High fibre foods for a healthy diet in the UK

Many of us know that eating fibre is important, but it turns out that most of us don’t eat enough of it. So just how much fibre per day should we be eating? Well, government guidelines say that adults should be eating 30g of fibre a day as part of a balanced diet to make the most of its health benefits. However, most of us only get a daily average of 20g [1].

This isn’t because we don’t have access to high fibre foods in the UK. There are plenty of choices you can make in your weekly shop to incorporate foods high in fibre, like choosing wholegrain bread, pasta or rice over white carbohydrates for example.

Clearly, we could all do with a little help when it comes to figuring out what foods are high in fibre and how we can incorporate them into a healthy, balanced diet. Let’s take a look at what fibre is, what its health benefits are, and how we can enjoy more high fibre foods.

First things first: what is fibre? Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate that’s found naturally in plants. It’s different to other carbohydrates like sugars and starches because it’s not broken down in the small intestine. Instead, it travels to the large intestine where it feeds the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut [2][3]. These bacteria break down fibre to produce helpful compounds like short-chain fatty acids that can have health benefits all around your body, including in your brain, skin, heart and kidneys [4].

There are two main types of dietary fibre: soluble fibre and insoluble fibre [5]. Both can have important health benefits when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Soluble fibre

Soluble fibre dissolves in water, turning it into a gel-like substance. Soluble fibre also absorbs fluid in your digestive system, which can make going to the loo easier. Good sources of soluble fibre include oats, apples, sweet potatoes and peas [5].

Insoluble fibre

Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water, and your gut doesn’t break it down until it reaches the large intestine. There, it can help to keep your bowel movements regular by helping to move the stool along the digestive tract. You can find insoluble fibre in foods like wholewheat flour, brown rice, nuts and seeds [5].

In reality, most foods contain a mixture of soluble and insoluble fibre. When you’re increasing the amount of fibre in your diet, remember to drink enough water to support optimum bowel health.

It’s worth focusing on getting enough fibre in your diet to reap the many health benefits it can potentially bring. Fibre is associated with reducing the risk of health conditions like bowel cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes [1]. Plus, people who eat more fibre tend to have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and a lower risk of heart disease [6].

High fibre foods can also help to reduce bloating and constipation by supporting normal bowel function and helping you go to the loo more regularly, so getting enough fibre in your diet is a great way of showing your gut some love! (Just remember to increase your intake gradually and drink plenty of fluids to avoid making constipation and bloating worse).

So now we know about the many health benefits, how much fibre do you need per day? That depends mostly on your age [1].

• 2 to 5-year-olds need around 15g of fibre per day

• 5 to 11-year-olds need around 20g of fibre per day

• 11 to 16-year-olds need around 25g of fibre per day

• Adults should have around 30g of fibre per day

But there’s quite a large gap between how much fibre we should have in our diets and how much we actually eat. In the UK, only 9% of adults aged 19-65 years old get the recommended amount of fibre in their diets [7]. To bridge this ‘fibre gap’, the good news is that there are lots of different high fibre foods available in the UK, most of which can be easily incorporated into your daily diet in order to increase your intake.

Try adding these high fibre foods into your diet to help you get that all-important 30g per day!

Whole grain carbohydrates

Whole grains are cereal crops like wheat, rye, barley, oats and rice [8]. White carbohydrates like white bread, pasta and rice are made from ‘8ned grains’ which means that part of the grain has been removed during the process. But foods like brown rice, wholemeal bread and wholewheat flour are made from whole grains, which can contain up to 75% more nutrients - including fibre [9].

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are often great sources of both soluble and insoluble fibre. While soluble fibre is usually found in the ‘squishy’ bits inside fruit and veg, the skins of foods like potatoes are rich in insoluble fibre, so try to keep the skins on where you can (e.g. by eating baked or boiling potatoes in their skins) [10]. Some of the most fibre-rich fruits and vegetables include peas, broccoli, strawberries, and figs [11].

Pulses

Pulses are part of the legume family. Most of the tinned peas and beans you can get in UK supermarkets are classed as pulses, including chickpeas, lentils, butter beans and kidney beans. Pulses are one of the highest fibre foods - one portion can contain as much as a third of your daily fibre intake! [12] So go ahead and throw some kidney beans or lentils in your next meal for an easy way to get more fibre.

Nuts and seeds

Peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and sesame seeds are all great sources of insoluble fibre [5]. They’re easy to incorporate into your diet sprinkled on top of yogurt or porridge, added into home baking, or on their own as a snack. Ideally, choose packs with no added salt or sugars [1].

Adding fibre to your daily diet

Here are some simple ways of including more high fibre foods in your diet [13]:

• Get at least five portions of fruit and veg each day - you can make this easier by buying frozen fruit and vegetables to add to smoothies and meals. Keep the skins on where you can to get more insoluble fibre.

• Choose whole grain options - swap white carbohydrates like rice, bread and pasta for wholegrain alternatives like brown rice. When you’re baking, use wholewheat flour instead of white.

• Add pulses - include pulses like lentils and chickpeas into chilli, bolognese, curries and stews to add more fibre.

Take a look at our ideas for incorporating foods that are high in fibre into your daily diet to reach your target of at least 30g of fibre per day.

High fibre breakfast

A portion of bran flakes (8g fibre) or two slices of toasted whole grain bread (7g fibre) topped with a sliced banana (1.5g fibre) will start your day with 8-10g of fibre [1][2].

High fibre lunch

A jacket potato with the skin on (5g fibre) or two slices of toasted whole grain bread (7g fibre) with half a tin of low sugar and low salt baked beans (10g fibre) can give you 15-17g of fibre at lunchtime [1][2].

High fibre dinner

Add vegetables and lentils into a tomato-based curry (6g fibre) and serve with boiled brown rice (3g fibre) for a high fibre dinner (approx. 9g fibre) [1].

High fibre snacks

For a high fibre snack, grab an apple (2.5g fibre) or handful of almonds (4g fibre).

Following the above plan for a day would get up to 40g of fibre into your diet. But remember these are just examples, so get creative finding your own combinations of high fibre foods to enjoy throughout the day!