“Years of research point to the health benefits of fiber for cardio-vascular health, blood glucose control, digestion and gut health, yet average intake is approximately half the recommended amount,” explained Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., RD, of the University of Minnesota and a member of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, while speaking at the 2012 Experimental Biology conference. “With more than 90% of adults and children falling short of meeting their daily fiber recommendations, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans classified fiber as a nutrient of concern, since it’s one of the critical nutrients most lacking in people’s diets.”

Manufacturers have sought to help consumers bridge the gap with fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods, including whole-wheat bread, whole-grain cereals, brown rice, bran and oats. Clif Bar has introduced several high-fiber bars under its Luna Bar brand, an effort to blend healthy with indulgent. Squarely aimed at women, the Luna Fiber bars boast 7g of fiber, and the 70% organic snacks also feature calcium, folic acid, iron and vitamin D. The soft-baked, fruit-filled bars contain 120 calories each and can be found in such indulgent flavors as chocolate raspberry, vanilla blueberry and peanut butter strawberry. Those 7g of fiber come from a range of sources: organic oat fiber, organic inulin (agave extract), inulin (chicory extract) and whole grains. pf