Fibre helps with managing bowel disorders, reducing the risk of bowel cancer, managing diabetes, reducing risk of heart disease and weight control. And a fibre-rich diet will provide you with many other protective components of plant foods such as phytochemicals.
FIBRE:
Fibre is found in plant foods and fibre-rich foods include: fruits, cereals and grains (especially wholegrain types), legumes, nuts and seeds, vegetables. There are three main types of fibre and all are important for good health.
THREE MAIN TYPES:
Soluble fibre – helps lower blood cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. Found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, oats, barley and rice.
Insoluble fibre – helps keep us going to the toilet ‘regular’, it is found in wholegrain and wholemeal breads. Cereals and pasta.
Resistant Starch – A type of starch that is not digested in the small intestine and which can provide important protection from bowel diseases. Found in firm bananas, baked beans, cooked and cooled potatoes.
SO HOW MUCH FIBRE DO WE NEED?
Adults should aim to eat at least 30 grams of fibre each day.
SOME FOODS THAT CONTAIN FIBRE:
| FOOD | FIBRE PRE SERVE (g) | SERVING SIZE | | Baked Beans, canned in tomato sauce | 13.4 | 1 cup cooked | | Kidney beans | 12.4 | 1 cup drained | | Wholemeal pastas | 8.4 | 1 cup cooked | | Wheat bran | 6.7 | 2 tablespoons 15g | | Dried apricots | 4.5 | 10 halves 50g | | Apple, green | 4.0 | 1 large apple | | Bananas | 3.5 | 1 medium banana | | Green beans | 1.7 | ½ cup cooked 60g | | Linseeds | 1.7 | 1 tablespoon 10g | | Brown rice | 2.7 | 1 cup cooked | | Wholemeal bread | 2.0 | 1 slice 32g | | Nuts eg. Almonds, dry roasted | 2.8 | 25-30 nuts 30g | | Seeds eg. Pumpkin seeds | 3.0 | 2 ½ tablespoons 30g | | High fibre breakfast cereal eg. Weet-Bix | 3.2 | 2 biscuits 30g |
SIMPLE WAYS TO INCREASE FIBRE IN YOUR DIET:
Leave the peel on vegetables and fruit, also eat whole fruit rather than drinking fruit juice.
Add fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and wheat bran to your breakfast cereal and use dried fruit and nuts as snacks. Add legumes to your casseroles, sauces, curries, soups and salads. Use wholemeal pasta and brown rice for a change. Choose whole-grain breads, cereals, crispbreads, and whole-wheat biscuits.
BE ACTIVE:
Physical activity can help to keep the bowels moving, so try to be physically active on most days for about 30 mins. Ensure to drink at least 6 glasses of fluid each day mostly as water.
| 
