Nearly 12 percent of Americans have used Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, for weight management or to treat diabetes, and people taking GLP-1 medications are often recommended to eat a diet high in fiber, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Shelly Van Cleve, the co-founder and chief information officer of The Plant Based Seafood Co., is one such American who has taken a GLP-1 medication.
While taking the medication, she realized there were not many fiber-rich seafood options, which would be perfect under a recommended GLP-1 diet, available to consumers like her.
Recognizing that hole in the market, she realized she could combine her expertise in seafood and plant-based innovation to create a product that solves a problem for a growing consumer base.
Gwynn’s Island, Virginia, U.S.A.-based The Plant Based Seafood Co. has focused on plant-based seafood analog products under its Mind Blown brand since its inception in 2016, but Van Cleve and fellow Co-Founder Monica Talbert wanted to focus on real seafood for its new SMASH it! Foods brand.
“SMASH it! is modern seafood for the modern shopper, letting food be thy medicine,” the company said in a release.
The brand’s first product, Salmon Superfood Balls, is made with wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon sourced from “a large fish processor” in Alaska, along with grains and superfoods rich in protein, fiber, omegas, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, amounting to a “complete meal designed to support digestive health, blood sugar balance, and weight management,” according to The Plant Based Seafood Co.
The Salmon Superfood Balls, distributed in all of Central Market’s stores in the U.S. state of Texas, feature tri-colored quinoa, fresh kale, yam, chia seeds, flax meal, beets, purple and orange carrots, cauliflower, and turmeric as the base. It comes in two flavors: cranslam, which includes the addition of feta, cranberries, and rosemary, and cococurry, which includes the addition of coconut, curry, and raisins.
“The product is made with fat-burning foods and plants, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and wild-caught sockeye – a complete macro/micronutrient meal,” Van Cleve told SeafoodSource.
SMASH it! is targeted for GLP-1 users, as well as health, fitness, and overall wellness enthusiasts and those Van Cleve calls “iffy-fishy” consumers – who are not big fans of fish, especially fishy-tasting fish.
“Our new brand is on point, on trend, and on time for today’s functional-food consumer,” Talbert added. “With SMASH it!, we’re not just reinventing what seafood looks like; we’re inviting a whole new generation into the category through food that’s vibrant, FUNctional, and aligned with how people want to eat and feel today. I am the consumer. I want meals that are healthy, packed with protein and fiber, but quick to make. I don’t have time to prepare all those superfoods individually.”
The release of SMASH it! comes as the GLP-1 analogues market, valued at USD 62.8 billion (EUR 54.4 billion) in 2024, is projected to grow 17.6 percent annually to reach USD 299 billion (EUR 259 billion) by 2033, according to DataM Intelligence 4 Market Research.
GLP-1 drugs suppress appetite, alter taste preferences, and accelerate satiety, according to The Food Institute, and users have reported consuming between 30 percent and 40 percent fewer calories while taking the medications, prioritizing protein and hydration and experiencing less emotional eating.
With the eating habits of GLP-1 users in mind, SMASH it! 5-ounce salmon balls offer “convenience without compromise,” The Plant Based Seafood Co. said. Each ball contains 18 to 20 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 500 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids.
The Plant Based Seafood Co. is not the only company that has recognized the growing market of GLP-1 users.
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.-based global food supplier Conagra Brands was one of the first suppliers to recognize that seafood could benefit from the GLP-1 sales boom.
Because GLP-1 consumers seek smaller portions of food higher in protein and fiber, more shoppers are purchasing frozen, single-serve seafood and chicken entrees and appetizers, along with other higher-protein meals and appetizers, the company said in its “Future of Frozen Food 2025” report.
On a call previewing the report in December 2024, Conagra Senior Vice President of Demand Science Bob Nolan said the company’s Shark Bites product, sold under both the Mrs. Paul’s and Van de Kamp’s labels, could benefit from the GLP-1 trend.
Conagra sold those brands to High Liner Foods in June 2025.
