Younger shoppers are now embracing fibre, fueled by rising awareness of gut health, social media food trends, and the influence of nutrition experts, shows the latest data, suggesting renewed demand of fibre-rich food in stores.
Searches for ‘high fibre’ products on Ocado.com have risen 87 per cent year-on-year, while ‘fibre’ has risen by 78 per cent year-on-year.
Traditional staples and cupboard classics are also seeing strong growth. Prunes, once a pantry favourite among older generations, are up +60 per cent , fruit & fibre cereal has risen +52 per cent , and Weetabix is up +87 per cent.
Tinned fruit (+37 per cent ) is also popular, while other wholefoods including oats (+18 per cent ), chickpeas (+18 per cent ), chia seeds (+15 per cent ), and spelt (+59 per cent ) are increasingly being incorporated into meals.
Research by Ocado and Savanta found that just over half of UK adults (52 per cent ) are actively trying to add more fibre to their diets, rising to 62 per cent among Gen Z consumers and falling to 36 per cent of over-65s.
While almost three-quarters (71 per cent ) of Gen Z believe fibre is just as important for younger people as it is for older people, two-thirds (66 per cent ) admit they don’t get enough in their current diet, compared to just one fifth (20 per cent ) of over-65s.
Most UK adults recognise fibre’s health benefits. 82 per cent link it to maintaining good gut health, 83 per cent to aiding digestion and regularity, and 61 per cent to weight management. Older consumers particularly value fibre for its role in long-term health, with 85 per cent of over-65s saying it is important for lifelong wellbeing, compared to 67 per cent of Gen Z.
Charlie Parker, senior nutritionist at Ocado Retail, said, “Fibre has sometimes been overlooked, but the data shows that awareness is growing and more people are looking to increase their intake.
"What’s encouraging is that many are turning to simple, familiar foods like cereals, beans and fruit to do so – products that are easy to include in everyday diets.
"With younger generations driving much of the interest, it’s great to see a broad recognition of the role fibre plays in overall health.”
Social media is also helping to fuel the trend, with 42 per cent of Gen Z saying they are seeing more about fibre on their feeds.