Getting Enough Fibre



Getting 30-40g per day
Getting the recommended 30 to 40g of fibre per day for adults may help lower your risk for high cholesterol, heart disease and constipation, according to Colorado State University Extension. A study published in the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’ in December 2009 found that increasing your fibre intake may also help you lose weight. It doesn’t have to be hard to get 30g of fibre per day, just replace a few refined foods with high-fibre foods.

 

Basic ideas for Breakfast
Start off your day with a cup of oats, with 4g of fibre, topped with a cup of raspberries, which add another 8g of fibre, for a breakfast with a total of 12g of fibre. Many ready-to-eat breakfast cereals made with whole grains are also high in fibre if you don’t like oats. For instance, bran with some raspberries and chopped pear or apple will get in at least 12-15g of fibre.

 

Lunch Options
Have a salad and a sandwich for a high-fibre lunch. Two slices of multigrain bread will provide about 3-4g of fibre. A 2-cup serving of lettuce adds 2.4g. Top your lettuce with a tomato for another 1-1.5g and 1/2 cup of carrots for an additional 1.6g of fibre. This lunch has a minimum 9g of fibre. The meat and cheese in your sandwich won’t add fibre, but any vegetables you include will increase the fibre.

 

High-Fibre Dinners
A cup of brown rice has 3.5g of fibre. Top it with 1/2 cup of kidney beans for another 5.5g. Serve your rice and beans with a cup of broccoli to increase the fibre of your dinner by 3g, for a total of 12g. If you swap the rice and beans for skinless chicken breast and a medium baked potato, you’ll get 4g of fibre, for a total of 7g if you still eat the broccoli.

 

Snack Solutions
A smoothie made with milk, a banana and a cup of strawberries will have 6.4g of fibre (not too many of these). A pear can add an additional 5.1g of fibre or an apple for 3.3g of fibre. A 3-cup serving of popcorn has 3g of fibre (plain), peaches, nectarines and kiwi fruits all have at least 2g of fibre per 220g.

 

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