon is perfect for that extra something that feels familiar but with a new twist, he says. Crafted with high-quality U.S.-raised beef, Godshall’s Beef Bacon is smoked with a signature blend of hardwoods such as hickory and applewood. The bacon cooks up crispy like pork, but with a rich, meaty, smoky, savory flavor.
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“Our beef bacon has zero grams of carbs and fewer calories than pork bacon, making it a more suitable option for those looking for healthier alternatives or for addressing different lifestyle and dietary preferences,” observes Godshall.
Meat-Free Options
In 2024, quality bacon doesn’t even have to be made from meat. Prime Roots, in Berkeley, Calif., primarily makes slicing deli meats from koji, which is based on an edible fungus and has been used over the years in the production of such products as soy sauce and miso. The impetus was the founders’ concern about climate change, and, more often today than ever, a selling point for plant-based foods is their relatively low impact on the environment. In the course of its development, Prime Roots has developed its own bacon product in addition to its deli meats, creating a sustainable breakfast choice that can appeal to consumers who have cut out actual meat.
“We have a select number of retailers that carry the bacon, slice it and package it.” says Kimberlie Le, co-founder of Prime Roots. “It’s usually found with other Prime Roots meat products.”
For its part, Green Island, N.Y.-based MyForest Foods uses a mushroom base in its meat-free MyBacon products.
“MyBacon’s star ingredient, mycelium, the root-like structure of mushrooms, naturally grows in great volume below the forest floor and inspired us to tap into the crop’s potential,” explains Sarah-Marie Cole, chief marketing officer at MyForest Foods “We’ve been on a mission to harness the power of mycelium to help feed the future in a sustainable, earth-compatible and most delicious way.”
