96% of us aren’t getting enough fibre. Here’s how to fix it.
Find out why fibre matters, how much fibre you need to eat and get some practical tips on how to increase your own fibre intake
Why am I talking about FIBRE?
The latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey (1) shows 96% of UK adults and children aren’t meeting recommended fibre intakes.
What is Dietary Fibre
Dietary fibre is found in plant foods such as cereals, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as beans and lentils. It is a type of carbohydrate that does not break down and absorb in the small intestine, meaning that it passes through to your large intestine where it feeds your gut microbiome, supports the transit of food through our gastrointestinal tract and influences the absorption of other nutrients like fat and glucose.
It can be classified into soluble fibre and insoluble fibre, and further broken down into other categories depending on it’s structure such as pectins, beta-glucans and resistant starch. Whilst these different types can be important to understand if you suffer from diarrhea, constipation or certain health conditions, if you’re one of the 96% not getting enough daily fibre, it’s probably a good idea to just focus on increasing your fibre intake from a variety of sources.
Why Does Fibre Matter?
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Fibre plays a vital role in keeping your digestive system running smoothly. It can add bulk to your stool and balance the time it takes for food to move through the gut. This reduces the risk of constipation and supports regular bowel movements. It can also help you feel fuller for longer.
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Your gut is home to trillions of beneficial bacteria which feed on fibre. When these microbes ferment fibre, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that support gut health, reduce inflammation, and may even influence mood and immunity. A fibre-rich diet encourages a more diverse and resilient microbiome, which has been linked to better long-term health.
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Fibre is one of the simplest dietary changes you can make to protect your heart. Soluble fibre binds with cholesterol in the gut, helping to lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood. Over time, this can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Fibre also helps regulate blood pressure, partly by improving blood vessel function and partly by promoting a healthier weight. Research consistently shows that people who eat more fibre have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
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A high-fibre diet can help to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes. Fibre slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to keep blood glucose levels steady and reducing insulin resistance. Because high-fibre foods are often more filling and take longer to digest, they can also help with appetite control and prevent weight gain — two important factors in lowering diabetes risk.
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There is strong evidence that fibre lowers the risk of certain cancers, especially bowel cancer. By speeding up the movement of food through the digestive tract, fibre reduces the time that potentially harmful substances are in contact with the bowel lining. The fermentation of fibre in the gut also produces protective compounds like butyrate, which may help reduce cancer risk. Eating a diet rich in wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and legumes is one of the best ways to protect long-term health.
What Is The Recommended Fibre Intake Per Day?
The UK guidance is for adults to consume 30g of fibre per day, with children requiring between 15 and 25g depending on their age (2).
Do You Eat Enough Fibre?
It can be tricky to know how much fibre you’re eating each day, to help you check your intake I have created a simple Daily Fibre Tracker for you to see at a glance whether you’re on track. This gives you a really informative list of how much fibre foods we regularly eat contain.
It’s simple, just tick off the foods you’ve eaten and add up the total!
What Is Stopping You Eating Enough Fibre?
Adults are averaging 16-17g of fibre per day (1), so what is stopping us consuming more? I have a few theories, maybe one of these will apply to you?
Low fruit and vegetable consumption - Fruit and Vegetables are one of the main sources of fibre, but in the UK we are falling short of the 5 A Day target set by the government with adults averaging only 3 portions a day (1). So something as simple as adding in 1-2 extra fruit or veg a day will help boost your fibre intake.
Availability and Affordability of Wholegrains - Cost and convenience have been shown to influence food choice (7). Research by The Food Foundation (3) shows availability of wholegrain products is low in supermarkets with wholegrains accounting for between 6-20% of bread, pasta and rice products. Wholegrain products may also cost more. Wholegrain or brown bread costs on average 9p more than white bread and wholegrain pasta was found to be 24p more and brown rice 77p more. Ideally we would all switch to these product but we can not all afford to do so. Check out my tips below and hopefully you’ll find some affordable solutions.
Consumption of Ultra Processed Foods - Ultra Processed Foods are popular in the UK (4), however, the process of refining foods tends to reduce fibre content, so if you are consuming a lot of ultra processed foods, you could consider reducing your intake in favour of more fibre rich options.
Popularity of low carbohydrate diets - If you follow a low carbohydrate diet, you are likely avoiding grains (such as oats) and starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweetcorn, butternut squash) which could result in a lower intake of fibre. Research on whether low carbohydrate diets results in low fibre intake are mixed (5,6) so it really depends on what you are eating - I’d recommend really focusing on vegetables, nuts and seeds to help you reach you fibre target.
Flatulence and Bloating - For most people, eating fibre is fine, but some people report that they experience flatulence and bloating when consuming high fibre foods or increasing their fibre intake, and I know this can feel off-putting. The good news that this is usually just temporary (9) and Increasing fibre slowly (alongside adequate water intake) often helps alleviate these side effects. If you’ve noticed you struggle with fibre or suffer from a gastrointestinal condition, you may find you need to tailor your dietary fibre intake - I’d be happy to advise on this!
Ability to chew - it has been noted that some older adults with dental issues (dentures or impaired ability to chew) struggle to consume as much fibre as those with their own teeth (8). If this is you, it’s important to find some suitable alternatives to help you reach your intake target. Reach out to get some personalised advice on which fibre rich foods will work for you.
Awareness - If we don’t know it’s important, how to get enough and what to eat, we’re not going to prioritise eating it right? Please share this article to help your family and friends boost their knowledge fibre.
Tips To Boost Your Fibre Intake
Choose higher-fibre cereals → swap cornflakes or Rice Krispies for oats, Weetabix, or a bran-based cereal.
Switch to wholegrains → try brown rice, wholewheat pasta, or wholemeal bread instead of white.
Snack smart → keep a small handful of nuts, roasted chickpeas or some hummus handy instead of biscuits or crisps.
Add seeds to breakfast → sprinkle chia, flax, or pumpkin seeds onto porridge, yoghurt, or smoothies.
Mix in lentils → add red or green lentils to mince-based dishes like Bolognese, shepherd’s pie, or chilli.
Boost your curries → stir in chickpeas, kidney beans, or black beans to make them more filling and fibre-rich.
Power up salads → add a can of mixed beans, lentils, or quinoa for extra bulk and nutrition.
Fruit first → swap one snack a day for a piece of higher-fibre fruit like an apple, pear, or berries.
Don’t peel if you don’t need to → eat the skin on apples, pears, and potatoes for extra fibre.
Double up on veg → add an extra portion of vegetables to dinner, or top sandwiches and wraps with salad.
Add Avocado → If you eat eggs for breakfast, add a side of avocado, or add it to a salad.
Power up your potatoes → Swap white potatoes for sweet potatoes.
Ditch the Rice Cakes → Swap rice cakes for oat cakes.
If you don’t currently eat much fibre, increase your intake slowly so that your body gets time to adjust to eating it and make sure you drink enough water.
The bottom line? Most of us need more fibre in our diets — but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with one or two swaps today, and you’ll be closer to your 30g goal in no time.
If you’d like help making it work for your lifestyle, reach out, I’d love to support you!
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