An astonishing ninety per cent of British people don’t eat enough fibre, with most of us not even coming close to the recommended thirty grams per day. Here are some facts about the rough stuff, a guide on how to increase your fibre intake and get to thirty grams three ways!
What is Fibre?
Fibre is a type of complex carbohydrate found in plant cells, it used to be known as ‘roughage’ and it helps us to pass food through our digestive systems. Wholegrain cereals, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds are full of fibre but getting your total up to thirty grams is harder than you might think and fibre can be pretty elusive in modern diets.
Is There Fibre in Oats and Porridge?
Wholegrain cereals like the jumbo oats used in MOMA porridge are high in fibre. In fact, oats contain more soluble fibre than any other grain. Incorporating wholegrain oats and porridge into your diet is therefore a good way to help keep your digestive system healthy.
How Much Fibre do I Need to Eat?
So why should we aim for the magic thirty? Studies have shown that eating thirty grams of fibre daily has wide ranging health benefits that are too good to overlook. There is strong evidence that a good fibre intake reduces the risk of strokes, heart disease, type two diabetes and bowel cancers…oh and it might even help you live longer so it’s definitely worth getting your fill of high fibre foods. So how should I get more fibre?
How Can I Add More Fibre to My Diet?
Start the day with a high fibre breakfast Porridge is fibre rich, our beloved Oats have more soluble fibre than any other grain and also contain Beta-Glucan, a type of soluble fibre that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels, so starting your day with a bowl of porridge is a great way get some fibre in with an impressive five grams per forty gram serving (https://www.momafoods.co.uk/awesome-oats/). The British Heart foundation reckon that porridge is the number one breakfast food too! Try adding some fruit, nuts and seeds to your bowl for an extra fibre boost. You could even try out our new oat drinks, which are made with wholegrain oats and loaded with precious beta-glucan! If it’s a quick slice of toast you opt for some mornings, make sure it’s wholemeal and when it’s a good old fashioned fry up try to add in baked beans or grilled tomatoes to make sure you’re well on your way to your thirty a day.
Keep skins on your fruit and veg We aren’t suggesting you bite into your avocado, but for fruit and veg with edible skin try to eat this part too. As much as thirty-one per cent of the total amount of fibre in a vegetable can be found in its skin so think twice before you peel!
Lentils and beans Adding in lentils, chickpeas or beans to soups, stews and curries is a great way to boost your fibre intake. One hundred grams of cooked lentils contains around seven grams of fibre so can really help you to increase your consumption. The humble baked bean shouldn’t be overlooked though, you’ll find nearly ten grams in half a tin of these fibre rich old favourites, but look for lower sugar and salt options for the healthiest choice.
Fibre packed snacks Snacking on nuts, fruit and dried fruit throughout the day can also help you towards your total. Just three brazil nuts contain one and a half grams of fibre and you’ll find four grams in just two figs. So here’s three ways to eat thirty grams of fibre with our high fibre meal plan
An Example High-Fibre Meal Plan From MOMA
Below we have laid out three examples of how you can incorporate high-fibre ingredients into your day, featuring plenty of nuts, pulses, fruit and vegetables as well as nutritious and fibre-rich MOMA porridge oats.
Day One
Breakfast: Raspberry, Chia & Pumpkin Seed topped with a handful of juicy blueberries https://www.momafoods.co.uk/products/raspberry-pumpkin-chia (6.2 grams)
Snack: Three brazil nuts (1.2 grams) Lunch: Jacket Potato with baked beans (13 grams)
Snack: Energy balls made with peanut butter and dates https://www.momafoods.co.uk/make-energy-balls-home/ (2 grams)
Dinner: Spinach, sweet potato and lentil dhal with brown rice. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spinach-sweet-potato-lentil-dhal (12.8 grams)
Total: 35.2 grams
Day Two
Breakfast: MOMA Coconut & Chia Instant Porridge Sachet topped with sliced banana https://shop.momafoods.co.uk/products/coconut-chia-instant-porridge-sachets (6.5 grams)
Snack : Three dried apricots (2.1 grams)
Lunch: Tahini lentils https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/veggie-tahini-lentils (10 grams)
Snack: Oat Smoothie https://www.momafoods.co.uk/blogs/blog/best-gluten-free-healthy-breakfast-recipes (5.5 grams)
Dinner: Bean chilli with sweet potato https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/veggie-chilli/ (12.9)
Total: 37 grams
Day Three
Breakfast: MOMA Almond Butter and Salted Caramel Instant Porridge Sachet with a sprinkling of mixed seeds and grated apple https://shop.momafoods.co.uk/products/almond-butter-salted-caramel-porridge-pot (7.5 grams)
Snacks: Two Figs (3 grams)
Lunch: MOMA vegan mac n’ cheese with wholewheat pasta (8 grams)
Snack: Almond oat bars https://www.momafoods.co.uk/best-gluten-free-healthy-breakfast-recipes/ (1.2 grams)
Dinner: Jungle curry with wholewheat noodles https://thehappypear.ie/recipes/daves-jungle-curry/ (11 grams)
Total: 30.7 grams
Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46827426 https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/nutrition-diet/fibre https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peeling-fruits-veggies#section1 https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/breakfast-cereals-ranked-best-to-worst https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet/).
