India’s protein craze grows beyond gyms as eggs, paneer dominate online carts: Here's what else India is ordering

India’s protein obsession is no longer limited to gym-goers and fitness influencers. From eggs and paneer to Greek yoghurt and peanut butter, shoppers across the country are increasingly filling their carts with high-protein foods, signalling a broader shift in how Indians are eating and shopping.

Quick commerce platform Instamart said protein orders on its platform have surged 150% over the last two years, with spending on protein products tripling during the period. The company has now expanded its protein portfolio to nearly 10,000 SKUs, spanning everyday staples as well as new-age nutrition products from brands such as SuperYou, Only What’s Needed (OWN), The Whole Truth, RiteBite, and Pintola Protein Oats.

The trend is no longer confined to metro cities. While Bengaluru continues to lead protein demand, growth in Tier-II and smaller cities is accelerating faster, with Nagpur, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Vizag emerging as key markets.

Commenting on the growing demand for protein categories, Hari Kumar G, Chief Business Officer - Instamart, said, "Instamart solved for access and convenience; now, we are solving for a fundamental shift in how India consumes. We are seeing a move from an 'essentials' basket to an 'aspirational' one, where 'better-for-you' is the new baseline."

Eggs and paneer continue to dominate

Traditional staples continue to dominate India’s protein basket despite the rise of packaged nutrition products. Eggs and paneer remain the country’s most popular protein combination, followed by chicken and eggs. Chickpeas, makhana, oats, protein bars, Greek yoghurt, and protein milkshakes also featured prominently among top-selling categories.

At the same time, newer formats are seeing rapid growth. Protein snacks, including protein chips, recorded nearly 300% year-on-year growth, making them the fastest-growing category. Protein yoghurt rose around 280%, driven largely by Greek yoghurt, while protein milk and shakes grew 225% as consumers increasingly added them to their daily diets.

Peanut butter tops protein searches

Search behaviour also reflected changing preferences. Peanut butter emerged as the most searched protein term on the platform, followed by Greek yoghurt. Protein bread recorded the highest search-to-checkout conversion rate, while searches for high-protein eggs, paneer and protein chips translated directly into purchases for more than six in ten users.

The shift is also bringing traditional Indian ingredients back into focus. Demand for soya chunks more than doubled, tofu grew nearly 87%, while makhana, chana sattu, besan and roasted chana saw strong growth as consumers increasingly viewed familiar staples through a protein lens. Sprouted millets and oat-based breakfast mixes also recorded sharp gains as protein consumption moved beyond post-workout routines into everyday meals.

Big-ticket protein carts emerge across cities

Some of the biggest protein purchases came from unexpected places. A Chennai user spent ₹2,71,385 largely on peanut-based protein staples, marking the highest single protein cart on the platform. In Bengaluru, another user spent ₹2,09,626 on protein bars alone. Mumbai, Delhi and Surat also recorded high-value protein orders dominated by whey protein products.