The wellness culture that emerged in the 2010s carried a seductive promise: to optimize the body as one optimizes a system. Precision diets, strategic supplementation, intermittent fasting, macronutrient counting are examples of how health has become a personal engineering project, and nutrition, one of its main tools.
In this context, protein has become the heroic ingredient: it builds muscle, aids satiety, and even provides the feeling that the meal was "worth it." Over time, however, the conversation about well-being has begun to broaden. Without abandoning the pursuit of performance and physical health, consumers have begun to incorporate a more holistic view, which also includes emotional balance, quality of life, and the sustainability of habits, especially younger generations, signaling a broadening of the idea of well-being, with less emphasis on performance and a greater awareness of the importance of caring for the body and mind, all in balance. This change represents a profound reconfiguration of what it means to eat well and, consequently, of the role of food in this equation.
In this context, gut health is gaining prominence, with consumers increasingly aware of its role in holistic well-being. The science of the microbiome has popularized the idea that gut health is connected to immunity, energy, mood, sleep, and systemic inflammation. Data indicates that 60% of global consumers believe that gut health is "really important" for the whole body, and about 44% report noticing other benefits when improving their gut health, such as increased energy, improved skin, or a stronger immune system. It didn't take long for this new trend to gain traction on social media. Many market experts are betting on fiber as the next consumer favorite. Called " fibermaxxing ," the movement consists of significantly increasing fiber consumption to maximize its benefits, often even exceeding daily recommendations.
The industry's response was swift. The growth of claims related to digestive well-being, microbiota, and prebiotics in food and beverage launches has been consistent and accelerating. Global food and beverage launches with claims of benefits for gut health increased by 61% between 2024 and 2025 alone. But the most revealing data lies in the categories where these launches occur. Similar to what has been happening with proteins, gut health has gone beyond obvious products like yogurt and supplements, reaching soft drinks, chocolates, ice cream, snacks, and pasta. Functionality has migrated from the pharmaceutical aisle to everyday life, not by accident, but strategically.
"I think fiber will be the next protein" – Ramon Laguarta, CEO of PepsiCo, in an interview with the newspaper O Globo.
One company that captured this movement very well was Danone. For decades, the company built a market position by promoting gut health as an everyday benefit, going beyond simply solving problems and incorporating the benefit into an accessible and enjoyable wellness routine. Activia – Danone's line of functional yogurts – never needed to resemble a medicine to function as a functional product. On the contrary, its strategy was to anchor it to daily life, to ritual, to the simple pleasure of a meal that does good . The communication never used clinical jargon, never created anxiety around digestion, and never placed the consumer in the role of patient. It positioned the product as an ally for a well-lived, light, balanced, and pleasant life.
This is the central insight of the new functionality: it cannot seem like a sacrifice . The contemporary consumer is not willing to trade pleasure for health; they want both at the same time, in the same package. The idea that functional and delicious are mutually exclusive categories has lost traction, because what reaches the mainstream is precisely what integrates into real life without demanding that it be sacrificed.
And what about plant-based meats?
The plant-based protein category holds a concrete competitive advantage that has yet to be fully exploited: plant-based products are, by their natural composition, significant sources of dietary fiber. Legumes and grains, for example, do not require artificial additives to offer a nutritional profile that combines protein and fiber in the same product, which represents exactly the combination that the health and wellness movement is making desirable on a global scale. This advantage exists in the products, but the message is not yet visible to the consumer. Products available on the Brazilian market already have this advantage in their formulation.
Herein lies one of the most strategic points of attention revealed by the GFI Brazil research, "Strategies to Unlock the Plant-Based Meat Category" : the communication of the functional and emotional benefits of the category is not clear to the consumer. It is necessary to occupy the symbolic territory of a product alternative to animal-based meat, communicating its benefits and using an intrinsic technical advantage of the product as a strategy of cultural relevance. Food that communicates satiety, healthy digestion, and daily pleasure speaks to a much wider universe of consumers than food that only communicates absence or substitution, a strategy adopted to date by some brands. The research also identifies that the emotional benefits associated with consumption have considerable weight in the repurchase decision and are one of the strategic drivers that have contributed to the success of other new categories in the market.
Read the full research: Strategies to unlock the plant-based meat category.
How can we convey the message that plant-based meat analogs can be beneficial for people interested in adding more fiber to their diet?
The greatest opportunity for the industry lies in recognizing that fiber is not a differentiating factor to be invented, but an advantage that already exists in products and needs to be communicated. Although protein remains the primary marker of healthiness for many consumers, fiber is increasingly gaining ground as a symbol of balance and everyday well-being. Plant-based meats have the opportunity to lead a new wave of functional foods, expanding the perceived value of what is already on the market.
Alternative proteins and The Good Food Institute Brazil
GFI Brazil is a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of alternative proteins in Brazil. This article was produced by the Market Intelligence team, based on primary research and analysis of global data on product launches and consumer behavior.
Check out our latest releases
18/12/25
