Today’s generation is seeking more fiber, prompting dining providers and retail stores to make the shift by offering more fiber-rich options. From fiber-filled foods like pastas, breads, crackers, and snack bars to prebiotic beverages designed to benefit gut health, fiber is making an impact. 

Promoting Fiber-Forward Benefits  

With the focus on the importance of fiber, many brands are highlighting fiber-forward benefits on their products and packaging. This increases visibility and awareness, making it easier for consumers to choose gut-friendly products and soluble versus insoluble fiber options.  

Maryellen Hauver, RDN, LDN, and Campus Dietitian at Loyola University Maryland, shared, “As we see fiber coming into focus, it’s a good opportunity to revisit the benefits and to consider how we might include it in our diets.” She continued, “Fiber is important for GI health, but it is also associated with reduced risk for chronic disease. Fiber deserves more attention in everyday nutrition because Americans generally don’t meet the recommendation for daily fiber intake.” 

Fiber-Rich Ingredients Making an Impact 

While traditional fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds remain at the forefront, consumers are also embracing a new wave of fiber-filled ingredients. Some of these options include prebiotic beverages with cassava and chicory; plant-based, ready-to-eat meals featuring konjac, a starchy root vegetable native to Asia; and recipes containing oats, which are known for their prebiotic fiber and gentle impact on the gut. 

Translating the Trend in the Kitchen 

At Parkhurst, we’re excited to see fiber move beyond the traditional and into something new. Knowing that many guests are thinking about adding more fiber-rich foods and beverages to their diets, our chefs are creating new and delicious fiber-filled recipes designed for everyone, like our Falafel Salad with Feta. 

Enjoy this recipe for Falafel Salad with Feta