4 minute read
In recent years, protein has dominated the food landscape. From bars and beverages to snacks and bakery items, protein has become the gold standard for better-for-you innovation. But, consumer focus is shifting toward a large nutritional gap in the average American diet: fiber.
Across consumer insights, retail trends and commentary from industry leaders, one message is clear: fiber is emerging as the next major food trend. And with revolutionary products like HealthSense® High-Fiber Wheat Flour, it’s never been easier to add fiber into your formulations.
The Consumer Demand Is Already Here
Americans aren’t just casually interested in fiber, they’re actively seeking it out. According to the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey, 64% of Americans are intentionally trying to consume more fiber.
This shift is fueled by multiple factors: rising awareness of gut health, the rise in GLP-1 usage and a desire for solutions that support overall well-being. Fiber is under-consumed, with only 5% of Americans getting the recommended amount of fiber. This is often attributed to fiber-packed foods having unappealing qualities like bitter taste or gritty texture, leaving consumers craving a healthier option without sacrificing enjoyment.
Industry Leaders Are Seeing The Signs
In a recent interview with Business Insider, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta declared, “fiber will be the next protein.” His statement stems from consumer observation, as more and more people are looking to fiber to aid in a variety of health benefits: satiety, more energy, and digestive support.
On the retail side, the momentum is just as strong. Whole Foods named fiber one of its Top Food Trends for 2026, pointing to a rise in fiber-forward packaging callouts and an influx of new products formulated to promote prebiotic fibers and resistant starches. Fiber has become a massively popular pack claim across categories, making an appearance in everything from breakfast items to pizza and pasta.
Resistant Starch is Leading the Charge
While fiber intake is on the rise, not all fiber is created equal. Traditional fiber additives often bring formulation challenges along with off-flavors, gritty textures, and digestive discomfort. But a new type of fiber is rewriting the playbook.
HealthSense Flour has naturally occurring resistant starch, a type of fiber that delivers unique health benefits while maintaining the taste and texture of traditional white flour—making it the most formulation-friendly fiber solution for manufacturers.
Here’s why it matters:
DELIVERS DIGESTIVE COMFORT CUSTOMERS CAN FEEL
Unlike some fast-fermenting fibers that can trigger bloating or gas, resistant starch is digested and fermented slowly and evenly throughout the gut. This delivers steady, comfortable fiber intake, allowing consumers to meet their fiber goals without discomfort.
SUPPORTS FULL-SPECTRUM GUT HEALTH
Resistant starch resists digestion in the small intestine and ferments in the colon, where it produces short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. Butyrate supports colon function, gut barrier integrity, and long-term digestive wellness.
IMPROVES GLYCEMIC RESPONSE
Resistant starch helps slow the post-meal rise in blood glucose and insulin.
This supports:
- blood sugar management
- appetite regulation
- longer-lasting satiety
- Increased and steady energy levels
PROMOTES SATIETY AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT BENEFITS
By slowing gastric emptying and influencing appetite-regulating hormones, resistant starch offers a natural way to feel fuller longer.
FUELS FOR A HEALTHIER MICROBIOME
As a prebiotic, resistant starch selectively feeds beneficial gut microbes, improving microbiome balance.
INCREASES FIBER AND ALLOWS FOR MORE PACK CLAIMS
Because resistant starch counts toward total dietary fiber under FDA and CODEX definitions, when meeting physiological criteria, it can help bridge the fiber gap and allows your products to qualify for fiber-related pack claims.
HealthSense® High-Fiber Wheat Flour Can Help You Wheat Better™
Wheat flour is the most consumed grain in the country, with most Americans eating a whopping 133 pounds of it a year.1 For many product developers, the challenge is delivering meaningful nutrition, like fiber, without sacrificing the eating experience. Traditional white flour has minimal nutritional value, and whole wheat lacks the taste and texture people are looking for. That’s where HealthSense Flour comes in. It delivers up to 10x the fiber, while still delivering the white-flour experience consumers crave.
- A Simple 1:1 Swap For Traditional White Flour
- Non-GMO
- Enables a Clean Label
- Improved Texture and Shelf Life
- Same Taste and Texture as White Flour
From breads and cookies to tortillas, snacks, and pastas, HealthSense Flour allows you to introduce fiber-forward versions of everyday favorites without the unnecessary additives or need for reformulation.
The Fiber Revolution is Here
Consumers want more fiber. Retailers want more fiber. CPG leaders are calling fiber “the next big thing”. And manufacturers who move now can establish category leadership before fiber becomes as ubiquitous and competitive as protein.
But beyond market trends, fiber offers something bigger: functional health benefits that extend across digestion, immunity, metabolic health, and wellbeing that the majority of the population severely lacks.
Protein had its moment. Fiber is about to have its own.
Are you ready to revolutionize your products with flour power?
Click here to get more information about HealthSense® High-Fiber Wheat Flour.
1 “Wheat Sector at a Glance” USDA, 2025