Consumers Choosing Fit Over Fat

More on fiber
You probably can’t be fit without being healthy overall. In addition to promoting satiety, as discussed earlier, certain fibers can do a lot more to promote overall health.

“Inulin is one of many functional ingredients that can make healthy foods more attractive,” says Pam Stauffer, global marketing programs and communications manager at Cargill Health & Nutrition (www.cargill.com), Minneapolis. “Inulin is recognized as a prebiotic ingredient that supports the natural, healthful bacteria in the lower GI tract. Research also indicates that inulin may enhance dietary calcium absorption, particularly among preteens and postmenopausal women.” And Cargill’s Oliggo-Fiber brand of inulin can be incorporated into almost any food or beverage without affecting taste or texture.

Inulin is classed as soluble fiber as is Barliv, Cargill’s barley betafiber, a concentrated beta-glucan fiber derived from whole grain barley. “It [Barliv] has been clinically shown to reduce cholesterol when consumed as part of a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet, and is authorized for an FDA health claim,” says Stauffer.

No healthy household is complete without a generous stock of naturally nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, a pretty good indicator of the commitment to lifestyle change. Few foods spell nutrient density like beans, according to Bob Green, director of the Michigan Bean Commission (www.michiganbean.org), St. Johns, Mich. Dry beans are low in fat, high in quality protein, rich in soluble fiber, bountiful in many phytochemicals (including lignans, and flavonoids) and full of B vitamins, especially folic acid, and minerals such as copper, iron, and magnesium. They also contain phytosterols, which, in addition to the soluble fiber, help to lower cholesterol. That gives a total package that is both healthful and satisfying.

Increasing the nutrient density of foods and beverages often requires overcoming technical challenges. “We are seeing lots of encapsulation-related projects,” says Kevin Stark Sr., “engagement manager” at NineSigma Inc. (www.ninesigma.com), an independent product development and consulting company based in Cleveland. “The issues of course are helping to improve the stability of ingredients, like probiotics (for yogurt), omega-3s, and vitamins, etc., to mask their taste and to target bioavailability, for example to the intestines. Additionally, there is lots of interest in reduced sodium, sugar and fat. One of the challenges, for example, is removal of fat from a chocolate system that would still have the right viscosity and performance, and also still retain the desired organoleptic qualities.”

The glaring flaw in the modern diet is its dependence on large quantities of “empty calories” to satisfy hunger. Increasingly, consumers are opting out of these choices, though apparently not yet enough to alter the disturbing obesity statistics. It’s a good bet, however, that manufacturers that invest in nutrient density and satiety are brightening the consumer’s future as well as their own.