10 ways to eat more fibre

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate mostly found in plant foods. Unlike carbohydrates like starch or other nutrients like protein or fat, it reaches our large intestine, or colon, undigested. Here it has beneficial properties, such as:

• It helps bulk out our stools, making them easier to pass
• It has a laxative effect, so it can relieve constipation
• It may be digested by helpful bacteria in the gut, releasing useful substances that can support gut, immune and heart health, for example
• It can slow down our digestion, helping to keep us fuller for longer, which can aid weight management
• It can help maintain or even lower cholesterol

Eating enough fibre, from a wide variety of sources, can help to reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease, bowel cancer, and type 2 diabetes. It also boosts our gut health, supports digestion and the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut (the microbiome), and may help with weight management.

We’ve outlined 10 ways to increase your fibre intake. Don’t worry about what’s on the label of foods, as not all nutrition tables will tell you how much fibre is present. Just try to make sure you incorporate a high-fibre food into each meal and most snacks, if you can.

1. Add pulses – beans and lentils are a fantastic way to add fibre to meals. Swap all or half of the meat in a recipe for pulses. For example, replace beef with lentils in bolognese or chilli, swap chicken for butter beans or cannellini beans in a curry or one-pot dish and use blended chickpeas when making meatballs.
2. Soy products, like tofu and tempeh, are high in protein and fibre and make a great meat replacement in curries, fajita recipes and East Asian meals. They are very nutritious and versatile ways to add fibre to your diet.
3. Nuts and seeds, either whole, ground or as nut butters (outside of schools only), are very nutritious and also high in fibre. Try to eat a wide variety to maximise the nutritional benefits. Sprinkle nuts and seeds on yoghurt, fruit and cereal, or use them ground or chopped in Asian or South American dishes.
4. Swap white grains for wholegrains where you can, such as wholemeal bread, pasta and rice. Wholegrains are a great source of fibre, so try to eat them a few times a day, even if you mix white grains 50-50 with wholegrains for a milder taste.
5. Oats are a wholegrain too. Not only are they a great source of fibre, but one specific type of fibre they provide, known as beta-glucan, can help reduce cholesterol levels. Try to eat 3 servings of oats each day for maximum heart-health benefits, e.g. porridge for breakfast, oatcakes for a snack and oats sprinkled on fruit or blended into a smoothie. Or simply enjoy them when you can.
6. Dried fruit is high in fibre, vitamins, and minerals, so use it to add natural sweetness to recipes or as a topping for fruit, yoghurt or breakfast cereal.
7. Roasted chickpeas and hummus are great with salads or in wraps and sandwiches to add fibre and minerals like iron.
8. Eat your 5 a day. The more fruit and vegetables you eat, particularly if you try to eat lots of different types and colours, the wider the range of nutrients you will obtain and the more fibre you will consume.
9. Some fruits and vegetables, like banana, onion, leek, artichoke, apple and asparagus, as well as fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, provide a special type of fibre (known as oligosaccharides) that our gut bacteria can rapidly digest, producing lots of beneficial nutrients for the body. Remember, though, most types of fibre in the foods mentioned above can be digested to some degree by our microbiome, producing these beneficial by-products, not just in the foods mentioned here.
10. Eat 30 plants a week. The more variety of plant foods you eat, the wider the range of nutrients you consume, including an array of types of fibre. You can learn more here: https://bit.ly/419n0RG