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Farmley: Protein and clean labels top snacking priorities as quick commerce fuels healthy demand
Our read
Reformulate snack lines around protein and natural sweeteners while building dedicated quick-commerce SKUs to capture the premiumisation shift, especially in the parent-driven kids' segment.
Watch
FSSAI guidance on protein and 'natural sweetener' labeling claims
The report,
Farmley's Healthy Snacking 2026 report finds protein, clean labels and quick commerce reshaping Indian snacking. Consumers prioritize protein and natural sweeteners, willing to pay premiums, signaling premiumisation and functional-food opportunities across India's growing health foods market.
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Reported figures
From the report. Source details below
| $109.87B health foods market | 2025 |
|---|
Also in the report
- 86% consider protein important
- 61% favour natural sweeteners
- 60% parents pay more for healthy kids snacks
- 30% prefer resealable packs
- 25% favour eco-friendly packaging
Other figures
- $173B by 2035
- 4.6% CAGR
Why it matters for the brand
Consider acquiring or partnering with clean-label protein snack brands that already have strong quick-commerce distribution to accelerate entry into India's premiumising health foods segment.
What to track next
- Quick-commerce take-rate and ad-fee changes for health-food listings
- Competitor protein-bar/makhana launches and pricing moves
- Input cost swings for nuts, dates, whey and natural sweeteners
- Repeat-purchase data validating kids' premium snack willingness-to-pay
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Launch protein-forward and natural-sweetener SKUs targeting kids and on-the-go segments
- Lock quick-commerce shelf placement and dark-store inventory ahead of competitors
- Invest in front-of-pack protein/clean-label claims backed by lab substantiation
- Tiered pricing to capture premium parents while defending mainstream volume
The counter-case
The case against this reading — not reported by the source.
This is a vendor-authored report from Farmley, a healthy-snacking brand with direct commercial interest in validating the very trends it 'discovers.' Survey-based claims like '86% rank protein as important' and '60% of parents pay more' are cheap to elicit through leading questions and reflect stated preference, not actual purchase behaviour—where price sensitivity in India routinely overrides health intent. The headline $173B market at only 4.6% CAGR is barely above inflation and arguably a decline in real terms, undercutting the 'premiumisation' narrative. Quick commerce is currently a margin-destroying channel with heavy discounting, not a proven premiumisation engine.
The source
Published
First seen