What began as a struggle with late-night snack-ing in the hostel quickly turned into a turning point for Mansi Kalyan. Realising how her food choices were affecting her health, the 23-year-old engineering student started to focus on fibre-rich options to maintain stable energy levels, support digestion, and prevent the sluggishness associated with sugary or fried snacks. She swapped processed, low-nutrient snacks for fibre-rich alternatives like beans, lentils and chia-based items. Gradually, her relationship with food improved.
Kalyan’s story reflects a broader shift among young consumers who are increasingly prioritising fibre in their diets. Across India, this growing awareness is reshaping food choices — signalling a clear and decisive transformation in the country’s snacking culture. From millet chips and roasted makhanas to quinoa khakhras and seed mixes, brands are reformulating products around fibre-rich ingredients to meet the growing demand for digestive health, satiety and long-term wellness. This shift is also being amplified online.
Industry bodies see structural tailwinds supporting fibre growth. “The global shift toward healthier snacking is creating strong momentum for fibre-rich foods,” says Gunjan Vijay Jain, president of the Nuts and Dry Fruits Council (India). “Nuts and dry fruits offer a clean, plant-based source of fibre along with essential vitamins, minerals and healthy fats,” adds Jain.
According to Mintel’s Global Food and Drink Predictions 2026, fibre and protein are among the most easily understood nutrients, making them powerful drivers of choice. “At a time when there’s an abundance of instantly available health advice, protein and fibre are cutting through the clutter in 2026 and going mainstream as accessible and essential nutrients,” says Michelle Teodoro, associate director of food science for Asia-Pacific at Mintel.
Fuelling the demand
The 2025 ITC Aashirvaad Happy Tummy survey found that nearly 70% of Indians fall short of their recommended daily fibre intake, with women particularly affected. This gap is becoming a key driver of innovation for FMCG companies to expand fibre-rich offerings across categories. “Fibremaxxing is a growing trend among consumers today, where they are consciously taking steps to increase the fibre quotient in their diet,” says Hemant Malik, executive director at ITC. “Consumers have started to understand the gut-brain connection and its role in mental, physical and overall well-being.”
The company has been expanding its ‘better-for-you’ portfolio as part of its ‘Help India Eat Better’ strategy. “Sunfeast Farmlite offers fibre-rich cookies, Yoga Bar has oats, muesli and breakfast bars packed with fibre, while our Right Shift range is designed for consumers above 40 with high-fibre cookies and millet mixes that support gut health,” adds Malik.
During the October 2025 earnings call, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta announced that fibre will be the company’s next major nutritional focus, termed ‘the next protein,’ to align with consumer health trends and GLP-1 medication usage. Globally, the company is aggressively updating its portfolio to remove artificial ingredients and boost fibre/ protein content.
PepsiCo India is also aligning innovation with this evolving consumer preferences.”As lifestyles become increasingly busy, consumers are looking for smarter snacking options that combine taste, convenience and functional benefits. We are seeing growing interest in fibre-rich choices, particularly among urban consumers and younger audiences,” says Saakshi Verma Menon, chief marketing officer — foods, PepsiCo India.
While the brand’s Quaker portfolio, which includes oats-based products naturally rich in fibre, caters well to this demand, Menon adds that the brand is also exploring ways to bring traditional grains into modern formats. “For instance, Kurkure Jowar Puffs is inspired by jowar… reflecting how we are evolving the portfolio to match changing consumer preferences,” says Menon.
With added convenience
Among a variety of emerging brands that are building fibre into their core proposition, the nutrient is not just a claim, but foundational to product design. “Fibre-rich snacks are gaining momentum globally as the ‘fibermaxxing’ trend grows,” says Pune-based Pranav Korke, co-founder and CEO of The Healthy Binge, a brand that has built its snack portfolio around indigenous grains such as ragi, jowar, chickpeas and amaranth-ingredients that naturally contain high levels of fibre.
“When we started the brand in 2021, our idea was simple: to go back to ingredients Indians have trusted for generations,” Korke explains. “Grains like ragi, jowar, amaranth and chickpeas are high in fibre, so when we build snacks around them, fibre becomes an organic nutritional advantage rather than something we artificially add later.”
While fibre’s appeal extends beyond health, it also aligns with modern consumption patterns. “People are looking for snacks that are easy to carry, quick to eat and still nutritionally balanced,” he adds.
This intersection of convenience, satiety and nutrition is making fibre a strong contender in urban, on-the-go snacking. The trend is also reinforced by the rise of clean-label and plant-based eating.
Brands such as Healthy Master are capitalising on this shift with baked and roasted snacks made from millets, oats, nuts and seeds. Founded in 2019, the Bengaluru-based brand has built a portfolio of baked and roasted snacks made from millets, oats, nuts and seeds.
Tarun Agrawal, co-founder of the brand, says, “We primarily sell through direct-to-consumer channels and quick-commerce platforms including Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, Amazon Now, BigBasket and Flipkart Minutes. After expanding across India, we now process around 75,000 orders per month, with quick commerce already contributing 50% of its sales—a share expected to rise to 75% over the next year.”
Similarly, Farmley is leveraging nuts, seeds and makhanas as fibre-rich formats. “Consumers are looking for snacks that deliver multiple benefits which include fibre, protein and healthy fats. Through formats like roasted makhanas, ready-to-eat trail mixes and seed ingredients, we make it easier for consumers to include fibre in their daily routines,” says Akash Sharma, co-founder of Farmley. The brand’s fibre intake — including nuts, seeds, roasted snacks and trail mixes — now account for around two-thirds of Farmley’s snack portfolio.