GLP-1s and the Canadian Food Basket: What Brands Need to Ask Next
We surveyed 2,120 members of our Canadian agent community and found that 15% use a GLP-1 for weight management, raising timely questions for food, beverage and restaurant brands.
GLP-1 medications are changing more than conversations about health and weight. We believe they may also be changing what people put in their grocery carts, how much they eat, which product claims get their attention and how often they visit restaurants.
For companies that make, sell or serve food, we think the question is no longer whether GLP-1 use could affect consumer behaviour. It is where those changes are showing up, and how quickly brands need to respond.
We recently asked 2,120 members of our Canadian agent community about GLP-1 use. Here is what they told us:
- 15% said they use a GLP-1 for weight loss or weight management.
- 12% said someone else in their household uses a GLP-1 for weight loss or weight management.
Those results caught our attention, especially when we compared them with recent North American research. A March 2026 Leger survey found that 8% of Canadian adults and 11% of U.S. adults reported currently taking a prescription GLP-1 medication.
Why GLP-1 use matters to food and beverage companies
GLP-1 medications commonly reduce appetite and cravings. But we do not think brands should assume that simply translates into “people buy less food.” The effects may be much more nuanced: smaller portions, fewer impulse purchases, different restaurant choices, greater attention to protein or nutrition, less interest in certain indulgent categories, and new expectations around packaging and serving size.
Recent Canadian and U.S. research has already identified self-reported shifts away from restaurant and indulgent spending among some GLP-1 users. But broad market findings cannot tell you exactly what is happening in your category, at your retailers or among your customers.
That is where we believe direct shopper research becomes especially important.
Are people buying less, or buying differently?
When we look at these results, we do not think the most useful question is simply whether grocery spending is going down. We want to know how the basket is being rebuilt.
A shopper using a GLP-1 may buy less volume while placing more value on:
- Smaller packages or portions that reduce waste
- High-protein, high-fibre or nutrient-dense options
- Products that are easy to tolerate when appetite is low
- Convenient foods that work for smaller meals
- Clear nutrition information and functional benefits
- Products that support hydration or digestive comfort
At the same time, we expect categories associated with large portions, frequent snacking or impulse-driven purchases may face different pressures. The impact will not be equal across every shopper or category.
What should food brands be asking GLP-1 users?
If we were building a focused study for a CPG manufacturer, retailer or restaurant company, these are some of the questions we would want to explore:
- Which food and beverage categories are GLP-1 users buying more often, less often or no longer buying?
- Have average basket size, shopping frequency or restaurant visits changed since starting the medication?
- Are shoppers choosing smaller packages, single-serve formats or different portion sizes?
- Which product claims now matter most—protein, fibre, low sugar, hydration, digestive comfort or something else?
- Are cravings, impulse purchases and snack occasions changing?
- How much food is being wasted because conventional package sizes no longer fit household needs?
- Which messages feel useful and respectful, and which feel opportunistic or stigmatizing?
- Are other household members changing what they eat or buy because one person uses a GLP-1?
- What unmet needs are shoppers noticing in grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants?
- Which new products, menu items or formats would they genuinely consider buying?
We believe these answers can help brands distinguish a short-term sales fluctuation from a longer-term change in eating occasions, household dynamics and product expectations.
Should marketing strategies change?
We would encourage companies to test:
- Portfolio and pack architecture: Is there demand for smaller sizes, resealable packaging or portion flexibility?
- Product development: Are there gaps in protein, fibre, hydration, digestive comfort or nutrient density?
- Messaging: Do current claims match what GLP-1 users actually value?
- Retail execution: Are relevant products easy to find and grouped in ways that make sense to shoppers?
- Menu design: Would smaller portions, flexible sides or nutrition-forward options improve restaurant consideration?
- Household influence: Does one user change purchasing for everyone in the home?
The goal is to understand whether a growing consumer behaviour is changing the job your product needs to do.
A Canadian GLP-1 panel is ready to answer your questions
We do not believe the next useful insight will come from guessing that GLP-1 users eat less. It will come from asking them what has changed: what they buy, what they leave behind, what they wish brands offered and what would earn a place in their new routine.
That is something we can help you do! We can connect food, beverage, retail and restaurant companies with Canadian GLP-1 users from our agent community through targeted surveys, concept tests, shop-alongs, product trials and in-store research.
If you have questions for Canadian GLP-1 users, we have a panel ready to answer them. Contact Field Agent Canada today to build a custom study.
- << Previous Post
- Next Post >>