Most of us pay close attention to our protein intake. After all, it's essential for building muscle, recovering well and getting the most from our training. But how much attention do you pay to fibre?
Current guidelines recommend eating 30g of fibre a day, yet most of us fall well short. In fact, the NHS estimates that the average adult eats just 20g a day – only around two-thirds of the amount recommended.
Fibre is best known for supporting digestion and gut health, feeding the beneficial bacteria that live in your microbiome. But hitting your daily target can have benefits that stretch far beyond keeping you regular. A diet rich in fibre has been linked with lower cholesterol, better blood sugar control and a reduced risk of several chronic diseases.
If you've never tracked your fibre intake before, though, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. Search for high-fibre recipes online and you'll quickly be met with complicated meals packed with beans, grains and pulses.
Fortunately, you don't need to completely overhaul your diet. Dr Karan Rajan has shared a simple framework for hitting 30g of fibre a day, along with his favourite 'cheat code' for boosting the fibre content of foods you're probably already eating.
Dr Karan Rajan's 30g Fibre-a-Day Plan
Rather than relying on one high-fibre food, Dr Rajan recommends spreading your intake across a range of different ingredients throughout the day. Here's an example of how he reaches the 30g target.
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Breakfast
50g oats, 80g raspberries and 20g of 70%+ dark chocolate = 10g of fibre
Combine them into porridge, overnight oats or oat bakes.
Lunch or Dinner
100g rice (brown or white), 100g red lentils and 50g peas = 10g of fibre
Turn the lentils and peas into a dahl or soup and serve with rice.
Snacks
30g mixed nuts and seeds (almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds etc), one medium kiwi and one medium apple = 10g of fibre
Spread these snacks across the day to help your body digest the extra fibre more comfortably.
Dr Rajan's Fibre 'Cheat Code'
'The easiest way to regularly eat 30g of fibre a day is to get your fix from a range of different foods and not from one source,' Dr Rajan explains.
'A fibre cheat code to help you towards your daily goal is to add things like nuts and seeds to your daily diet – especially things like chia seeds, because just one tablespoon of this has up to 5g of fibre. So if you added two tablespoons of chia seeds to your oats, smoothies or yoghurt, you're getting 10g of fibre, which is 30% of your daily intake.'
One final point: if you aren't used to eating much fibre, increase your intake gradually. Jumping straight from 20g to 30g overnight can leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable, so give your gut time to adapt.
Lauren Geall is deputy site editor for Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK. She graduated from Exeter University with a BA in English Literature before studying an MA in Magazine Journalism at City, University London. She’s been writing about health, fitness and wellbeing for over five years, with a total of seven years in digital journalism. Prior to her current role, she worked at Stylist as the acting health and fitness editor. As well as being a keen runner, Lauren is passionate about women’s sport and can often be found cheering on Arsenal Women at the Emirates or keeping tabs on the Red Roses’ latest win.
