The majority of us need to consume more fibre and less added sugar in our diets. Consuming a lot of fibre is linked to a lower risk of colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
According to government recommendations, as part of a healthy, balanced diet, we should raise our daily consumption of dietary fibre to 30g. We need to figure out ways to increase our consumption as the majority of folks only consume 20g per day on average.
Children don’t need as much fibre in their diet as older teenagers and adults, but they still need more than they get currently:
- 2 to 5 year-olds: need about 15g of fibre a day
- 5 to 11 year-olds: need about 20g
- 11 to 16 year-olds: need about 25g
On average, children aged 11 to 18 are getting 16g a day. Encouraging them to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and starchy foods (choosing wholegrain versions and potatoes with the skins on where possible) can help to ensure they are eating enough fibre.
Why is fibre important for our diets?
Strong evidence supports the notion that eating a diet high in fibre, or “roughage,” lowers the risk of colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
In addition to helping us feel fuller, fiber-rich foods can aid in digestion and ward off constipation.
Tips to increase your fibre intake
It’s important to get fibre from a variety of sources, as eating too much of one type of food may not provide you with a healthy balanced diet.
To increase your fibre intake you could:
- Choose a higher-fibre breakfast cereal such as plain wholewheat biscuits (like Weetabix) or plain shredded whole grain (like Shredded wheat), or porridge as oats are also a good source of fibre.
- Go for wholemeal or granary breads, or higher fibre white bread, and choose wholegrains like wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat or brown rice.
- Go for potatoes with their skins on, such as a baked potato or boiled new potatoes. Find out more about starchy foods and carbohydrates.
- Add pulses like beans, lentils or chickpeas to stews, curries and salads.
- Include plenty of vegetables with meals, either as a side dish or added to sauces, stews or curries. Find out more about how to get your 5 A Day.
- Have some fresh or dried fruit, or fruit canned in natural juice for dessert. Because dried fruit is sticky, it can increase the risk of tooth decay, so it’s better if it is only eaten as part of a meal, rather than as a between-meal snack.
- For snacks, try fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes and unsalted nuts or seeds.
Introducing Forever Fiber
Any healthy, balanced diet must include fibre, and Forever Fibre makes it simple for you to increase your daily intake. The handy sachets include a powder with a moderate flavour that dissolves quickly and can easily add 5g of fibre, or the equivalent of nearly two pieces of whole wheat toast, to any beverage.
Effortlessly add additional fibre to your daily intake.
• Quick dissolving
• Mild, grit-free taste
• Vegetarian and vegan friendly
• Gluten-free
INGREDIENTS LIST:
Acacia gum, soluble corn fibre, soluble corn dextrin, fructooligosaccharides.