7 easy ways to increase your daily fibre intake
Fibre is the latest wellness trend to get a rebranding, transforming a necessary dietary cornerstone into something fun and sexy. “Fibre can help reduce energy intake, lower blood glucose, prevent certain cancers, promote gut health and improve cardiovascular health,” says Dr Qianzhi Jiang, pediatric and family dietitian at The Nutrition Changer. “Most people don’t consistently meet their daily fibre needs,” adds registered dietitian nutritionist Valerie Agyeman.
The US Food and Drug Administration suggests that an active, healthy adult aim for 28 grams of dietary fibre a day, but studies have found almost all adults are deficient (and some, even 95% under the daily allotment).
Eat the skin of fruits and veggies
The skin of most fruits and vegetables is actually higher in fibre than the fruit flesh, says Dr Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone. “Rather than peeling and throwing out the peels, eat your fruits whole,” she says (adding that you should use common sense here: fruits like avocados, bananas, etcetera shouldn’t be eaten with the skin on). According to WebMD, eating the apple with the skin on adds 2 grams of fibre to the serving.
Top off with beans or lentils
Split peas, lentils, black beans and more—the world is your oyster when it comes to beans and legumes. “Tossing them into salads, soups or even pasta is one of the simplest upgrades because they’re naturally packed with fibre and instantly make a meal more satisfying and filling,” Agyeman says.
Reach for seeds and nuts
Both Dr Ganjhu and Agyeman love this cheat: add a spoonful of chia seeds (10 grams in an ounce), flax seeds (8 grams per ounce) or unshelled hemp seeds (9 grams per ounce) to whatever’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “This quietly bumps up fibre and helps meals feel a little more balanced and sustaining,” says Agyeman.
Add a plant to your dessert
“Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense, but also delicious and sweet,” says Dr Jiang. Topping off your final course, whether it’s ice cream, pie, a crumble or more, with something fresh can up the fibre of the dish without skimping on flavor. Some ideas include raspberries (8 grams per cup), a pear (5.5 grams in a medium pear) or an apple with the skin on (4.5 grams in a medium apple). “They also add a variety of vitamins and minerals to the dish, along with fibre.”
Choose high-fibre snacks
Drop the granola bar. Dr Jiang suggests reaching for a snack like “popcorn, nuts, seeds, roasted chickpeas or other beans” when you’re feeling hungry. “They are crunchy and savory, which is satisfying while making it easier to get fibre into your diet.” For example, three cups of air-popped popcorn have around 3.5 grams of fibre.
Cook and cool certain foods
When it comes to starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, certain legumes and rice, Ganjhu suggests the cook and cool method. “This method creates resistant starches, which improve blood sugar control, enhance satiety, increase insulin sensitivity, reduce cholesterol and improve colon health.”
Skip juice
Whole fruit keeps the fibre intact, which helps slow things down in the body so you feel fuller longer and don’t get that quick spike-and-drop you can get from juice.