The latest TikTok diet trend has racked up more than 160 million views to create an unusual phenomenon. For decades, fiber was your grandfather’s nutrient: the stuff of bran cereals and Metamucil, associated more with digestive regularity than anything aspirational. If you thought about fiber at all, you probably pictured someone over 70, but not anymore.
Fiber was your grandpa’s nutrient. Now it’s Gen Z’s obsession. The data show why and where the trend goes wrong. Photo credit: Depositphotos.
On TikTok, young people are enthusiastically #fibermaxxing. They load up on chia seeds, lentils and vegetable-packed meals and track their daily grams like previous generations tracked protein. The hashtag has garnered tens of millions of views, as creators show off colorful high-fiber bowls and share the benefits they’ve experienced: better digestion, less bloating, more sustained energy.
It’s a remarkable rebrand for a nutrient that spent years in the wellness shadows. So what changed?
The fiber gap
The short answer: consumers finally noticed how badly we’ve been missing the mark. According to a study published in the “American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine,” only 5% of American adults meet the daily fiber recommendation of roughly 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. The average American consumes about half that amount. This lack of fiber is what nutritionists call a “nutrient of public health concern.” A polite way of saying almost nobody is getting enough.
This deficiency isn’t new, but awareness of it is. A 2024 survey found that fiber is now the second most sought-after nutrient among American consumers, trailing only protein. A market research firm identified fiber as poised to become “the next big health trend,” as 54% of consumers express interest in high-fiber foods, a number that climbs to 60% among Gen Z.
Why Gen Z cares
The generational shift isn’t random. Young people are paying attention to fiber for reasons their grandparents never had to consider.
Chief among them: colon cancer. Rates of colorectal cancer among adults under 50 have been rising steadily for two decades, a trend that’s alarmed doctors and made headlines. According to a 2024 report from the American Cancer Society, the disease has moved from being the fourth leading cause of cancer death in young adults to the first among men under 50 and second among women. While researchers are still investigating the causes, low-fiber diets are among the factors being studied.
This has made fiber personal for a generation that grew up watching wellness content and tracking their health metrics. The connection between fiber and gut health feels newly urgent, not abstract or decades away.
There’s also the Ozempic effect. With GLP-1 drugs dominating health conversations, weight management is front of mind for millions of Americans. Some social media users have dubbed fiber “the poor man’s Ozempic” for its reputation for promoting fullness, though experts caution that the comparison overpromises.
‘Fibermaxxing’ gets it right
Dietitians have been largely enthusiastic about the “fibermaxxing” trend, which is notable given how many TikTok wellness fads get dismissed by health professionals. The core message of eating more fiber through whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains aligns with longstanding nutrition guidance. Research has linked high-fiber diets to a range of health benefits, which is why major health organizations recommend meeting the daily fiber target.
Unlike restrictive diets that tell you what to eliminate, fibermaxxing is additive: it’s about what to include. This makes it more sustainable for most people and aligns with broader guidance to eat more plants. A single bowl of mulligatawny soup, for instance, can deliver nearly half the daily fiber target through lentils alone.
Nutrition experts also note that getting fiber from whole foods, rather than supplements, provides additional vitamins, minerals and polyphenols that isolated fiber powders don’t offer. For most people, food-first is the recommended approach.
Where the trend goes wrong
However, there’s a reason dietitians keep adding caveats. The maxxing mentality, or the idea that if some is good, more must be better, can backfire. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, increasing fiber intake by more than 5 grams per day can lead to bloating, cramping and digestive distress. The gut needs time to adapt. Most experts recommend increasing fiber gradually over several weeks while drinking plenty of water.
Health professionals also note that very high fiber intake may interfere with mineral absorption for some individuals, a particular consideration for those already at risk of deficiencies. And for people with certain digestive conditions, dramatic increases in fiber may not be appropriate. As with any significant dietary change, consulting a healthcare provider is advisable.
What a high-fiber dinner actually looks like
For those wanting to increase their fiber intake without going to extremes, the approach is simpler than TikTok makes it seem. Legume-based dinners are a natural fit. A chana masala loaded with chickpeas can deliver 12-15 grams of fiber per serving. Add a side salad or some roasted vegetables, and the totals add up quickly, no special ingredients or supplements required.
The key is to build fiber into meals you already enjoy: swap white rice for brown, make a lentil bolognese instead of the traditional one, add beans to soups and tacos or snack on fruit instead of chips. Dietitians say small, consistent changes tend to stick better than dramatic overhauls.
The bigger picture
What makes fibermaxxing interesting isn’t just the nutrient itself; it’s what the trend signals about how younger generations think about food. For decades, American diet culture focused on restriction: low fat, low carb, low calorie. The fibermaxxing trend represents a shift toward addition by eating more of what’s beneficial rather than obsessing over what to avoid.
Fibermaxxing also demonstrates a growing awareness that the standard American diet may be structurally lacking. When 95% of the population isn’t meeting a basic nutritional benchmark, the issue goes beyond individual choices.
Gen Z didn’t invent fiber. But they may have finally made it interesting enough for the rest of us to pay attention.
Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju is a food and travel writer and a global food systems expert based in Seattle. She has lived in or traveled extensively to over 60 countries and shares stories and recipes inspired by those travels on Urban Farmie.
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