Fibre
Fibre is the part of plant foods your body can't fully digest. It keeps digestion regular, feeds the helpful bacteria in your gut and helps you feel full on fewer calories.
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Why fibre matters
- Lower disease risk. People who eat 25–29 g of fibre a day have 15–30% lower rates of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer, and live longer, than people who eat the least1.
- Fuller for longer. Fibre adds bulk and slows digestion, which is a big help when you're cutting.
- Regular digestion. Insoluble fibre keeps things moving; soluble fibre softens stools.
- Cholesterol. Soluble fibre, such as the beta-glucan in oats, helps lower LDL cholesterol.
Soluble vs insoluble fibre
| Soluble fibre | Insoluble fibre | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Absorbs water into a gel; slows digestion; helps lower cholesterol | Adds bulk; helps food pass through the gut |
| Found in | Oats, barley, beans, lentils, apples, citrus, chia seeds | Wholemeal bread, bran, brown rice, nuts, vegetable skins |
Most high-fibre foods have both, so you don't need to track them separately. Just eat a variety of plant foods.
How much fibre you need
| Age | Fibre a day |
|---|---|
| 2–5 years | 15 g |
| 5–11 years | 20 g |
| 11–16 years | 25 g |
| 16 and over | 30 g |
Most UK adults eat around 20 g a day, so closing the gap is one of the easiest diet upgrades there is3. Build up over a couple of weeks and drink plenty of water, or you may feel bloated.
Highest-fibre foods
| Food | Per 100 g | Per serving | % daily |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chia seeds | 34 g | 5.1 g1 tbsp (15 g) | 17% |
| Almonds | 12.5 g | 3.8 g30 g handful | 12% |
| Oats, dry | 10 g | 4 g40 g | 13% |
| Lentils, boiled | 7.9 g | 11.8 g150 g | 39% |
| Chickpeas, boiled | 7.6 g | 11.4 g150 g | 38% |
| Wholemeal bread | 7 g | 5.6 g2 slices (80 g) | 19% |
| Avocado | 6.7 g | 4.7 gHalf (70 g) | 16% |
| Raspberries | 6.5 g | 5.2 g80 g handful | 17% |
| Kidney beans, boiled | 6.4 g | 9.6 g150 g | 32% |
| Garden peas, boiled | 5.5 g | 4.4 g80 g | 15% |
| Wholewheat pasta, boiled | 4 g | 7.2 g180 g | 24% |
| Broccoli, boiled | 3.3 g | 2.6 g80 g | 9% |
| Pear, with skin | 3.1 g | 5.3 g1 medium (170 g) | 18% |
| Potato, baked with skin | 2.2 g | 4.4 g1 medium (200 g) | 15% |
| Meal | What you eat | Fibre |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 40 g oats with 80 g raspberries and a spoon of chia | about 14 g |
| Lunch | Wholemeal sandwich (2 slices) with salad, plus a pear | about 12 g |
| Dinner | Chilli with 120 g kidney beans and 80 g peas, with rice | about 12 g |
| Snack | 30 g almonds | about 4 g |
Common myths
MythFruit juice counts as fibre.
FactJuicing strips out most of the fibre. Eat the fruit whole.
MythFibre supplements are as good as fibre from food.
FactThey can help with regularity, but high-fibre foods also bring vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that supplements don't.
MythMore fibre is always better, straight away.
FactA sudden jump can cause bloating and wind. Add a few grams a day each week.
Track this in NutriLog
Hit 30 g of fibre
NutriLog tracks fibre for every food you log or scan, so you can see how close you are to 30 g.
Free to start. Full macro tracking is part of NutriLog Pro.
References
- Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, Winter N, Mete E, Te Morenga L. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434-445. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9
- Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. Carbohydrates and Health. The Stationery Office, 2015.
- NHS. How to get more fibre into your diet. nhs.uk.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
- Public Health England. McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID). GOV.UK, 2021.