Protein may dominate grocery shelves, but fibre’s what Canadians actually need more of.
From cereal to shakes to snack bars, many grocery products now prominently feature added protein. As one of the three macronutrients, protein has an important role in diets by helping repair muscles and support growth.
According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, however, almost 100 per cent of Canadians already consume enough protein through their regular meals. What’s often missing is fibre, a non-digestible carbohydrate important for digestive health, blood sugar regulation, and cardiovascular health. Higher fibre intake has also been associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer, a condition that has been rising in younger adults since 2006.
This gap between what people eat and what they actually need has led public health researchers to call for greater public focus on fibre.
Fibre’s role is important but often overlooked. Insoluble fibre supports healthy digestion, and soluble fibre helps lower cholesterol and manage blood sugar. Together, they contribute to long-term health in ways protein alone can’t. Yet most Canadians get less than half of the recommended amount of fibre, according to Health Canada.
Marketing may be a reason for this imbalance. Protein’s easy to sell as fuel for energy and strength, while fibre works more slowly and prevents problems that may not appear until years later. Between January and September 2022, sales of high-protein products jumped 21.6 per cent, compared to the same period in 2021, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Some health-conscious social media users have started using the term “fibremaxxing” to describe intentional strategies for increasing fibre intake. That could mean choosing whole-grain bread instead of white, adding beans or lentils to pasta, or swapping protein bars for fruit and nuts. These options are often affordable and help address nutritional gaps more effectively than packaged protein products.
For students, cost and convenience can play a major role in food choices. Protein powders and fortified snacks may appear quick and useful, but staples like oats, lentils, apples, carrots, and chickpeas provide both protein and fibre at a lower cost.
Fibre’s absence from most food marketing doesn’t make it less important, and shifting the focus from protein toward fibre would lead to long-term public health benefits. With colorectal cancer rates rising among young people, prioritizing fibre may be more urgent than the protein push that dominates grocery shelves.
While protein’s an essential part of the diet, the real goal should be balance.
Tags
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.