Fibre

Dietary fibre is a nutrient your body needs to function properly, especially for bowel health. Wholegrains, fruit and vegetables as well as legumes provide your body with the fibre it needs, but it can sometimes be difficult to make sure you’re eating enough.

What's a reasonable amount?
Adults should aim for 25-30g of fibre daily.
Children aged between four and eight need a minimum of 18g of fibre each day.

Fibre is found in a variety of foods including:

• wholegrain breads such as mixed grain, rye, sour dough and 
• wholemeal cereals like oats, bulgur wheat, pearl barley and brown rice
• fruit and  vegetables,
• legumes and pulses such as lentils and chickpeas.
  

This example shows how an adult can meet the required daily fibre needs:

• 3/4 cup bran flake cereal = 4.5g
• 2 slices wholemeal bread = 4.5g
• 1 apple and 1 orange = 5.5g
• 2 cups mixed raw vegetables = 10g
• 1/4 cup baked beans = 3g

Total = 27.5g

Healthy heart tip
Suddenly consuming large amounts of fibre can produce an embarrassing but common side-effect – flatulence, also known as wind. To help prevent this problem, increase your intake slowly to allow your body to adapt. Beans, in particular, have a reputation for causing wind, especially those cooked from dried legumes. To stop them causing flatulence, soak them overnight before cooking them in fresh water.