10 easy ways to increase your daily fibre intake with Wellbeing Nutrition

Incorporating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, while gradually increasing intake and hydration, can enhance fibre consumption.

Fibre is one of the overlooked parts of a healthy diet. It promotes normal digestion, bowel regularity and gut health and is a good addition to daily meals. However, it can be difficult for many to consume sufficient fibre. A diet based on refined grains and processed foods and low in fruits and vegetables may make it challenging to meet daily nutrient goals.

Adequate fibre intake is crucial for digestion and health, with adults needing 25-30g daily. Small, consistent dietary changes, such as adding whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, can increase fibre levels and support overall wellbeing.

Making small, regular additions to your meals can make a big difference. Here are 10 simple steps to increase your daily fibre intake.

How much fibre do you need?

The recommended fibre intake for most adults is 25–30g per day, although this may differ depending on the person.

Fibre is naturally found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds. It can be generally classified into two types.

Soluble fibre is water-soluble and is present in foods like oats, beans, apples and citrus fruits. Insoluble fibre increases bulk of the stool and assists in moving food through the digestive system. Whole grains, vegetables, nuts and seeds are good sources. Most plant foods are a mixture of both types.

1. Start with a high-fibre breakfast

Breakfast is a simple way to get more fibre into your diet. Use oats, whole-grain bread, fruit, nuts and seeds instead of relying on refined cereals, white bread or pastries.

For instance, a breakfast of oats with banana, apple, chia seeds or flaxseeds offers multiple sources of fibre in a single meal.

You can also add vegetables to eggs, poha or other savoury breakfast dishes.

2. Choose whole grains more often

Another easy way to boost fibre is to substitute some refined grains for whole grains.

Brown rice, whole-wheat roti, oats, barley and millets have more of the natural components of the grain compared with the refined versions.

It is not necessary to completely avoid white rice or refined grains. First, try swapping some of the servings for whole grains and then build up the amount of whole grain servings.

3. Add vegetables to every main meal

Vegetables are rich in fibre, as well as vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds that benefit the body.

Add carrots, peas, broccoli, beans, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and sweet potatoes to your meals.

4. Make whole fruit a daily snack

Whole fruits are a convenient source of fibre and are a good snack choice over many processed options.

Apples, pears, oranges, guava and bananas are convenient options.

Whenever possible, opt for whole fruit rather than fruit juice. The fibre content in juice is much lower, as a lot of the fibre is lost during the juice extraction process.

If the skin is edible, like apples and pears, it can add fibre to the fruit.

5. Include pulses and legumes regularly

There are plenty of foods in Indian cuisine that are rich in fibre. All types of dal, chickpeas, rajma, black chana and peas can help you get your daily dose of fibre.

Eat dal at lunch, add channa to salads and include dal or channa in your weekly menu.

Legumes are also a source of plant protein and can be incorporated into a healthy diet.

6. Add nuts and seeds

Fibre can be added to relatively small amounts of food by chia seeds, flaxseeds, almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Mix seeds with oats or yoghurt, add to smoothies or eat as a snack with a little of nuts.

Also, nuts and seeds are calorie dense, so it is important to serve them in moderation.

7. Make your snacks more fibre-friendly

Snacking is another opportunity to increase your fibre intake.

Try options such as:

• Fruit and a few nuts
• Roasted chickpeas
• Vegetable sticks filled with hummus
• Yoghurt, fruit and seeds.
• Sprouts or bean salad

It's not a matter of having to remove all packaged snacks. Just increase the amount of fibre in the diet throughout the day.

8. Read the nutrition label

Products may appear the same but have different fibre content.

When purchasing bread, cereals, crackers or snack bars, read the nutrition label and compare the amount of fibre per serving.

Avoid just using terms like “multigrain” or “healthy.” An examination of the actual nutritional information will help you understand what the product provides to your diet.

9. Increase fibre gradually

A sudden increase in fibre in your diet may lead to bloating, gas or discomfort in the abdomen if your diet is low in fibre.

Fibre for gut health should be added slowly. It is also important to drink plenty of liquids, since fibre combines with water in the digestive tract.

10. Consider fibre supplements when needed

Your fibre intake should be based on food, in general. But for some, it's hard to achieve a daily goal in their diet.

In such cases, fibre supplements can provide a way to add specific types of fibre to your routine. Wellbeing Nutrition offers products with prebiotic fibres that are intended to support a regular diet .

If you are a person who is looking for fibre for digestion, the key is to know the type and quantity of fibre that's being offered and how it fits into your overall diet.

A supplement should complement fibre-rich foods rather than replace fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

What does a high-fibre day look like?

It's not about eating all the fibre at once. One possible daily routine is:

Breakfast: Oats, banana, chia seeds and nuts

Snack: Apple or guava

Lunch: Whole wheat roti, dal, vegetables and salad

Evening: Roasted chickpeas or fruit and nuts

Dinner: Brown rice/millet, beans and vegetables

This creates opportunities to consume fibre throughout the day without making meals complicated.

The bottom line

Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds regularly is the key to getting enough fibre, not just by adding one “superfood”.

Start small. Incorporate fruit into breakfast, include vegetables with every meal, substitute some of the refined grains with whole grain foods, and switch to foods that are higher in fibre as snacks.

Supplements may be useful if you're not getting enough fibre from food. In either case, add fibre slowly, increase fluids and incorporate it into a healthy diet on a daily basis.

Note to the Reader: This article is part of Hindustan Times' paid consumer connect initiative and is independently created by the brand. Hindustan Times assumes no editorial responsibility for the content.

The information does not constitute medical/health advice. Readers are strongly advised to consult a registered medical practitioner.