Emily Leeming, a dietitian and gut microbiome scientist at King's College London, argues that “lazy” changes can meaningfully increase fiber intake. In a Business Insider interview, she laid out three low-effort tips, including one that sounds almost too easy: eat more dessert, but do it strategically with fiber-rich ingredients.

Leeming also anchors the problem with stark US government data: Americans are advised to eat 28 grams of fiber per day, yet over 90% of women and 97% of men do not. That is not a niche wellness issue. Fiber sits at the intersection of metabolic, heart, and gut health, and Leeming says different types can support those systems in different ways, from slowing the release of sugar into the bloodstream to feeding the “good” bugs in the gut microbiome.

To understand why executives and operators should care, you have to see fiber as more than a “nutrition” talking point. It is a lever in how people manage blood sugar and how their gut microbiome functions. Leeming describes some fibers as behaving “a bit like an obstacle course,” helping slow sugar absorption. Other fibers, meanwhile, work by feeding the trillions of microbes in the colon that influence overall health. The practical implication is that “fiber” is not one generic ingredient. It is a category of plant-based components, with different effects depending on their source and type.

Now zoom back to the behavior part. Leeming’s three tips are designed to lower friction, not to demand overhaul-level discipline. The first is “Keep the skin on.” She recommends leaving skins on fruits and vegetables when possible because it boosts fiber and reduces effort. She gives concrete comparisons: a potato with the skin on contains around 3 to 4 grams of fiber, about double a peeled potato. A kiwi with the skin on has around 3.5 grams of fiber, compared with around 2 grams for a peeled kiwi. Her reasoning is as much about logistics as nutrition: “It’s less hassle and less washing up.” That matters because most people fail at fiber for the same reason they fail at most nutrition goals, they do not get the payoff with minimal change.

The second tip is “Snack on dried fruit.” Leeming says dried fruit is higher in fiber per ounce than fresh fruit because the dehydrating process concentrates nutrients. She offers a measurable example: 100 grams of raisins contain 3.7 grams of fiber, while the same quantity of grapes contains 0.9 grams. But she also flags the tradeoff that executives should recognize whenever health gets commoditized: dried fruit is also higher in sugar and calories than fresh fruit, because removing water concentrates what is left. Her guidance is not “dried fruit is always better,” it is “it can be a great high-fiber snack, just be conscious of portion size.” That is a classic real-world health message, and it is also a consumer messaging challenge. People want simple. Simple has to be accurate enough that it does not backfire.

Then comes the third tip, “Eat more dessert.” Leeming makes a case that fiber can fit into sweets, and she names specific ingredients that work: dark chocolate, desiccated coconut, ground almonds, and chia seeds all work well in sweet dishes. Ground flaxseeds can be added to any bakes. She also suggests a fiber-packed breakfast pattern by combining berries, dried fruit, nuts, and nut butter into Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or overnight oats. Her core line is permission with structure: “You can absolutely make having a sweet tooth work for you when it comes to fiber.” In a world where consumers often treat desserts as off-limits or as a guilty exception, that reframing can be a difference-maker, especially if the alternative is simply “eat more vegetables” with no behavioral bridge.

From a broader perspective, there is a regulatory and public health context behind why Leeming’s numbers land. The US government’s advised 28 grams per day sets a benchmark, and the gap between that benchmark and real intake is the signal. When over 90% of women and 97% of men fall short, the issue is not lack of awareness alone. It is that day-to-day meals are not structured to deliver the target, and the easiest path to change is often product and meal design. Leeming’s tips are basically meal hacks that can be scaled: keep skins on, swap fresh for dried in measured portions, and embed fiber ingredients into desserts and breakfast routines.

For boards, founders, and operators building in food, wellness, or consumer health, this is a reminder that adoption depends on effort reduction as much as it depends on ingredient science. If the average person is not meeting the 28-gram goal, then the winning product is the one that makes “more fiber” feel like the default choice. Leeming’s approach also suggests that messaging should respect tradeoffs. Fiber-rich dried fruit is still higher in sugar and calories, and dessert is still dessert. The opportunity is in turning those realities into predictable, repeatable choices that nudge intake upward without triggering resistance.

The strategic stakes are simple: if fiber intake remains low, the downstream burden sits across gut, heart, and metabolic health. If intake rises, even modestly and sustainably, the “obstacle course” effect and the microbiome feeding effect could become part of everyday life rather than a wellness fantasy. Leeming is betting that behavior change can be engineered through three minimal-effort moves. Executives who understand how products and routines create habits can take that same logic and apply it across what people buy, how they prepare it, and when they decide it is worth their time.