TIPS TO INCREASE FIBRE IN YOUR DIET
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Do you know your average daily fibre intake? If you do not know, keep a 3-day record of daily fibre intake. How do you fare against the recommended guidelines? The
recommended fibre intake for adults 50 years and younger is 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men. (As a result of decreased food consumption in people over 50 years of age, an intake of 21 and 30 grams of fibre per day, respectively, is recommended). If your intake is low, how can you change your diet to increase your daily fibre intake?
- Eat more vegetables, either raw or steamed
- Eat salads daily that include a wide variety of vegetables
- Eat more fruit, including the skin
- Choose whole-wheat and whole-grain products
- Choose breakfast cereals with more than 3 grams of fibre per serving
- Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of unprocessed bran or 100 percent bran cereal on your favorite breakfast cereal
- Add high-fibre cereals to casseroles and desserts
- Add beans to soups, salads, and stews
- Add vegetables to sandwiches: sprouts, green and red pepper strips, diced carrots, sliced cucumbers, red cabbage, onions
- Add vegetables to spaghetti: broccoli, cauliflower, sliced carrots, mushrooms
- Experiment with unfamiliar fruits and vegetables — collards, kale, asparagus, papaya, mango, kiwi, starfruit
- Blend fruit juice with small pieces of fruit and crushed ice
- When increasing fibre in your diet, drink plenty of fluids
