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‘The next protein’: Fiber is shaping up to be the latest grocery obsession
Cases of Pepsi soda are displayed at a Costco Wholesale store on Nov. 13, 2025 in Simi Valley, California.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images
One of this year’s top food trends is facing some tough competition.
Protein captivated consumers and food companies in 2025, but fiber is increasingly stealing the scene as people place an increasing emphasis on promoting gut health.
It’s 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 a spotlight, which is a great thing because it’s a nutrient that people need,” said Stephanie Mattucci, principal strategist at food research company Mintel.
Currently, 90% of women and 97% of men in the U.S. are not meeting their daily fiber requirements, Mattucci said. For most Americans, that recommended range usually falls somewhere between 25 grams and 38 grams of fiber per day, she added.
But more people are beginning to take notice of those gaps.
According to Mattucci, 22% of consumers in the U.S. said high fiber content was one of their top three important factors when shopping for food — up from just 17% in 2021.
Wall Street’s companies are taking note, too. On an earnings call with analysts in October, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said fiber was emerging at the forefront of the company’s product goals as it looked ahead to 2026.
“I think fiber will be the next protein,” Laguarta said. “Consumers are starting to understand that fiber is the benefit that they need. It’s actually an efficiency in U.S. consumers’ diets, and that will be elevated.”
In February, the company is going a step farther and plans to launch Smartfood Fiber Pop, featuring six grams of protein per serving, and SunChips Fiber, incorporating fiber variants like whole grains and black beans, Pepsi’s chief science officer, Tara Glasgow, told CNBC exclusively.
Smartfood Fiber Pop and Sun Chips Fiber snacks.
Source: Pepsico
And there’s a reason companies are broadening their offerings. Research firm Datassential found that fiber is on track to be the “next big health trend following on the heels of protein” in its 2026 trends report.
Of the consumers the firm surveyed, 54% said they are interested in foods and beverages that are high in fiber. That number is even higher — reaching 60% — among members of Generation Z, who are pioneering the “fibermaxxing” trend on social media.
And 42% of consumers said they believe the attribute of “high fiber” on a nutrition label of any food or beverage product is important to defining that product as “healthy,” according to Datassential.
It’s that momentum that landed fiber as one of Whole Foods Market’s top trends for 2026.
The gut health craze
Watching fiber intake isn’t new, experts note, but it’s often been associated with older people who require it for health reasons as they age.
“When I think of fiber, I immediately think of my grandfather. Every day, he had his little baggie of All-Bran, and he brought it everywhere he went, probably out of necessity,” Mintel’s Mattucci said, citing the slowing of digestive tracts as people age.
Still, something has shifted as consumers of all ages have started placing more emphasis on promoting gut health and digestive wellness — and fiber entered the spotlight.
The emphasis on diversity of fiber intake and finding it in everyday whole foods rather than through supplements or powders is part of what’s allowing it to find popularity and align with current culture, according to Angela Salas, a senior dietitian at the University of California, Davis.
The two types of fiber — soluble and insoluble — work together to keep people fuller for longer, improve digestion, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol, Salas said. In some ways, fiber could mimic the effects of weight-loss drugs because it takes longer to break down food and therefore sits in the stomach for longer, she said, which could be a factor for its recent popularity.
“These nutrients have always been around and always kind of shifts, I think, from the food industry saying, ‘What can we highlight? What do people want to be focusing on so that we can continue to sell the same product, just slightly altered?'” Salas said.
Still, Kate Pelletier, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Michigan Health, said it’s important to note that fiber is not sufficient as an alternative to GLP-1 drugs, and a balanced plate is the best way to stay healthy.
Pelletier said fiber’s use as a “street sweeper” for the body is likely one of the reasons it’s been thrust back into the spotlight.
“There’s been a really big shift into more natural plants instead of popping a supplement or using a protein powder,” Pelletier said. “We can get the benefit of fiber from thinking about adding more wholesome foods into our diet, versus typical diet culture [which] focuses on taking out X, Y or Z.”
Promoting high-fiber products
Food and beverage companies are jumping on the momentum, too.
Earlier this year, Coca-Cola launched its prebiotic soda, Simply Pop, with six grams of prebiotic fiber in five flavors to encourage gut health. Nestlé unveiled a new protein shake in June with four grams of prebiotic fiber designed specifically to support the digestive health of adults on GLP-1 medications.
Other companies like Olipop have also entered the prebiotic soda market, boasting recipes that promote gut health, while smaller businesses, like Floura protein bars and Sola Bagels, have also begun selling fiber-rich products.
Olipop soda at a store in San Francisco, California, US, on Monday, March 17, 2025. Olipop Inc., the high-fiber, lower-sugar soda startup, raised $50 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $1.85 billion.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Pepsi’s Glasgow told CNBC the company is taking every opportunity to explore consumers’ newfound interest in fiber. Glasgow said the research and development team’s work starts in science and follows trends to keep up with their audience’s evolving tastes.
Pepsi already has products on the market that specifically boast high fiber content, like its prebiotic cola and Quaker oatmeal. As consumers start to explore the previously “sleepy little nutrient,” Glasgow said, Pepsi is innovating new products across its beverages and food brands.
“We hear it from consumers as well that they’re becoming more knowledgeable about nutrition and their nutrition needs,” Glasgow said. “And I think that’s where the excitement is coming 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 grow in a big way in the last couple years,” Glasgow said. “I think [consumers] are then expanding their view, and they realize there’s not one ingredient alone that is the silver bullet. It’s about getting the right ingredients all together.”
For some, fiber isn’t 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 each meal she eats has at least five to 10 grams of fiber through foods like beans, lentils and chia seed puddings.
Aganekwu said she’s seeing results from incorporating fiber into her diet, like being satiated after meals and seeing her hormonal acne reduce. And as she’s championing fiber, she’s seeing the people around her do the same, especially among her generation.
It’s become personal for Aganekwu, too, whose father died earlier this year of colon cancer. Some research has shown fiber could 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 and you’re dealing with more diagnoses,” she said. “There’s a lot that you can do, even just in your everyday choices, down to what you’re putting on your plate, that can directly impact your chances or decrease your chances of developing critical diseases.”
Business
WTO reform push: India flags dysfunctional dispute system at MC14, seeks review of e-commerce duty moratorium – The Times of India
India on Thursday urged members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to restore a fully functional dispute settlement system, saying the current mechanism has deprived countries of effective redressal, PTI reported.Speaking on the opening day of the WTO’s 14th ministerial conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal stressed the need to revive the automatic and binding nature of dispute resolution within the global trade body.“A dysfunctional Dispute Settlement System has deprived Members from effective redressal. We must restore the automatic and binding dispute settlement system,” he said.The WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism has faced prolonged disruption since 2009 after the US blocked appointments to the Appellate Body.Goyal also called for a reassessment of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, which WTO members have periodically extended since 1998. India has repeatedly raised concerns over the potential revenue implications of the arrangement.“In the absence of a common understanding among Members on the scope of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions and given its potentially significant implications, the continued extension of this moratorium warrants careful reconsideration,” he said.The four-day MC14 is scheduled to conclude on March 29.On broader WTO reforms, Goyal emphasised that any restructuring should be transparent, inclusive and member-driven, with development concerns at the centre. He underlined that core principles such as non-discrimination, consensus-based decision-making and equity must be upheld. The minister added that the principle of special and differential treatment (S&DT) should be made precise, effective and operational.On agriculture negotiations, he said a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes, the special safeguard mechanism and cotton are long-pending mandated issues that member countries “must deliver on them on priority”.“India remains committed to negotiating a comprehensive Fisheries Subsidies Agreement that balances current and future fishing needs, protects the livelihoods of poor fishers, with appropriate and effective S&DT,” Goyal said.He also stated that incorporating plurilateral outcomes into the WTO framework should be based on consensus and should not undermine the rights of non-participants or impose additional obligations on them.“We will engage constructively to show that WTO remains central to global trade and strive to Reform it to remain responsive, Perform in delivering on development, equity, and inclusiveness, and Transform to better serve the interests of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized people, anchored in consensus and multilateralism,” he said.Other WTO members also highlighted the need for reforms. According to a statement from US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the organisation has struggled to address systemic issues such as persistent trade imbalances, structural excess capacity, economic security and supply chain resilience.“As ministers, our focus should be on reforms that would make the WTO more responsive to Members and improve our ability to achieve outcomes that optimize our trading relationships,” Greer said, adding that countries should consider making the e-commerce duty moratorium permanent.Separately, a ministerial statement by the G-33 grouping of developing countries reiterated that public stockholding for food security remains a crucial policy tool for developing and least developed nations.“We urge all WTO Members to work together in reaching a permanent solution on this issue as per the Ministerial mandates,” the statement said.China also called for restoring a fully functioning dispute settlement mechanism at the earliest to strengthen the WTO’s role in global economic governance. The UK said it wanted to “improve accountability by reinstating a functioning dispute settlement system”.EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic warned that inaction could weaken the rules-based trading system. “Maintaining the status quo is not an option — we cannot go on as we are. If we do, we risk erosion of the rules-based system and the WTO sliding into irrelevance. Therefore, I strongly believe we must act urgently to reform the WTO,” he said
NEW DELHI: With the big Gulf carriers operating a fraction of their schedules, foreign airlines are expanding their India flights to meet the increased demand for options to the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. SWISS will operate a second daily light between between Delhi and Zurich from April 1 to May 31, 2026. British Airways will have a third daily service from Delhi starting April 7, followed by a third daily service from Mumbai from May 15. Air India has been adding flights to the west whenever possible during the Iran war.In a statement Thursday, Lufthansa group carrier SWISS said it is increasing its flight offering between Switzerland and India. “From April 1 to May 31, 2026, in addition to its regular service from Zurich to Delhi, SWISS will operate a second daily connection using an Airbus A330. Numerous passengers of other airlines are currently unable to take their originally booked flights via the Gulf region. As a result, many are switching to direct connections to and from Asia. SWISS is seeing a corresponding rise in demand for such nonstop services. We are pleased to offer our customers this additional flight to Delhi over the next two months. The flights are available for booking with immediate effect,” SWISS said in a statement.“Depending on further developments in the Middle East, SWISS continuously assesses how aircraft and capacities that become available can be deployed where demand is particularly strong. In addition to demand, key factors include operational constraints such as available airport slots, traffic rights and fleet deployment capabilities,” SWISS statement added.British Airways also announced additional flights from Delhi and Mumbai “to meet strong travel demand”. “In response to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the airline is adding short-term capacity from Delhi and Mumbai to meet customer demand. A third daily service from Delhi will launch on April 7, followed by a third daily service from Mumbai from May 15. With this additional capacity, British Airways will operate up to 63 weekly flights with more than 1,000 additional seats per week between India and the UK, offering more options for customers travelling to the UK or connecting onwards across the airline’s global network,” BA said in a statement.Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ chief planning and strategy officer, said: “As we continue to respond to the evolving situation in the Middle East, we’ve been able to reallocate additional capacity to meet strong demand to other destinations across our route network. India remains one of our most important global markets, and these additional services from Delhi and Mumbai respond to customer demand and provide greater choice and flexibility for our customers when travelling to the UK and beyond. We will continue to review our network and make adjustments based on where our customers want to fly this summer.”
Two major CEOs told CNBC in recent months that the rise of artificial intelligence contributed to their decisions to hand over the reins and step down from their positions.
It’s one of the latest insights into how America’s corporate leaders are sizing up the AI transition.
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday that his decision to step down from his role was influenced by larger “waves of the organizational momentum.”
“My job is also to think who’s the best team to put on the field to get the next wave done,” Quincey said. “And I concluded that, actually, it was time to put someone else on the field for the next wave of growth.”
Quincey, who has served as CEO of the beverage giant since 2017, will be succeeded by current COO Henrique Braun, effective at the end of this month.
“In a pre-AI, a pre-gen-AI mode, we made a lot of progress. But now there’s a huge new shift coming along,” Quincey said.
While he said he’s leaning into the technological advances, he believes the beverage company needs “someone with the energy to pursue a completely new transformation of the enterprise.”
That person, Quincey said, is Braun, who he believes will uniquely equip the company to embrace its next chapter.
Quincey’s comments echo sentiments from former Walmart CEO Douglas McMillon in December ahead of his departure from that role.
McMillon, who had held the position as CEO of the global retailer since 2014, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” at the time that he had decided to hand over the role to someone “faster.” John Furner, who was previously head of Walmart U.S., took over the top job on Feb. 1.
“With what’s happening with AI, I could start this next big set of transformations with AI, but I couldn’t finish,” McMillon told CNBC.
“About a year ago, I really started feeling like this next run, you could see what agentic commerce was gonna look like, the vision for AI shopping, and I started thinking about everything that needs to happen over the next few years, and it really caused me to think that now was the right time [to step down],” he said.
Walmart in December made the move to list on the Nasdaq, something McMillon said was symbolic of the progress the company has made with technology.
The retailer has been incorporating AI to optimize its supply chain, provide assistants for customers and more.
“I think what you’re going to see from the Walmart team is they’re just going to keep scaling what we’ve already started, build some new stuff on top, and then use AI to transform it all,” he said.
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