Balancing fiber, protein with GLP-1-friendly products

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Balancing fiber, protein with GLP-1-friendly products

10 Nov 2025

Maggie Glisan

Maggie Glisan covers consumer trends and emerging markets for the Commercial Baking media group. She spent the bulk of her 15-year career as the senior food editor at Better Homes and Gardens, where she was responsible for producing, writing and editing stories and developing recipes for the monthly magazine and special interest publications. Prior to that she worked as graphic designer and assistant art director in the Food Group at Better Homes and Gardens, where she took on an increasing role in content creation and editorial development.

KANSAS CITY, MO — Ingredient innovations that boost protein and fiber are at the center of many emerging product formulations, but each comes with its own set of challenges. While fiber can create tight and stiff doughs, it can also create sticky, wet doughs.

Proteins can have similar textural challenges, and that’s especially true of plant proteins.

“If you’re looking at plant proteins, they don’t form the same type of gluten network that a wheat protein will, and that can have an antagonistic effect on your baked goods structure,” said Ashley Beech, bakery applications product development manager at Corbion. “Some proteins can give you a bit of a gritty texture and others a soft texture.

Taste can also be affected by both fibers and proteins, imparting off notes that range from bitter to earthy. Using blends, Beech said, is one way to mitigate some of the negative impacts of adding fibers and proteins.

“Perhaps one protein gives you excellent nutritional delivery, but it comes with a bit of a gritty texture,” she said, “so finding a complementary protein to help balance that can be really helpful.”

Increasing fiber without sacrificing flavor or texture has become a particular area of focus for Bay State Milling. The company developed a high-fiber wheat flour that contains more prebiotic fiber than conventional wheat. Unlike functional fibers added during processing, this fiber is intrinsic to the grain itself, allowing manufacturers to increase nutrition without compromising the familiar taste and texture consumers expect.

“It can be quite the challenge to achieve the trifecta of taste, texture and fiber content,” said Colleen Zammer, VP of varietal solutions growth and innovation at Bay State Milling. “One of the brilliant things about flour is — because of the combination of protein and starch — it runs very well through baking equipment and can be very efficient. If you add a fiber ingredient that makes the dough sticky, you’re either slowing down your line or having a product that doesn’t come out well or that looks different than expected.”

High-fiber flours such as Bay State’s HealthSense are developed to address these types of challenges. For bakers looking to quietly reformulate everyday staples like sandwich breads, rolls or baked snacks, this type of ingredient offers a practical path forward in a market where fiber-rich, functional foods are gaining traction.

It’s also important in an environment where consumers scrutinize labels.

“We’ve seen that consumers on GLP-1 drugs are looking much more carefully at labels,” Zammer said. “If you can avoid a fiber additive — something that doesn’t sound like food — your ingredient label will look that much better. Balancing the whole consumer experience with the clean-label piece is really important.”

“We’ve seen that consumers on GLP-1 drugs are looking much more carefully at labels ... Balancing the whole consumer experience with the clean-label piece is really important.” — Colleen Zammer | VP, varietal solutions growth and innovation | Bay State Milling

Undercover Snacks is a manufacturer that’s leaning into nutrient density and GLP-1-friendly innovation. Known for its crispy quinoa-based chocolate snacks, the brand recently opened a new processing facility to meet rising demand for better-for-you indulgences that prioritize protein, fiber and clean ingredients. By combining plant-based protein with a naturally gluten-free grain, Undercover is developing snacks that offer satiety and substance.

Focusing on innovations that extend shelf life is another way bakers can capitalize on evolving eating behaviors.

“People aren’t eating foods as fast as they may have originally,” Zammer said. “A loaf of bread may be around for a lot longer in someone’s home than it might have been when they weren’t taking a GLP-1 medication. When manufacturers reformulate a product, that’s something they need to be thinking about.”

Additionally, according to Beech, adding fibers to a product can improve freshness and shelf-life stability due to their water-holding capacity.

“When you have higher water content in a product because of fibers, it can actually improve shelf life,” she said. “But you need to watch out for mold and balance that with a proper antimicrobial.”

Corbion’s data suggests that for nearly 7 in 10 GLP-1 users, the food industry isn’t meeting their expectations, particularly when it comes to fresher, more convenient options that go beyond the typical frozen and prepackaged offerings. Smaller portion sizes, longer shelf life, and even clear packaging and nutritional claims are all part of the equation bakers should be calculating.

Reformulating products to meet the needs of GLP-1 users doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul. But small, incremental changes may be the most effective path forward, and the payoff for brands willing to invest in these adjustments could be significant. As the category grows, so does consumer demand for food products that are functional, convenient and thoughtfully designed.

The time to act is now.

“With up to 35 percent of Americans expressing interest in GLP-1s, this is a growing wave,” said Alon Chen, CEO of Tastewise. “Because the current adopters tend to be affluent, health-conscious consumers, there’s a clear premium opportunity for brands that can adapt. The future of food won’t necessarily be about more, but it will absolutely be about better.”

This has been adapted from the August | Q3 2025 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full digital edition here.

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