Is it time to up your fibre intake?

Fibre found in the vegetables, fruits and grains that we eat can help prevent bowel problems such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and even some cancers. But most Australians don’t eat enough.

The amount of fibre in your diet can impact your short and long-term health. It helps to stabilise glucose and cholesterol levels and may decrease the risks of bowel cancer, diabetes and coronary heart disease.¹ It’s especially important to eat enough fibre as we age because our digestive system slows down.

Fibre is a nutrient found in the indigestible part of plant foods, including fruits and vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, beans and lentils², and is also a type of carbohydrate that can keep your system healthy. There are 3 types of dietary fibre:

This kind of fibre is found in legumes like lentils and beans, oats, vegetables and fruit. Soluble fibre can help you feel full and speed up the time it takes for faeces to pass through your body. You can also consume more soluble fibre to help lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar levels healthy.³

This kind of fibre is found in beans, wholegrain cereals including brown rice, and wholegrain breads. Insoluble fibre is also not easily digested and acts as a broom that cleans out your bowels. It absorbs a lot of water and adds bulk to faeces, helping it pass more easily through your bowels.¹

Resistant starch is a type of fibre found in whole grain foods, legumes, al dente pasta and cooked and cooled potatoes and rice. It makes you feel fuller for longer so it can help with appetite control and weight management, and it may also help with good gut health.

Australian guidelines recommend adults eat at least 25 to 30 grams of a fibre a day, and even up to 38g for men. Unfortunately, however, most Australians only consume between 20 to 25g of fibre each day.⁴

If you're like most Australians and you don’t eat enough fibre, here are 5 simple ways you can add more fibre to your diet:

Have a high fibre breakfast such as muesli, porridge or bran, which contains up to 9g of fibre per serve. Boost the fibre content by adding little extras like:

• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds for an extra 10g of fibre
• half a small apple (with the skin on) for an extra gram of fibre.

Legumes (beans, peas and lentils) are very high in fibre and can be added to salads, soups, stews, rice dishes and casseroles. Try adding:

• half a 400g can of borlotti beans (drained) to a salad for an extra 8g of fibre
• half a cup of green peas as a side for an extra 4g of fibre
• as much as 12g of fibre to your daily intake with a bean-based soup for lunch.

Swap that sweet afternoon treat for a healthier option like:

• some veggie sticks and a hummus dip
• a handful of nuts, which has around 2 to 3g of fibre
• fruit like an apple or a pear with the skin on.

A grain-based salad, instead of leaf-based, is great for a change and an extra fibre boost. For instance, a salad based on quinoa or bulgur wheat with some diced vegetables and a few nuts has around 6 to 8g of fibre.

Check food labels and try to select foods with at least 3g of fibre per serve.

Before you go about changing your eating plan completely, remember it’s best to increase your fibre intake gradually. A sudden increase may produce wind or flatulence, bloating and stomach cramps.

It's also a good idea to drink plenty of fluids so the fibre has something to absorb, otherwise you may become constipated. But when you’re following a fibre-rich, well-balanced diet you’ll be doing your digestive system and your heart health a lot of good.