Fibre plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health.
A diet high in fibre supports digestive health, helps to manage weight, regulates blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol, feeds healthy gut bacteria, reduces risk of some cancers and lowers risk of stroke.
There are two types of fibre:
- Soluble fibre: Dissolves in water, forming a gel-like substance. Found in oats, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables.
- Insoluble fibre: Does not dissolve in water and adds bulk to the stool. Found in whole grains, wheat bran, vegetables and legumes.
Incorporating a variety of fibre-rich foods into your diet helps ensure that you receive both types and enjoy the full range of health benefits.
10 fibre-boosting tips for optimising health:
1. Instead of white bread, rice and pasta, go for grain-based or wholemeal varieties of bread, and brown or wholemeal varieties of rice and pasta.
2. When buying cereals, look for wholegrains. Choose products with wholegrain ingredients at the beginning of the list (wheat, brown rice, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum or triticale etc) and look out for words such as whole, wholegrain, mixed grain, cracked, flaked or kibbled next to the name of the grain.
3. Add legumes such as baked beans, kidney beans, lima beans, soybeans, chickpeas, dried peas and lentils to soups, casseroles, salads and sauces.
4. Sprinkle high-fibre foods on your meals throughout the day. For example, add chopped fresh or dried fruits or wheatgerm to your breakfast cereal, stir a spoonful of seeds through your sauces or add some nuts to your stir-fry.
5. Snack smart – try eating healthy high-fibre foods between meals like dried or fresh fruit, nuts or veggie sticks.
6. Instead of sour cream or cream cheese-based dips, try legume-based dips like a spicy bean dip or some hommus, which is made with chickpeas.
7. Instead of a milkshake, try a fruit smoothie made with a banana or other fresh fruit. You may also wish to add in rolled oats as an additional fibre boost.
8. Eat unpeeled fruits such as apples and pears, and vegetables like potatoes wherever possible as the skins are a valuable source of fibre.
9. Skip fruit juices as they contain virtually no fibre and go for a fresh piece of fruit instead.
10. Look on the nutrition panel of food products and choose those which provide at least 2 grams of dietary fibre per serve.
