Food brands chase fibermaxxing trend with new high-fiber products

One of this year’s biggest food trends is facing tough competition.

Protein has fascinated consumers and food companies in 2025, but fiber is increasingly stealing the scene as people place increasing emphasis on improving gut health.

On social media, “fibermaxxing” (the concept of increasing fiber intake through whole foods such as fruit and legumes) has been met with thousands of posts.

“Fiber is finally coming into the spotlight, which is great because it’s a nutrient that people need,” said Stephanie Mattucci, chief strategist at food research firm Mintel.

Currently, 90 percent of women and 97 percent of men in the U.S. do not meet their daily fiber needs, Mattucci said. That recommended range for most Americans usually falls somewhere between 25 grams and 38 grams of fiber per day, he added.

But more people are starting to recognize these gaps.

According to Mattucci, 22% of U.S. consumers said high fiber content was one of the three most important factors when shopping for food. This rate was only 17% in 2021.

Companies on Wall Street are also taking this into consideration. On an earnings call with analysts in October, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said fiber is at the forefront of the company’s product targets for 2026.

“I think fiber will be the next protein,” Laguarta said. “Consumers are starting to understand that fiber is the benefit they need. This is actually an efficiency in the diet of U.S. consumers, and that’s only going to increase.”

In February, the company plans to go one step further and launch Smartfood Fiber Pop, which contains six grams of protein per serving, and SunChips Fiber, which includes fiber varieties like whole grains and black beans, Pepsi’s chief scientific officer Tara Glasgow exclusively told CNBC.

There’s a reason why companies are expanding their offerings. In its 2026 trend report, research firm Datassential found fiber is on track to become “the next big health trend, following protein.”

54% of consumers surveyed by the company said they were interested in foods and beverages high in fiber. Among members of Generation Z, who are leading the “fibermaxxing” trend on social media, this number is even higher, reaching 60%.

According to Datassential, 42 percent of consumers said they believe the “high fiber” attribute on any food or beverage product’s nutrition label is important for describing that product as “healthy.”

It’s this momentum that has allowed fiber to become one of Whole Foods Market’s most important products. top trends for 2026.

Experts note that monitoring fiber intake is not new, but is often associated with older people needing fiber intake for health reasons as they age.

“When I think about fiber, I immediately think of my grandfather,” Mintel’s Mattucci said, referring to the slowing of digestive tracts as people get older. “He had a small pack of All-Bran every day and he would bring it wherever he went, probably out of necessity.” he said.

Things have changed, though, as consumers of all ages have begun to place more emphasis on improving gut health and digestive health, and fiber has come into the spotlight.

The emphasis on diversity in fiber intake and finding it in everyday whole foods rather than supplements or powders is part of what has allowed it to gain popularity and fit in with current culture, says Angela Salas, senior dietitian at the University of California, Davis.

The two types of fiber (soluble and insoluble) work together to keep people full longer, improve digestion and lower blood pressure and cholesterol, Salas said. In some ways, fiber can mimic the effects of weight-loss medications because it takes longer to break down food and therefore stays in the stomach longer, which may be a factor in its recent popularity, he said.

“These nutrients have always been around, and the food industry has been asking, ‘What can we highlight? What do people want to focus on so we can continue to sell the same product with a little twist?'” Salas said. “I think there’s always some kind of change due to the food industry saying.” he said.

Still, Kate Pelletier, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Michigan Health, said it’s important to note that fiber is not an adequate alternative to GLP-1 drugs and that a balanced diet is the best way to stay healthy.

Pelletier said the fiber’s use as a “street sweeper” for the body is probably one of the reasons it’s back on the agenda.

“There’s been a really big shift towards more natural herbs rather than taking a supplement or using a protein powder,” Pelletier said. “We can reap the benefits of fiber by considering adding healthier foods to our diet compared to the typical diet culture. [which] It focuses on eliminating X, Y or Z.”

Earlier this year, Coca Cola launched Simply Pop, a prebiotic soda with six grams of prebiotic fiber in five different flavors to promote gut health. Nestlé launched its new protein blend in June, containing four grams of prebiotic fiber specifically designed to support the digestive health of adults taking GLP-1 medications.

It also became personal for Aganekwu, whose father died of colon cancer earlier this year. Some research According to the National Institutes of Health, fiber has been shown to prevent colorectal cancer in addition to improving overall health.

“You don’t want to wait until you’re 60 or 70 and you’re dealing with more diagnoses,” he said. “There’s so much you can do, even from your daily choices to what you put on your plate, that can directly impact your chances or reduce your chances of developing critical illnesses.”