If I had to pick one nutrient I wish more people paid attention to, it’s fibre. This important nutrient has huge benefits for our health, yet 91% of UK adults aren’t meeting the recommended intake of 30 grams a day. Instead, average intakes sit at about 19 grams a day.
Why do we need fibre anyway?
Fibre is a big deal for your health. Some types of fibre add bulk to your poo, helping to prevent constipation. Others help keep your poo soft, making it easier to pass. Fibre acts as food for your gut microbes, and can help increase the number of beneficial microbes residing in your gut. And when your microbes break down fibre, they produce substances called short chain fatty acids, which help maintain a healthy gut environment.
Fibre also benefits long term health. There’s strong evidence that a high-fibre diet (30 grams +) can lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes & bowel cancer. High-fibre foods can also help you feel fuller longer, which may play a role in maintaining a healthy body weight.
Where do we find fibre?
Fibre is found in fruits and vegetables, wholegrains like porridge oats and wholemeal pasta, nuts, seeds and pulses - beans, peas and lentils.
Do fruits and vegetables give us enough fibre?
One common myth is that you don’t need to eat grains because you can get enough fibre from eating lots of fruit and vegetables. But research suggests this isn’t true.
A study from the British Nutrition Foundation explored how much fibre you’d get from eating five portions of the most commonly eaten fruits and vegetables in the UK, including:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Oranges
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Peas
- Tomatoes
Researchers found that eating five a day (two fruits and three vegetables) from this list provided just 9.8 grams of fibre—far below the daily 30-gram target.
You could boost this number by choosing the highest fibre fruits and vegetables (dried fruit, peas and raspberries are great examples) or by eating larger portions. But here’s the thing—many of the health benefits linked to high-fibre diets specifically relate to the fibre found in wholegrains. This is particularly true for reducing the risk of bowel cancer and heart disease. So, by skipping grains, you could be missing out on important protective benefits.
What’s a wholegrain again?
Grains are the seeds of cereal plants, like wheat and rye. Each seed is made up of three parts:
- The bran – the fibre-rich outer layer
- The endosperm – the starchy middle part containing carbohydrate and some protein
- The germ – the core, which contains some healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals
Wholegrains, like oats and wholemeal bread, contain all three parts of the grain in their original amounts. This means they contain more fibre, vitamins and minerals than refined grains, like white bread and white flour.
So wholegrains and fruit and veg for fibre?
Yes! The same study also looked at how to reach 30 grams of fibre a day as part of a balanced diet. They found a simple formula:
- Aim for 5–8 portions of fruit and vegetables daily
- Include wholegrains in two of your meals (e.g. porridge oats for breakfast and wholemeal spaghetti for dinner)
- Snack on fibre-rich foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruit
Need some wholegrain meal ideas? Try these:
What if I’m following a low FODMAP diet?
Getting enough wholegrains can be challenging if you’re following a low FODMAP diet, as many grains are high in FODMAPs. Try these options instead:
- Buckwheat (kernals, flour or as soba noodles)
- Popcorn
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Brown and wild rice
- Wheat (wholemeal bread - one slice is a low FODMAP serving
TL;DR? Include grains—mostly wholegrain!
Eating fruit and vegetables alone won’t get you to the recommended 30 grams of fibre a day. Plus the fibre in wholegrain foods like wholewheat bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals offer unique benefits that support your long-term health.
The takeaway? Wholegrains matter, and the myth that fruit and veg alone are enough for fibre has been busted. So, as well as your fruit and veg, include grain foods like bread, cereal, or pasta in your main meals—making at least two of them wholegrain choices.
Read more from our fact v fiction series
The truth behind 7 common bloating claims
Ultra-processed foods: Are they really harmful
Glucose spikes and gut health - what you need to know
Sources
NDNS: results from years 9 to 11 (combined) – statistical summary. Public Health England. (2020). Link.
Fibre intake for optimal health: how can healthcare professionals support people to reach dietary recommendations? The BMJ. (2022). Link.
30g of fibre a day: An achievable recommendation? Nutrition Bulletin. (2015) Link.
Why whole grains are protective: biological mechanisms. PubMed. Link.
Fibre intake for optimal health: how can healthcare professionals support people to reach dietary recommendations? The BMJ. (2022). Link.
