We’ve all been given the advice of consuming more fibre, and it’s something we should live by every day as it provides so many benefits for our bodies.
Dietary fibre is an essential ingredient as it promotes a happy and healthy digestive tract by regulating bowel health and re-establishing the good microflora that exists in our intestines. It helps to slow down the movement of food through the body, keeping you fuller for longer and slows the absorption of sugar molecules into the bloodstream, levelling out blood sugar levels and preventing the typical “sugar craving” one can experience. It may also help lower cholesterol levels in the body over time, with regular intake.
Some foods with high fibre include: wholegrain cereals and pasta, wholemeal bread, brown rice, beans, nuts, chia seeds, apples, raspberries, peaches, celery, spinach, kale. Here are some small steps you can implement in your lifestyle to help increase your daily fibre needs and lead a healthier lifestyle!
1. Choosing high fibre food varieties and introducing them in your meals. Bread, pasta and rice have many high fibre options, such as wholemeal pasta and bread, and brown rice. You don’t have to initially replace your carbs completely with these alternatives; slowly mixing in whole meal varieties with your usual carbs will still provide you with more fibre than before.
2. Adding fibrous ingredients into your snacks, such as granola and fruits into yogurt or creating trail nut mixes can definitely boost your fibre intake.
3. Adding vegetables or seeds into your smoothies or juices, such as spinach, kale, chia seed or flax seed. It’s a great way to increase your vegetable count for the day, without compromising the taste of your smoothie. Blend a small handful of spinach to your banana- chocolate smoothie, or in your apple berry juice, you won’t taste it, I promise!
4. SnackProud has a plethora of protein bars and balls, muesli bars and cookies with high fibre content, which you can check out. Even our very own protein bars contain high fibre ingredients such as coconut, dates and seeds which will help you keep fuller for longer.
