How to make sure you're getting enough fibre | Hit your 30g per day
Hit your fibre goals by readying our guide to high fibre foods - including Lo-Dough
The researchers, at the University of Otago, in New Zealand and the University of Dundee say people should be eating a minimum of 25g of fibre per day.
They call this an "adequate" amount for improving health and say there are benefits for pushing past 30g of fibre each day.
Dietary fibres, also known as plant-based carbohydrates, play a major role in digestive health as it helps everything go through your digestive system smoothly. Fibre is the key to a happier, healthier gut!
Fibre really fills you up and actually helps when you tend to overeat; you will have a feeling of satisfaction a lot quicker and for a lot longer than if you only eat food low in fibre. More than a diet ally, dietary fibre has great protective effects on our health; fibre can prevent bowel and breast cancers, lower the risk of heart disease and improve sugar blood control.
What other foods have more fibre in them?
You will find a greater fibre content in foods such as fruit and vegetables, breads and pasta using whole-grains, Lo-Dough, beans, lentils and chickpeas, as well as nuts and seeds.
What does 30g look like?
- One serving of whole-grain bran flake cereal (4g Fibre)
- 24 almonds (3g Fibre)
- Orange (3g Fibre)
- Half a cup of lentils (7.5g Fibre)
- Two Weetabix - 3g fibre
- A thick slice of brown bread - 2g fibre
- A potato cooked with the skin on - 2g fibre
- One piece of Lo-Dough (9.3g Fibre)
As you can see, hitting your 30g of fibre, along with keeping your other macronutrients under control, is a harder task than it seems!
The good news is that you can get all the fibre you need without overloading on carbs. Some high fibre cereal for breakfast, a bowl of black bean soup for your dinner and a Lo-Dough pizza or with salad / mixed veg as a side and you’re there!
Using Lo-Dough in your daily diet as flatbread, pizza dough or even pastry is an easy and quick way to reach your intake in fibre without raising your sugar and fat intake. We have created some special high-fibre recipes for you to try. If the words “falafel wrap”, “apple turnover” or “hummus pizza” tickles your taste-buds, take a look at the recipe page on our website.
Benefits of a high fibre diet
Results published in the Lancet medical journal show, after 185 studies and 58 clinical trials, if you shifted 1,000 people from a low fibre diet (less than 15g) to a high-fibre one (25-30g), then it would prevent 13 deaths and six cases of heart disease.
Results are during the course of these studies, which tended to follow people for one to two decades.
It also showed lower levels of type-2 diabetes as well as lower weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Are there any quick and easy tips?
The UK's National Health Service has a page full of them.
They include:
- cooking potatoes with the skin on
- swapping white bread, pasta and rice for wholemeal versions
- choosing high-fibre breakfast cereals such as porridge oats
- chucking some chickpeas, beans or lentils in a curry or over a salad
- having nuts or fresh fruit for snacks or dessert
- consuming at least five portions of fruit or vegetables each day
But reaching out to a nutritionist will always be the clearest option and they can tailor the information to your own particular needs.
PS: Don’t forget to drink a lot of water!