Are You Eating Enough Dietary Fibre Foods?
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Post by RightEatingHabits.com – Are you getting your fill of dietary fibre foods? Having sufficient dietary fibre is so essential for improving your blood sugar levels, lowering your cholesterol and keeping your weight under control, and diseases such as diabetes at bay. Check this food list and see if you have included some, if not all of these fibre-rich foods in your daily meals. If you did not, start adding more dietary fibre foods to your diet today.
According to the Mayo Clinic, women should aim for at least 21 to 25 grams of dietary fibre a day, while men should have at least 30 to 38 grams a day. To get 25 grams of dietary fibre, you could munch a medium-sized apple (with skin), eat two medium-sized bananas and finish up one cup of boiled lentils for dinner. Add a good serving size of cooked whole wheat spaghetti with tomato sauce will add another 9 grams of dietary fibre. So it isn’t too difficult to top up your daily dietary fibre intake.
Foods high in soluble dietary fibre:
- Oats, barley, oat bran, psyllium husk
- Legumes – peas, beans, lentils
- Fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas, pears, raspberries and strawberries
- Vegetables such as carrots, celery and winter squash
- Seeds and nuts like sunflower seeds, flax seeds and sesame seeds.
Foods high in insoluble dietary fibre:
- Brown rice, whole wheat, wheat bran, whole grains
- Seeds and nuts like almonds
- Many kinds of vegetables including dark leafy vegetables, brocoli, carrots, celery, cabbage and tomatoes
- Legumes – lentils, chickpeas and broad beans
What is soluble fibre?
Eating more soluble fibre can slow down digestion and make you feel full longer so you are less likely to overeat and gain excess weight.
Soluble fibre dissolves in water and turns into a jelly-like substance that slows down your digestion and help lower your blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
What is insoluble fibre?
Insoluble fibre adds bulk to stools, enabling digested foods to pass through the stomach and intestines smoothly. Eating more insoluble fibre can improve your bowel health and normalise your bowel movements.
Adding more dietary fibre foods to your diet is not too difficult. Just bear in mind to eat more whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, and vegetables. An extra helping of fruits and vegetables and substituting processed grains with whole grains can go a long way in making you feel healthier and younger!
If you really need a mid-afternoon snack and don’t fancy munching a green apple, go for high-fibre snacks like the Essential Fiber Crispbreads by Orgran. 
© Teresa Cheong, RightEatingHabits.com
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