Everyday Foods to Help You Hit Your 30g Fibre Goal

This month we’ve been focused on fibre, an important nutrient that 91% of us aren’t eating enough of. In this article, I’m sharing some of my favourite everyday foods that can help you hit the recommended 30-gram target.

Fibre - a quick recap

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate, found in plant foods like wholegrains, beans, peas and lentils, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. 

It differs from other types of carbohydrate in our diets (like starches and sugars) because it’s not digested or absorbed.  Instead it passes through the gut and lands intact in the large intestine where it is fermented by your gut microbes. So although fibre isn’t feeding you, it is feeding your gut microbes. 

As well as helping your gut microbes thrive, there’s good evidence that high fibre diets can lower the risk of bowel cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, so there’s plenty of reasons to make sure you’re getting enough in your diet.

In the U.K, the recommended daily intake for fibre is 30 grams a day. This recommendation was published in 2015, but there’s not been much change in how much fibre we’re eating, with average intakes sitting at about 19 grams. 

How can I meet the recommended intake? 

It takes a bit of planning, but meeting the 30 gram target is possible if you stick to a few key principles 

• Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables (aim for five to eight servings a day).
• Choose whole grains in at least two of your three meals.
• Include pulses several times a week 
• Snack on a handful of nuts and seeds 

To make it easier, I’ve put together a list of ten of my favourite everyday staples that can help you hit your fibre target: 

Seeded bread

Wholemeal pasta 

Oats

Oatcakes

Peas

Edamame 

Cherry tomatoes 

Kiwis

Raspberries

Apple

Banana 

Seeds

Nuts

Chickpeas

Lentils 

What if I’m Low FODMAP? 

If you’re following a Low FODMAP diet, stay tuned—I’ll be sharing some great fibre-rich choices that fit this plan very soon.