High Fiber Beer?

With football season in high swing, you’ve no doubt seen the endless commercials for Bud Light Golden Wheat, “an unfiltered wheat brewed with citrus, a hint of coriander and [the ever ambiguous Bud Light claim of] superior drinkability”. But does this focus on wheat mean it’s actually any healthier or higher in fiber than a standard domestic beer? Not really.

A standard 12 oz Bud Light bottle has 110 calories and 0 grams dietary fiber. According to Anheuser-Busch, a 12 oz Bud Light Golden Wheat gets you 118 calories and 0 grams of dietary fiber. No one’s saying that AB is pushing Bud Light Golden Wheat as a healthier or heartier beer (although there is that 8 calorie per serving difference…) – but since this is a blog about all things fiber, and sometimes wheat related, why not throw it out there?

With food manufacturers scrambling to add dietary fiber in the most inconceivable of products – it’s only a matter of time before someone puts fiber and beer together. In fact, the Spanish brewer La Zaragozana already has…kind of. La Zaragozana brews the line of Cervezas Ambar, including their Ambar Cerveza con Fibra.

This nonalcoholic beer (manzana/apple pictured) is made from 40% fruit juice and contains 0% alcohol and 7.5 grams of dietary fiber. While most beer aficionados won’t be flocking to a glorified fruit juice to get their fiber – especially one that doesn’t contain alcohol – don’t be surprised if we see more mainstream attempts to infuse fiber into the beer supply in the near future.