From digestive health to weight loss, this is why you should be eating more fibre — and the foods that will help you do it.
Fibre’s a bit of a buzzword right now. Since we predicted it as a key food trend for 2025, it’s been popping up everywhere — and for good reason.
For those keeping an eye on their diet and nutrition, it’s common to focus on things like calorie intake and proteins levels, but according to the experts, fibre is an underrated food group we should be paying attention to.
So, why is high fibre so important?
Fibre is vital for digestion and overall gut health. Steve Bennett, author of several health books, including The Primal Cure and The Fibre First Diet, calls it the body’s ‘broom’, because it ‘sweeps through your intestines to clean out old waste and debris’.
It also acts as food for the trillions of beneficial bacteria in your gut — microbes that play a key role in everything from immune function to mental wellbeing.
Then there’s blood sugar. Fibre helps slow down the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, helping to prevent sudden glucose spikes.
“When you eat carbohydrates without fibre, they convert quickly to sugar, causing insulin surges that lead to energy crashes and fat storage,” explains Steve. “Adding fibre first reduces insulin production, which helps maintain stable energy levels and promotes a healthy metabolism.”
A fibre-first diet can also be beneficial for weight management — as Gemma Collins revealed to L360 last year after dropping two dress sizes. It naturally reduces hunger and moderates insulin levels, which means fewer cravings and less snacking. “This is crucial, because burning body fat for fuel is the only way you can lose weight,” explains Steve.
A high-fibre diet has also been shown to help improve markers for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, with some studies even suggest it could reduce the risk of colon cancer, heart disease and overall mortality.
Convinced? So are we. But how much fibre do we actually need to consume to reap these benefits?
How much fibre should we be eating per day?
According to Kerry Beeson, a nutritional therapist at Prep Kitchen, the recommended daily intake is around 30-35g for men and 25-32g for women. But most people in Western countries are only getting about 18g a day — so there’s definitely room for improvement.
Read more: Three fibre-filled recipes for ultimate weeknight nutrition
Easy ways to eat more fibre
The good news is it doesn’t have to be complicated. Steve recommends starting each meal with a fibre-rich salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar. “This creates a protective barrier in the stomach, which can reduce the blood sugar impact of your main course,” he says.
Next, eat your vegetables first, then protein, and leave starchy elements, like pasta or rice, until last. “Eating in this order can reduce both hunger and blood sugar spikes post-meal,” Steve explains.
Another tip: try a fibre-filled snack about 30 minutes before your main meal. It not only helps you get your fibre in, but also naturally curbs how much you eat and lowers the overall sugar impact of your meal.
Read more: 10 foods that have a ‘similar effect as Ozempic’ for weight loss
Fibre-rich foods to focus on
If you’re intimidated by the prospect of upending your entire meal routine, fear not — you can always start small by incorporating fibre-rich foods into your diet wherever you can.
Here are some examples of foods containing a high proportion of fibre:
- Whole grains, like oats, brown rice, wholewheat pasta and quinoa
- Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils and chickpeas
- Fruits like pears, apples, strawberries, raspberries, bananas and avocados
- Vegetables like carrots, beetroot, broccoli, beans, artichokes, brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes
- Nuts and seeds like walnuts, almonds and chia seeds
Feature image: Freepik
