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Facts on fibre

Fibre is an essential component of a healthy diet. The health benefits of fibre include:

Reduced risk of heart disease

Prevention of diabetes

Helps limit weight gain

Improves digestive health

May help

Fibre is often overlooked in our diet. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone say “oh, I’ve not had much fibre today, I might have vegetables with dinner”! You should aim to eat 18 g of fibre a day, which is likely to mean absolutely nothing to you. To help you out, here are some simple facts and guidelines to ensure you are eating a sufficient amount of fibre each day:

Only foods that come from plants contain fibre

There are two types of fibre you need to include in your diet (soluble & insoluble)

Foods containing soluble fibre include:

Oats

Rye

Bananas

Apples

Pears

Strawberries

Carrots

Potatoes

Citrus fruits

Legumes

Linseed

Foods containing insoluble fibre include:

Wholemeal flour, pasta

Wholegrain cereal, bread

Beans

Brown rice

Lentils

Pulses

Wheat bran

Nuts & seeds

When reading food labels, ‘High fibre’ foods should contain 6g fibre per 100g or ml and foods labeled as a ‘source’ of fibre should contain 3g fibre per 100g or ml