Every October, the first food trend reports land. Instead of debating them, we ran a reality check: test headline predictions against our population-true digital twin panels in the U.S. and Canada.
We started with this call from Whole Foods: “Protein continues to be king, but fiber is gaining traction as consumers seek gut health, holistic digestive wellness and natural ways to feel fuller longer… products with added fiber… oats as an easy, prebiotic staple…”
So, what did the twins say?
Directionally yes on fiber’s rise and oats. People are paying more attention to fiber. Oats are having a moment.
But there’s a catch: preference for food-first habits over powders and “added-fiber” vibes.
Nobody wants fiber dust sprinkled into their protein bar like some nutritional fairy tale. They want actual food that happens to have fiber. Big difference.
Canada shows higher baselines and stronger seasonality versus the U.S., which tracks with what we know about regional dietary patterns.
Whole Foods got the direction right. They missed the nuance.
Consumers aren’t looking for “added fiber” products. They’re looking for whole foods that naturally deliver what they need.
The industry keeps trying to solve nutrition with ingredient lists. Consumers keep choosing actual food.
This gap is where most food trends die.