The Campbell’s Company is bringing its protein-laden Chunky Soup brand into the frozen aisle for the first time.
The New Jersey food maker is rolling out eight Chunky Frozen Bowls that deliver up to 28 grams of protein per item.
The offerings extend some of Chunky Soup’s most popular flavors to the freezer aisle, giving consumers hungry for protein another quick and convenient way to access the nutrient and the brand.
An estimated 70% of Americans say they want more protein in their diets, up from 59% four years ago, according to the International Food Information Council. Growing GLP-1 use has also bolstered demand as consumers on weight-loss drugs need more protein to fill nutritional gaps.
“Chunky has always stood for bold flavor and real satisfaction in a soup that eats like a meal,” Gunner Siverly, Chunky’s frozen brand manager, wrote in an email. “With Chunky Frozen Bowls, we’re bringing that same fill-you-up promise to the freezer aisle. ... As more consumers turn to frozen for everyday meals, we saw an opportunity to raise the bar by offering convenient, satisfying meals that actually fill you up.”
Chunky Frozen Bowls lineup
Beefy Pasta with Stroganoff Sauce: Beef, pasta, mushrooms in a stroganoff sauce.
Buffalo-Style Chicken Mac and Cheese: Crispy breaded chicken and elbow pasta in buffalo-style cheese sauce.
Bacon Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese: Beef and pork, jalapenos, bacon and pasta in cheese sauce.
Chili Mac: Beef and pork, macaroni, beans and cheddar cheese in chili-tomato sauce.
Country Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes: Crispy chicken over mashed potatoes with gravy and corn.
Meat Lovers’ Lasagna: Mafalda pasta, beef and pork crumbles and ricotta in marinara.
Philly Cheesesteak Mac & Cheese: Beef, elbow macaroni, green peppers and cheesy sauce.
Cheesy Loaded Potato Bowl with Steak and Bacon: Potatoes, steak, bacon in a cheese sauce.
Food companies are increasingly turning to existing brands to fuel innovation and enter new categories. With up to 90% of food products failing within a year of launch, companies that take an existing brand into a new space have an immediate advantage.
For example, Nestlé’s frozen meal brand, Stouffer’s, entered the shelf-stable food realm in 2024 with macaroni and cheese. The product helped Nestlé compete in a segment with almost $3 billion in sales and allowed it to take advantage of consumer interest in both shelf-stable and frozen versions of the food.
And that same year, Kraft Heinz introduced Philadelphia Cream Cheese frosting after noticing the flavor was among the top three most popular frosting flavors in America.
It’s also a financially savvy move, enabling businesses to generate higher returns on their investment as the extension typically costs less money to promote than if they started a new brand from scratch.
