Conagra adds 'GLP-1 friendly' badge to 26 Healthy Choice frozen meals

Conagra Brands will start printing an "On Track" badge on 26 Healthy Choice frozen meals in January 2025, pointing shoppers to products the company calls "GLP-1 friendly" ^[1]. The Chicago-based food maker said Healthy Choice is the first major brand to use that phrase on its packaging ^[1].

The badge marks items Conagra describes as high in protein, low in calories and a good source of fiber ^[1]. It appears first on two single-serve lines, Healthy Choice Café Steamers and Simply Steamers. Conagra said it chose those lines because the meals are portion-controlled and inexpensive, citing suggested retail prices of $3.49 and $3.99 ^[1].

Recipes are unchanged. Conagra said it made "no changes ... to the meals themselves" and that the label "simply highlights existing products" it considers suited to people using the drugs ^[1][2]. The company said the USDA reviewed and approved every item carrying the badge ^[1][2]. No federal definition of "GLP-1 friendly" has been reported, and the criteria behind the badge are Conagra's own ^[1].

The meals reach shelves at Walmart, Target, Kroger and Albertsons, and online through Amazon.com and Walmart.com ^[1]. Conagra said new packaging ships beginning in January 2025, though availability will differ store to store ^[1].

Conagra tied the launch to the roughly 15 million U.S. adults who take GLP-1 medications for Type 2 diabetes or weight loss, noting that the drugs curb appetite and can reduce how many nutrients a person takes in ^[1]. "The increased use of GLP-1 medications presents an exciting opportunity to support Americans managing diabetes and weight loss," said Bob Nolan, a vice president of demand science at the company ^[1].

Nolan told Food Dive that people on the medications were already buying Healthy Choice on their own. "We found they already are finding this food. But we want to help them. We just want to make it a little bit more obvious, a little easier on them," he said ^[2].

Conagra is not creating a brand solely for GLP-1 users. Nolan put that group at about 7% of adult consumers and said, "It's not enough volume for those items probably to be viable on a shelf" ^[2]. He said the company is reviewing other parts of its portfolio, including Marie Callender's frozen meals, popcorn, seeds and meat snacks ^[2].

Other manufacturers are moving in the same direction. Nestlé launched Vital Pursuit for people taking GLP-1 medications and others managing weight, and Danone introduced an Oikos yogurt drink aimed at the same shoppers ^[3]. About one in eight U.S. adults report taking a GLP-1 such as Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss or another chronic condition, according to a KFF poll, and more than half of adults — about 137 million people — are eligible for the drugs ^[3]. A Cornell study found grocery spending fell 6% in households where at least one person used a weight-loss drug ^[3]. A Circana report projected that households with GLP-1 users will account for more than a third of food and beverage sales within five years ^[3].

How long the shift lasts is unclear. One study found that 50% to 75% of people who begin these medications stop within a year ^[3]. Nolan said shoppers who try a brand while on the drugs tend to stick with it afterward ^[3].

Why it matters for patients

People taking semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) often eat less overall, which can make protein and fiber harder to get from a day's food. The badge is Conagra's shorthand for meals it says pack more of those nutrients into a smaller serving ^[1].

It is not a government standard and not a medical recommendation. The yardstick comes from the manufacturer, and "GLP-1 friendly" carries no regulatory definition, so the nutrition facts panel and ingredient list on the box remain the specific place to find protein grams, calories and fiber ^[1]. Because nothing was reformulated, a badge does not signal a new or improved recipe ^[1][2].

Cost may factor in as well. The flagged entrées are frozen single-serve meals at $3.49 and $3.99, and Conagra said it picked the smaller-portion varieties partly for affordability, noting the expense of the medications themselves ^[1].

What happens next

New boxes begin shipping in January 2025, with Conagra cautioning that store-level supply will vary ^[1]. Nolan said the company will watch how shoppers react to the Healthy Choice badge and gather feedback before deciding whether to extend the approach to other brands ^[2]. No date for those decisions has been disclosed ^[2].