Fibre

Choosing foods with fibre makes us feel fuller, and a diet rich in fibre can help digestion and prevent constipation.

Tips to increase your fibre intake

It’s important to get fibre from a variety of sources, as eating too much of one type of food may not provide you with a healthy balanced diet.

Consider:

• Higher-fibre breakfast cereal such as plain wholewheat biscuits (like Weetabix) or plain shredded whole grain (like Shredded Wheat), or porridge as oats are also a good source of fibre.
• Wholemeal or granary breads, or higher fibre white bread.
• Wholegrains like wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat or brown rice.
• Potatoes with their skins on, such as a baked potato or boiled new potatoes.
• Adding pulses, beans, lentils or chickpeas to stews, curries and salads.
• Plenty of vegetables with meals, either as a side dish or added to sauces, stews or curries.
• Have some fresh or dried fruit as part of a meal, or fruit canned in natural juice for dessert.
• Snacks – fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes and unsalted nuts or seeds.

Additional information and support

NHS

How to get more fibre into your diet

www.nhs.uk (search ‘fibre’)

British Nutrition Foundation

Information and tips

www.nutrition.org.uk