Fibre purchases are on the rise, as younger shoppers are driving demand for traditional staples.
New supermarket data has revealed that younger shoppers are embracing fibre, fuelled by rising awareness of gut health, social media food trends and the influence of nutrition experts.
Searches for “high fibre” products on Ocado.com have risen 87% year-on-year, while “fibre” has increased by 78% year-on-year, according to the retailer.
Traditional staples and cupboard classics are also witnessing growth, with searches for prunes rising 60%, fruit & fibre cereal up 52%, and Weetabix up 87%.
Tinned fruit searches have climbed 37%, while other wholefoods including oats (+18%), chickpeas (+18%), chia seeds (+15%), and spelt (+59%) are increasingly being incorporated into meals.
Just over half (52%) of UK adults are actively trying to add more fibre to their diets, according to research by the supermarket and market research firm Savanta, with the figure rising to 62% among Gen Z consumers and falling to 36% of over-65s.
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Social media is helping to fuel the trend, with 42% of Gen Z saying they are seeing more about fibre on their feeds.
The hashtag #fibre appears on nearly 68k videos, with viral recipe trends including chia seed chocolate mousse, tiramisu overnight oats and chickpea blondies.
Ocado Retail senior nutritionist Charlie Parker 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.”
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