Workers hang on a Pepsi sign on a building outside Allegiant Stadium ahead of LVIII in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on February 9, 2024.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
One of this year's top food trends is facing tough competition.
Protein captivated consumers and food companies in 2025, but fiber is increasingly taking center stage as people place increasing emphasis on promoting gut health.
It has taken hold on social media, where “fibermaxxing,” or the concept of increasing fiber intake through whole foods like fruits and legumes, has seen thousands of posts.
“Fiber is finally getting the spotlight, which is great because it's a nutrient that people need,” said Stephanie Mattucci, chief strategist at food research company Mintel.
Currently, 90% of women and 97% of men in the U.S. do not meet their daily fiber needs, Mattucci said. For most Americans, that recommended range typically falls between 25 and 38 grams of fiber per day, he added.
But more and more people are starting to realize those gaps.
According to Mattucci, 22% of US consumers said high fiber was one of their three most important factors when purchasing food, up from just 17% in 2021.
Wall Street firms are also taking note. In an earnings call with analysts in October, PepsiCo Chief Executive Ramon Laguarta said fiber was emerging at the forefront of the company's 2026 product goals.
“I think fiber will be the next protein,” Laguarta said. “Consumers are starting to understand that fiber is the benefit they need. It's actually an efficiency in the diets of American consumers, and that will increase.”
In February, the company is going a step further and plans to launch Smartfood Fiber Pop, which contains six grams of protein per serving, and SunChips Fiber, which incorporates fiber variants such as whole grains and black beans, Pepsi chief scientific officer Tara Glasgow exclusively told CNBC.
Smartfood Fiber Pop and Sun Chips Fiber Snacks.
Source: Pepsico
And there's a reason why companies are expanding their offerings. Research firm Datassential found that fiber is on track to be the “next big health trend after protein” in its 2026 trends report.
Of the consumers surveyed by the firm, 54% said they were interested in foods and beverages with high fiber content. That number is even higher (it reaches 60%) among members of Generation Z, who are pioneers in the “fibermaxxing” trend on social media.
And 42% of consumers said they believe the “high fiber” attribute on the nutrition label of any food or drink is important in defining that product as “healthy,” according to Datassential.
It's that push that made fiber one of Whole Foods Market's top trends for 2026.
The intestinal health fad
Watching fiber consumption is not new, experts note, but it has often been associated with older people needing it for health reasons as they age.
“When I think of fiber, I immediately think of my grandfather. Every day, he had his little bag of All-Bran and he carried it everywhere, probably out of necessity,” Mintel's Mattucci said, citing the slowing down of the digestive tract as people age.
Still, something has changed as consumers of all ages began to put more emphasis on promoting gut health and digestive wellness, and fiber took center stage.
The emphasis on diversity of fiber intake and finding it in everyday whole foods rather than through supplements or powders is part of what allows it to gain popularity and align with today's culture, according to Angela Salas, senior dietitian at the University of California, Davis.
The two types of fiber (soluble and insoluble) work together to keep people fuller longer, improve digestion and lower blood pressure and cholesterol, Salas said. In some ways, fiber could mimic the effects of weight-loss medications because it takes longer to break down food and therefore stays in the stomach longer, he said, which could be a factor in its recent popularity.
“These nutrients have always been there and I think they've always changed, from the food industry saying, 'What can we highlight? What do people want to focus on so we can continue selling the same product, just slightly modified?'” Salas said.
Still, Kate Pelletier, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Michigan Health, said it's important to keep in mind that fiber isn't enough as an alternative to GLP-1 medications, and that a balanced plate is the best way to stay healthy.
Pelletier said the use of fiber as a “sweeper” for the body is probably one of the reasons it has returned to the spotlight.
“There's been a really big shift toward more natural plants instead of taking a supplement or using a protein powder,” Pelletier said. “We can get the benefit of fiber by thinking about adding more healthy foods to our diet, compared to typical diet culture [which] focuses on eliminating X, Y or Z.”
Promotion of fiber-rich products
Food and beverage companies are also taking advantage of the momentum.
At the beginning of this year, Coca-cola launched its prebiotic soda, Simply Pop, with six grams of prebiotic fiber in five flavors to support gut health. Nestlé in June introduced a new protein shake with four grams of prebiotic fiber designed specifically to support the digestive health of adults taking GLP-1 medications.
Other companies such as Olipop have also entered the prebiotic soft drink market, with recipes that promote gut health, while smaller companies such as Floura protein bars and Sola Bagels have also started selling high-fibre products.
Olipop soft drink in a store in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Monday, March 17, 2025. Olipop Inc., the high-fiber, low-sugar soft drink startup, raised $50 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $1.85 billion.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | fake images
Pepsi's Glasgow told CNBC that the company is taking every opportunity to explore consumers' new interest in fiber. Glasgow said the research and development team's work starts in science and follows trends to keep up with the changing tastes of its audience.
Pepsi already has products on the market that are specifically high in fiber, such as its prebiotic cola and Quaker oatmeal. As consumers begin to explore the once “sleepy little nutrient,” Glasgow said, Pepsi is innovating new products across its food and beverage brands.
“We are also hearing from consumers that they are becoming more knowledgeable about nutrition and their nutritional needs,” Glasgow said. “And I think that's where the enthusiasm comes from. I feel it growing.”
Glasgow said the company, which already launched successful protein-packed products this year, is moving toward products that incorporate multiple sources of gut-healthy ingredients.
“We saw protein increase on a large scale in the last two years,” Glasgow said. “Believe [consumers] Then they broaden their vision and realize that there is no single ingredient that is the miracle solution. “It's about bringing together all the right ingredients.”
For some, fiber is not just a trend.
Naomi Aganekwu, a 27-year-old content creator, said she started incorporating fiber more intentionally into her diet last year. Now, she makes sure every meal she eats has at least five to 10 grams of fiber through foods like beans, lentils, and chia seed puddings.
Aganekwu said she is seeing results from incorporating fiber into her diet, such as feeling full after meals and seeing her hormonal acne reduce. And while she advocates for fiber, she sees people around her doing the same, especially among her generation.
It's also become personal for Aganekwu, whose father died earlier this year from colon cancer. Some research has shown that fiber may prevent colorectal cancer in addition to promoting overall health, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“You don't want to wait until you're 60 or 70 years old and face more diagnoses,” he said. “There are many things you can do, even in your everyday decisions, down to what you put on your plate, that can directly affect your chances or decrease your chances of developing critical illnesses.”
