09 Apr Make fibre your friend
Did you know that only 70% of Australian adults and 50% of Australian children do not get enough fibre a day? Fibre not only helps you to feel fuller for longer but also helps you to manage and maintain a healthy weight. It really is time Australian’s made fibre their friend.
How much fibre do you need a day?
To keep your body working like a well-oiled machine it is recommended women have 25g of fibre a day and men have 30g of fibre a day.
Tips to make sure you are getting enough fibre:
- Read the food label.
- Aim to select foods that have 3-6g of fibre per serve.
The good news is the South Australian Gourmet Food Company Fruit Pouches have a minimum of 10g of fibre per serving!
Eat the whole grain not the refined stuff:
This means for most adults over the age of 18 and under 50 years to eat 6 servings of whole grains a day, try replacing white and refined bread, rice and pasta for multigrain bread and brown rice or pasta.
Substitute a meat dish for legumes.
Legumes/beans like kidney beans (yes baked beans count), chickpeas and lentils are not only fantastic for your gut but eating less meat, especially red and processed meat can reduce your risk of cancers like colorectal cancer.
Get your 2 and 5.
Roughly 4% of people are eating the recommended 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables daily. This is a big red light contributing to the risk of lifestyle diseases like type two diabetes and cancer because fibre consumption is so low. Keeping the skin on fruits and vegetables increases the amount of insoluble fibre your body receives as well as adding some extra crunch and flavour. Try bringing a banana to work instead of choosing the banana bread, adding some fruit to some low-fat yoghurt as a snack or dessert, mixing in vegetables to pasta dishes or rissoles (yes you can hide them if it means you eat them) or choosing more vegetables to add to your sandwich.
Go nuts for nuts and seeds!
30g of nuts and/or seeds, which is about a small handful, is a great source of many healthy vitamins and minerals for your body, including healthy fats, protein, and fibre to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Research which supports eating a small handful a day of nuts and seeds to help decrease the size of your waistline. Try the unsalted variety to help your blood pressure but any nut is a good nut!
Take-Home Message:
Getting 25g of fibre a day for women or 30g a day for men is manageable by selecting a variety of whole foods. As part of a balanced diet selecting one of the three delicious fruit custard pouches by The South Australian Gourmet Food Company is also an easy way to achieve your fibre goals. Fibre will keep your insides happy and keep your body running like a well-oiled machine. It’s time to make fibre your friend.
Ashleigh Feltham (MNutrDiet)
Feed Your Future Dietetics
Accredited Practising Dietitian | Accredited Nutritionist