Are you eating enough fibre?
Did you know that almost 80% of Irish adults do not eat enough fibre? But most people think that they do!
Did you know that almost 80% of Irish adults do not eat enough fibre? But most people think that they do!
Fibre has lots of benefits for us, in particular helping to keep digestion regular. Not eating enough fibre can causes lots of problems so it is very important that we all eat enough fibre everyday.
Why are so many Irish people missing out on Fibre?
Although we hear a lot about fibre many people have no idea about how much fibre they need everyday. Many people think that one bowl of high-fibre cereal in the morning is enough – but it is not even close! If you are going to get all of the fibre you need, you have to think about (and eat) fibre at every meal.
How much Fibre do we need everyday?
We need 24-35g of fibre everyday. This is the amount needed to see the best benefits as well as to keep digestion regular. The average person in Ireland eats less than 14g of fibre per day!
Look at the table below to see the amount of fibre in many foods – and then see what you need to do to make sure you are getting enough.
Food Fibre | You need 24-25g per day
|
| 1 slice wholegrain bread 2g | 2g |
| Bowl of porridge | 3g |
| Cornflake-type cereal | 0.5g |
| Muesli | 4g |
| 1 piece of fruit | 2g |
| 1 serving of vegetables | 2g |
| 1 dessertspoon of milled seeds | 4g |
| 1 dessertspoon of sunflower seeds | 3g |
| 1 baked potato eaten with the skins | 3g |
| 200g cooked chickpeas | 9g |
| 1/2 tin baked beans | 7.5g |
| 200g cooked kidney beans | 9g |
| 1 tablespoon dried lentils | 1.5g |
| 1 serving of brown rice | 2g |
| 1 serving of white rice | 0.5g |
| 1 tablespoon nuts | 1.5g |
| 3 dried prunes | 1.5g |
How can I add more fibre?
- You need to think about fibre at every meal
- Make sure you get your ‘5-a-day’ from fruit and vegetables – this will give you about 10g of fibre
- Go for a high fibre cereal for breakfast – check the labels and look for cereals with ‘6g of fibre or more per 100g of cereal’
- Add more beans – beans on toast, bean salads, chili-con-carne with kidney beans.
- Add lentils to soups, stews and casseroles. Try adding a handful of red lentils to Bolognese
- Go for brown rice, brown pasta and baked potatoes (and remember to eat the skins!).
- Make sure half of your plate at lunch and dinner comes from vegetables or salad.
- Add seeds like sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds to cereals, yoghurt and salads.
- Snack on nuts and dried fruit – go for mixed peanuts and raisins; apricots; brazil nuts and hazelnuts.
Go slowly
If you normally eat very little fibre, then you need to increase your fibre gradually over 2-3 weeks. It will take your bowel about six or eight weeks to get used to the extra fibre. You may find that you have some extra wind, mild cramps and changes in toilet habits until your bowel gets used to the changes.
Remember your water!
When fibre gets into your bowel, it works by soaking up lots of liquid to help keep everything soft and moving well. This means you have to increase the amount of water your drink when you increase your fibre. Aim for 1 ½ to 2 litres per day.
Beeline Fibre Capsules
Fibre is a unique food supplement formulation that contains 4 types of 4 billion naturally occurring bacteria which help support intestinal function. 4 types of fibre which help sustain and increase the levels of good bacteria helping to maintain you natural digestive balance. Vitamin C & B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin C, B6 & D helps support the immune system and 4 types of friendly bacteria which act symbiotically to enhance the functioning of the digestive tract. By acting symbiotically the beneficial effects are greater than each acting alone. Take after completing a course of antibiotics to replenish friendly bacteria.
Free From White Seeded Rolls
SuperValu Free From White Seeded Rolls 4 Pack 300g
Free From Brown Sliced Bread
SuperValu Free From Brown Sliced Loaf 400g
