Protein has had its moment in the spotlight and although it’s not a trend that’s going anywhere, there is another nutritional hero starting to make its way into shoppers’ baskets.
‘Fibre-maxxing’ is the latest wellness trend encouraging consumers to actively increase their daily fibre intake to improve their gut health and overall wellbeing.
For independent retailers, it’s a trend worth paying attention to. Fibre isn’t just showing up in traditional categories like cereal and bread anymore - it’s increasing appearing across snacks, drinks, yoghurts and functional products.
Fibre has a genuine consumer need behind it
Unlike other trends, fibre-maxxing is backed by a significant nutritional gap.
The NHS recommends adult consumer 30g of fibre a day, yet the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey found that just 4% of adults were meeting this recommendation. Average intake was around 16g a day - little more than half the recommended amount*.
Addressing the gap
According to NIQ, fibre-based foods grew in value by 14.1% over the latest 26-week period**, significantly ahead of overall FMCG growth. This puts fibre alongside protein as one of the key nutritional trends driving consumer choices.
Circana has also described consumer interest in ‘fibre-maxxing’ as a potential long-term trend***, reflecting a broader shift towards gut health and foods that offer multiple functional benefits.
To learn more, why not check out another Talking Shop article on functional drinks here.
Tapping into the trend
For retailers, the aim is to make fibre visible, accessible and convenient. Look beyond the traditional aisles and consider products across breakfast, bakery, dairy, snacks and drinks.
Clear-on pack claims such as ‘high in fibre’ and ‘source of fibre’ can help shoppers identify relevant products, while cross-category merchandising can make it easier to build a fibre-focussed shopping mission.
With fibre-based foods already seeing strong sales growth, now could be the time to give this emerging trend more space on shelf.
*UK Government, National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019 to 2023
**NIQ, UK Shoppers shift to healthier diets in 2026, fuelling growth in protein and fibre sales
***Circana, Gut Instinct: Why the Focus on Fiber is a Long-Term Trend – April 2026