Dietary fibre is found in plant foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and grains. Whole grain breads, cereals, brown rice, and pasta are high fibre choices when they are made with whole grain flour. If the food label does not say whole grain, you may be consuming brown colouring without any additional fibre. Beans and other legumes are excellent and inexpensive sources of fibre.
Read the label on the food package to find out how much fibre a serving of the food will provide. Foods containing more than 4 grams per serving are considered high in fibre. Your daily intake of fibre should be 30 to 40 grams. Most people eat only 10 to 12 grams each day. When increasing the fibre in your diet, it is best to do so slowly. Start with small changes, like buying whole grain bread, and add a new source of fibre each week or two. Gas or bloating may occur initially, but the body will adjust in time. The benefits of fibre far outweigh any initial discomfort to people who increase the amount of fibre in their diet to the appropriate level.
One serving of a high fibre cereal can provide a jump-start in meeting nearly half of the daily goal of 30 grams of fibre. Adding fresh fruit or mixing several whole grain cereals together can make these cereals even tastier. Fibre supplements can help, but do not use them to replace real foods.
MAKE YOUR DIET HIGH IN FIBRE BY:
- making high fibre food choices
- eating foods closest to their natural state, like an orange instead of orange juice
- substituting beans for meat and cheese
- choosing fruit for dessert instead of pastries or ice cream
