Starbucks responds to America’s protein craze by testing a special new latte
Hey, protein-obsessed Americans: Starbucks sees you.
On Tuesday, the country’s No. 1 coffee chain announced it was entering the frenzied protein market by testing a new beverage option: a sugar-free vanilla latte topped with banana foam containing 15 grams of protein.
Starbucks announced its newest product on Tuesday at a company event in Las Vegas, Bloomberg reported.
The new protein foam will come from a powder (of an as-yet-unspecified source), Starbucks told Bloomberg, and customers will be able to add it to any cold foam flavor. It will be tested at five U.S. locations and comes months after CEO Brian Niccol said, on a first-quarter earnings call, “Innovation is going to be a key piece of the puzzle to keep the brand relevant, to keep the menu relevant.”
Starbucks did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for more details.
The addition of the test product follows the country’s No. 3 coffee chain, Dutch Bros, offering a line of protein lattes that contain anywhere from 13 to 39 grams of protein. Dunkin’, the No. 2 coffee chain in America, does not (yet) offer protein drinks stateside, but does in the U.K., with a Strong Brew coffee containing 20 grams of protein.
Starbucks also has a protein option in the U.K., as it launched a ready-to-drink protein coffee last year.
The current protein craze has included people sharing protein Diet Coke concoctions, daily high-protein goals, and recipes for high-protein ice cream on TikTok, where there are over 204 million posts on “high protein” alone.
Still, while protein is an important part of building muscle and can help support weight loss, many people tend to focus on its consumption and ignore the body’s other needs, especially fiber, nutritionists told Fortune recently. They debunked the message that people aren’t getting enough protein.
“If you’re meeting your caloric needs … you’re meeting your protein needs,” said registered dietitian Abbey Sharp.
Still, Niccol told Axios that the idea for the protein foam arose from observing Starbucks customers in action.
“I was watching people coming to our stores; they would get three shots of espresso over ice,” he said. “And in some cases, they pull their own protein powder out of their bag, or in other cases, they have a protein drink, like a Fairlife, and they’d pour that into their drink. I’m like, ‘Well, wait a second, we can make this experience better for them.’”
He added, “The good news is now I think we’re right on trend, and we can do it I think arguably better than anybody else.”
More on protein:
- Your protein needs change as you get older. Here’s how much you should be eating at every age
- You might be overdoing it on protein and not getting enough of another vital nutrient, dietitians say
- Here’s exactly how much protein you need based on your workout routine
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com