Big Food Is Going All In on Protein Snacks. PepsiCo and General Mills Just Proved It.
PepsiCo's Good Warrior launched 15g protein bars, and General Mills' EPIC launched its first meat sticks. Two snack giants made protein moves in one week.
Protein is the new snack aisle
A few years ago, protein snacks lived in the gym bag. Now the companies behind Doritos and Cheerios want in.
Two launches in two days show just how hard Big Food is leaning in.
PepsiCo's Good Warrior makes bars
PepsiCo Foods U.S. announced Good Warrior Bars on October 20. Good Warrior launched earlier this year with beef sticks, and bars are its second product type. Each bar has 15 grams of protein, 7 grams of sugar or less and is a good source of fiber, made without artificial preservatives or flavors, per the company. There are three:
- Marshmallow Bar, Sweet Cocoa: a marshmallowy center in a chocolate shell.
- Brownie Crisp, Cookie Dough: a brownie layer with crisps and a cookie dough flavored center.
- Cremewich, Cookies & Cream: chocolate cookie crunch with a creamy filling. It arrives in early 2027.
The first two are “available now at select U.S. retailers and markets,” PepsiCo says. It didn’t name the stores or give a price. Its site has a store finder at GoodWarrior.com/where-to-buy.
PepsiCo also cited its own commissioned survey of 1,000 Americans, which found 59% say they eat more protein than a year ago. The bars join other recent PepsiCo launches like Doritos Protein and Quaker Protein Granola Bars.
When the chip companies make protein bars, protein is officially mainstream.The WellWham perspective
General Mills' EPIC makes meat sticks
A day later, General Mills’ EPIC launched EPIC Sticks, its first meat sticks. Per the company:
- Original Beef: 8 grams of protein, 110 calories, no added sugar.
- Wagyu Beef: 7 grams of protein, 100 calories, with honey.
- Rotisserie Chicken: 10 grams of protein, 100 calories, no added sugar.
- Hot Honey Chicken: 8 grams of protein, 90 calories.
EPIC says they’re made with 100% grass-fed beef or free-range chicken, without antibiotics or added hormones, and are gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo-friendly. They’re on Amazon and at Sprouts now, in singles and multipacks, and coming to retailers nationwide in 2027. No price was given. The release cites Circana data showing the protein-rich category is up nearly 12% over the past year.
Our read: protein is the new low-fat
This is our analysis. When the companies that make chips and cereal build protein brands from scratch, the trend isn’t a trend anymore. It’s the aisle. We asked whether everything is high-protein now. This week’s answer is yes.
It also means more choice and more confusion. 15 grams is a solid snack, but some bars now go much higher, like Barebells’ 28-gram bar.
The reality check
A protein label doesn’t make something a health food. Good Warrior Bars are candy bar formats with chocolate shells, so read the full label for calories and ingredients. The survey numbers come from PepsiCo, and the category growth figure is one General Mills chose to cite.
The close
The chip aisle and the protein aisle are starting to look the same.
Check the label before you check out.
Sources
- PepsiCo, Good Warrior Bars press release, October 20, 2026: pepsico.com
- General Mills, EPIC Sticks press release, October 21, 2026: generalmills.com
- EPIC Sticks release via Business Wire: businesswire.com
Brand information: PepsiCo, General Mills
