Best Ways to Get Fibre in Your Diet Every Day

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You’ve heard that you need fibre in your diet to fight off constipation and keep regular, but why else is fibre important in your diet and what are the best ways to get fibre in your diet every day?

Benefits of Fibre

Fibre helps eliminate toxins and wastes.
Fibre helps control blood sugar levels, which consequently helps fight against diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
Fibre helps keep us full longer, which can aid with weight loss. Fibre soaks up water in the intestine, slowing the absorption of nutrients and increasing feelings of fullness.
Fibre helps control cholesterol levels by hindering fat absorption in the intestines.
Fibre aids in having a well-balanced gut microbiome and a healthy digestive tract, which increases our immunity.
Fibre helps to promote glowing and healthy skin by ridding the body of waste and toxins.
Fibre helps reduce cravings.

What is Fibre?

Dietary fibre is found in plant-based foods and is the part of the plant that cannot be digested or absorbed by our body.

Fibre is not broken down into sugar molecules like other carbohydrates for energy; rather, it passes through our body undigested.

Although it is undigested, it plays an important role in our overall health and it is an essential nutrient. Fibre is found in foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes, and with a little effort we can easily get enough in our daily diet.

There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. We need both fibres in our diet, and fortunately, many foods contain both.

Soluble fibre – dissolves in water and forms a gel like substance. This gel like substance helps lower LDL (or bad) cholesterol levels by hindering fat absorption in the intestines, and maintains safe blood sugar levels, preventing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Foods high in soluble fibre include dried beans, oats, oat brans, apples, strawberries, peas, and potatoes.

Insoluble fibre – does not dissolve in water and passes through the digestive tract intact. Insoluble fibre is a bulking agent and aids the body with waste and toxin elimination. Think of broccoli sweeping the inside of your digestive tract.

Foods high in insoluble fibre include whole grains, cereals, seeds, and the skins of many fruits and vegetables.

9 Ways to Ensure You Get Fibre in Your Diet Every Day

Munch on raw veggies as a snack.
Eat 1 or 2 fruits per day.
Sprinkle your salads with chia, pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower seeds.
Add flax seeds to your smoothies.
Garnish your soups with hemp seeds.
Eat air popped popcorn.
Add a side salad to your lunch or dinner.
Add a 1/2 cup whole grain to your lunch or dinner
One of the easiest ways to get fibre in your diet every day is to make a smoothie or juice like this green power protein smoothie.

What if We Aren’t Getting Enough Fibre?

Low fibre is associated with gastrointestinal disorders, constipation, and high cholesterol. You may feel bloated, sluggish, and fatigued. If you are constipated, you may develop hemorrhoids.

Low fibre also leads to cravings, hunger, weight gain, and acne. Now you see the strong case to increase fibre in your diet everyday. Start slowly and ensure you drink more water.

Recommended Amounts of Fibre for Women per Day

The recommended amount of fibre per day according to the Canadian dietary guidelines are listed below and differ based on age and gender. For women ages 19 to 50, it is recommended to get 25 g of fibre per day and more if you are pregnant or lactating.

Women over 50 should get 21 g per day. If you are eating real whole foods and fresh produce, it isn’t hard to get the recommended amount of fibre.

Fibre Amounts in Various Foods

Fruits

Raspberries: 8 grams per cup
Medium pear with skin: 5.5 grams
Medium apple with skin: 4.4 grams
Small banana: 2.6 grams

Vegetables

Broccoli: 5 grams per 1 cup
Romane lettuce: 2 grams per 2 cups shredded
Carrots: 3.6 grams per 1 cup chopped
Large baked potato with skin: 6.3 grams
Medium avocado: 9.2 grams
Kale: 2 grams per 1 cup

Legumes

Navy beans: 9.6 grams per 1/2 cup
Chickpeas: 17 grams per 1/2 cup
Pinto beans: 15 grams per 1/2 cup

Grains

Quinoa: 5 grams per 1 cup (cooked)
Barley: 16 grams per 1/2 cup
Oatmeal: 4 grams per 1 cup cooked
Oat Bran: 14 grams in 1/1 cup raw

Seeds, nuts

Chia seeds: 4 grams per 1 tbsp
Flax seeds: 1.9 grams per 1 tbsp
Pumplin seeds: 6 grams per 1/2 cup
Air-popped popcorn: 3.5 grams per 3 cups

Meal Plan

When you look at the common foods listed above, you’ll notice that it shouldn’t be too difficult to get the recommended amount of fibre in your daily diet. Try this Chickpea, Quinoa and Tomato Salad for a delicious high fibre meal.

Breakfast

1 cup of oatmeal with 1/2 cup of sliced apples (with skin) 4 + 2.2 = 6.2 grams of fibre

Lunch

Salad of 1 cup of Romane lettuce with 1/2 cup of quinoa, 1/2 cup of chickpeas add 1/4 of an avocado 1 + 2.5 + 17 + 2.3 = 22.8

Dinner

1 baked potato with skin, and 1 cup of steamed broccoli as a side to your protein. 6 + 5 = 11

Daily amount of fibre = 40 grams. This amount of fibre is above the recommended daily amount and is easy to accomplish.

Conclusion

It is important for us to consume fibre every day for regularity, weight loss, skin health, blood sugar levels and overall health.

Processed foods do not have enough fibre and the best ways to get fibre in your diet every day is to eat whole foods, such as vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, and whole grains.

Grab this infographic for your future reference on foods that are very high in fibre and should be added to your daily diet.