High fibre: from watchlist to white space

Hello GRATE readers.

Whilst January is ending and we’re edging towards Spring (even if Storm Chandra this week suggests otherwise), I’m writing this looking out at calm countryside and blue skies.

It feels hopeful. And that’s a fitting mood for this week’s theme: high fibre — a trend that’s quietly moved from ‘one to watch’ into a full-blown innovation platform.

I first flagged fibre last year as a space to watch, and at Food Matters Live, we spent a lot of time talking about its under-leveraged potential. Fast forward to the last few weeks, and we’re seeing clear signals: brands and retailers are now confidently leading with fibre claims, not hiding them in the small print. This isn’t accidental. Fibre is becoming the anchor nutrient for modern health.

Why fibre, why now?

Protein has dominated NPD for over a decade, but it’s reaching saturation. Consumers are more nutritionally literate, more sceptical of hype, and more aware of what’s missing

in their diets. Fibre sits right at that intersection:

- Most consumers still don’t hit daily fibre recommendations

- It’s strongly linked to gut health, metabolic health, blood sugar balance and satiety

- It plays a critical role for consumers using or inspired by GLP-1 medications.

At Food Matters Live last year, one of the clearest takeaways was that fibre is finally being understood as functional, not just digestive. Consumers are learning what fibre does, which fibres matter, and how to build it into everyday eating — not just via supplements, but through enjoyable formats.

For NPD planning into 2026, fibre offers what protein once did: a credible health story, room for education, and permission to innovate across categories. Fibre supports fullness, reduces cravings, stabilises blood sugar and feeds the gut microbiome. Importantly, it works quietly in the background — exactly what today’s consumers want.

This shift is also tightly linked to the rise of GLP-1 culture. Whether consumers are on medication, considering it, or simply adopting similar eating behaviours, high-fibre foods and snacks are being used to naturally mimic GLP-1 benefits: feeling fuller for longer, reducing mindless snacking, and supporting digestion.

What this means for 2026 NPD

Fibre is no longer a supporting act — it’s a lead strategy.

Consumers are actively increasing their fibre literacy and looking for brands to help them close the gap in enjoyable, everyday ways.

The opportunity now lies in:

- Making fibre visible and desirable

- Innovating beyond bars and supplements

- Linking fibre to satiety, gut health and metabolic support

- Creating products that offer a broad variety of fibre sources (think, pulses, grains, seeds) 

As we move into Spring, there’s a sense of reset in the air — and fibre fits that perfectly. It’s about balance, sustainability and playing the long game. Exactly the kind of trend that doesn’t burn out, but builds.

Below are five fibre led launches that are landing right now.

AS always, I hope they inspire and inform you.

Enjoy the read, 

Annie x

HOLLAND & BARRETT - NEW HIGH FIBRE RANGE (UK)

Holland & Barrett’s dedicated high fibre range is a retailer-level signal that fibre has moved mainstream. Rather than one-off SKUs, this is about building a platform that helps consumers actively manage intake. The launch reflects growing consumer understanding that fibre isn’t a ‘nice to have’ — it’s foundational. What’s interesting is the education role: retailers are now stepping in to guide, not just stock., something H&B have always done and otehr retailers could learn from.

BAMBOOLAS - HIGHFIBRE CHIPS (IRELAND)

Bamboolas’ high fibre chips are made from bamboo shoots, and are a strong example of indulgence meeting function. The Irish brand, which participated in the Bord Bia FoodWorks programme last year, is clearly thinking big. The product delivers on taste first ( a satisfying crunch with a subtle, savoury flavour), while confidently leading with a fibre claim — a smart move in a traditionally low-fibre snack category. What’s interesting here is ambition: this feels designed to travel beyond Ireland, with fibre used as a differentiating global health cue rather than a niche claim.

BEYOND IMMERSE - BEYOND MEAT ENTERS DRINKS (US & UK)

Beyond Meat’s Beyond Immerse range marks a notable pivot, with the brand moving beyond plant-based meat into protein water with added functional fibre claims. With the US plant-based meat category failing to hit the growth heights once forecast, it’s perhaps no surprise that category leaders are testing new adjacencies. What’s interesting — and slightly provocative — is just how far Beyond has pushed this shift: entering beverages, and reframing health around hydration, protein and fibre. It raises a bigger question for the category: is this smart future-proofing, or a signal that protein alone is no longer enough to carry the story?

SUPER KEEN CEREALS - NOW IN DUNNERS (IRELAND)

Super Keen Cereals has existed in the UK for a few years, but its recent launch in Dunnes Stores brings a differentiated fibre story to Irish shelves. The brand uses simple, organic ingredients and avoids grains, gluten, refined sugars and seed oils, instead relying on root vegetables like cassava and tiger nuts. What’s interesting is how fibre here is tied to anti-inflammatory positioning and dietary exclusion — it’s not just about digestion, but whole-body wellbeing.

HUM - FLATTER ME FIBER GLP-1 BOOSTER (US)

HUM’s Flatter Me Fiber GLP-1 Booster sits at the intersection of supplements, GLP-1 culture and fibre education. Using clinically studied soluble prebiotic fibre alongside digestive enzymes and botanicals, it positions fibre as a tool for appetite control, gut health and bloating reduction. The strawberry lemon flavour and clean-label formulation show how fibre supplements are evolving to feel lifestyle-led rather than medicinal.