Fibre, the nutrient most people forget to track
Most Australians eat less fibre than recommended. It keeps you full on fewer calories and is linked to lower risk of several chronic diseases. Here's how to get enough.
Protein gets the attention. Fibre does a lot of the quiet work, especially when you’re trying to eat less without feeling hungry all the time.
How much do you need?
Australia’s Nutrient Reference Values set an adequate intake of 25 g a day for women and 30 g for men. They also set a higher suggested target for reducing chronic disease risk: 28 g for women and 38 g for men.
Most adults don’t get there.
Why it’s worth the effort
A large set of reviews published in The Lancet in 2019 pooled data from prospective studies and clinical trials. People who ate the most fibre had lower rates of death from all causes, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer than those who ate the least. The biggest benefits appeared at around 25 to 29 g a day, and the data suggested more could be better still.
For body composition, fibre helps in practical ways:
- It keeps you full. High fibre foods are usually bulky and slow to digest, so you get more food for your calories.
- It steadies energy. Fibre slows how quickly carbs hit your bloodstream.
- It keeps you regular. Which matters more than people admit when they change their diet.
Where to find it
Approximate fibre per serve:
| Food | Serve | Fibre |
|---|---|---|
| Rolled oats | 40 g dry | about 4 g |
| Wholemeal bread | 2 slices | about 4 to 5 g |
| Lentils or chickpeas | 1 cup cooked | about 10 to 12 g |
| Baked beans | 1 cup | about 10 g |
| Apple or pear | 1 medium, skin on | about 4 g |
| Broccoli | 1 cup | about 3 to 4 g |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | about 8 g |
| Chia seeds | 1 tablespoon | about 4 g |
| Almonds | 30 g | about 3 g |
A day like oats with berries and chia for breakfast, a wholemeal sandwich with salad at lunch, an apple, and a dinner with lentils or a big serve of vegetables gets you well past 30 g without trying very hard.
Go slowly
If you currently eat very little fibre, jumping to 40 g tomorrow can mean bloating and wind. Add a little each week, and drink more water as you go, because fibre works best with enough fluid.
Simple swaps
- White bread to wholemeal or wholegrain
- White rice to brown rice, or half and half
- Juice to whole fruit
- Add a tin of drained lentils or beans to mince, curries and soups
- Leave the skin on potatoes, apples and pears
Logpulse meal plans lean on oats, legumes, wholegrains, fruit and vegetables for exactly this reason: they make a calorie target easier to live with.
This is general information drawn from published research, not personal medical or dietary advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating, speak to your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian first. For support with eating concerns, the Butterfly Foundation helpline is 1800 33 4673.
Sources
- National Health and Medical Research Council. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Dietary fibre. Updated 2017.
- 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. The Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434 to 445.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australian Food Composition Database.