Kraft Heinz to Launch High-Protein Mac & Cheese
The PowerMac launch follows changing consumer preferences for packaged foods.
Mar 23, 2026
Kraft Heinz plans to launch high-protein mac & cheese as part of CEO Steve Cahillane's efforts to “revive the packaged food maker after hitting pause on its plans to split,” Reuters reported. Kraft Heinz originally announced its plans to split the company in September 2025, a decade after its merger in 2015.
The new product line will launch in April and is reportedly called PowerMac. The product will include 17 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving. PowerMac will be available in two flavors, original and white cheddar, and will cost $2.99 per 7.25-ounce box.
“Cahillane said at the time of announcing the pause that underinvestment had starved brands such as Oscar Mayer and Kraft mac & cheese. The packaged food industry has been trying to cope with a change in dietary preferences toward healthier foods, accelerated by the U.S. administration's ‘Make America Healthy Again’ campaign as well as fast adoption of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs,” Reuters wrote.
According to Reuters, the company also plans to launch “better-for-you” Lunchables and Capri-Sun drinks with electrolytes and low sugar in April.
The launches are a part of Kraft Heinz's $600 million investment into the business announced last month. The company plans to spend the money on its marketing, sales and research and development. The investment will also go toward “product superiority and select pricing,” according to Cahillane.
In 2025, CNBC reported that brands are continuing to roll out high-protein products and are seeing financial success from doing so.
“In fiscal 2024, General Mills generated more than $100 million in retail sales from its protein cereal lines, including Nature Valley Protein, Cheerios Protein and Ghost Protein. PepsiCo has protein product launches planned for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2025 and fiscal first quarter of 2026, according to its recent earnings call,” the outlet wrote.
A 2025 Bain & Company survey found that 44% of U.S. respondents said they want to increase their protein intake, up from 34% in the same period in 2024.
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