Four out of five Aussies are not eating enough fibre, a nutrient loaded with health benefits. But make our simple swaps and you’ll be on your way to getting your fill.
With research revealing the extensive health benefits of fibre, it’s time for this humble nutrient to take its place in the limelight.
Apart from being essential for healthy bowel function, fibre can help lower cholesterol, control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. It also helps you stay full for longer.
In fact, if every Australian adult added 4–5g of grain fibre to their daily diet, it could help prevent 126,000 cases of type 2 diabetes and 64,000 cases of heart disease.
Follow these three principles to help reach 30g of fibre a day.
Swap white bread, pasta and rice for wholegrain versions. Check the ingredients list, and look for visible whole grains.
Beans and legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils, are packed with fibre and fill you up, which helps with lasting weight loss.
Unnecessarily removing gluten or wheat from your diet could leave you falling short, as many gluten-free alternatives often contain less fibre.
| IF YOU USUALLY HAVE... | FIBRE | SWAP IT FOR... | FIBRE |
| Blueberry muffin and an orange juice | 3g | Summer berry smoothie bowl | 11g |
| Bacon and egg roll | 2.5g | 2 poached eggs on 2 slices wholegrain toast, plus 1/4 avocado and baby spinach | 9g |
| 2 slices white toast with jam | 2.5g | 2 slices wholegrain toast with 2 teaspoons peanut butter, plus 1 banana | 9.5g |
| Bowl of Corn Flakes with reduced-fat milk | 1g | 2 Weet-Bix with reduced-fat milk and 1 banana | 6g |
| Bowl of Rice Bubbles with reduced-fat milk | 1g | 45g untoasted muesli with reduced-fat milk and 40g berries | 6.5g |
| IF YOU USUALLY HAVE... | FIBRE | SWAP IT FOR... | FIBRE |
| Grilled cheese and tomato on white toast | 1g | Primavera bruschetta | 16g |
| BLT sandwich on white bread | 3g | Chicken and salad sandwich on wholegrain bread | 7g |
| Pesto pasta salad | 3g | Rainbow pasta salad | 8g |
| Takeaway beef burger | 4g | Roast beef and salad wholegrain wrap | 7.5g |
| Ham and cheese toastie on white bread | 3g | 130g reduced-salt baked beans on 2 slices wholegrain toast | 13g |
| IF YOU USUALLY HAVE... | FIBRE | SWAP IT FOR... | FIBRE |
| Chicken schnitzel with mash and salad | 3.5g | Paprika chicken with quinoa, pumpkin and almond salad | 20g |
| 2 slices garlic bread | 3g | 1 cob of corn | 9g |
| 1/2 cup mashed potato | 1.5g | 1 medium (150g) baked potato with skin on | 3.5g |
| Bowl of white pasta with bolognese sauce | 6g | Bowl of wholemeal pasta with bolognese sauce | 11g |
| 1 cup white rice | 1.5g | 1 cup brown rice | 2.5g |
| IF YOU USUALLY HAVE... | FIBRE | SWAP IT FOR... | FIBRE |
| 2 plain sweet biscuits | <1g | 1 Strawberry, mint and honey crispbread | 2.5g |
| 1 slice madeira cake | 1g | 1 apple and 10 almonds | 4.5g |
| 1 packet potato crisps | <1g | 1 cup plain popcorn | 1.5g |
| 1 row chocolate | <1g | 2 Medjool dates | 4.5g |
| 1 row savoury rice crackers | <1g | 1/2 cup carrot sticks with 2 tablespoons hoummos | 4.5g |
