Fibre is the new protein: everywhere you look in the media, there’s a call to feed the gut (as it happens your gut microbes eat first, converting fibre into fuel for your cells). We don’t nearly eat enough fibre, generally short of the recommended 30 g a day by almost a half.
Fibre is all goodness, not just responsible for you-know-what. It lowers cholesterol, the risk of diabetes and heart disease plus it really does work miracles in weight management (from experience).
And it’s not all only lentils and beans, if you take a look at the collection below. You can boost fibre content of breakfast, salads and mains, and even sweets. You need to take no supplements, and in fact you shouldn’t as everything is better absorbed from natural foods.
Start with breakfast: homemade granola is not only healthier but also much cheaper than decent quality, sensibly sweetened brands. It’s the easiest thing, with just the fruit and seed mix you like. And good amount of fibre is in every single ingredient!
Then turn your granola into bars, healthy and delicious. They are high protein, high fibre snacks, like a flapjack or granola bar in a savoury version. Very easy and super versatile: try baking a batch for filling and guilt-free treats.
Savoury oat and seed bars
RECIPE
Both edamame beans and spelt are worth attention for their fibre content, with avocado, egg and sauerkraut. And this recipe is also rich in protein that will keep you full until dinner. It’s an easy meal-prep, endlessly adaptable and ready in minutes.
Spelt and edamame power bowl
RECIPE
I know: avocado really doesn’t look like lots of fibre, does it? But then coffee also contains fibre so what do you know? This avocado and red kidney bean salad with crispy garlic and crunchy seed and nut topping is fit for fibremaxxing, while the garlic and seed topping alone make this recipe worth trying!
Avocado and red bean salad
RECIPE
For gut heaven, you should eat tabbouleh, the classic Levantine salad which is a mix of herbs, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and soaked bulgur wheat. It’s dressed with olive oil and seasoned with Baharat. It’s delicious and healthy, and super easy to prepare.
We now get to lentils because they are deservedly hailed as Fibre Central. Lentil and mushroom bake with red peppers and a little spinach for vibrant colour is a marvellous plant-based dish. Lentils are cooked from scratch but no soaking is required for this recipe.
Lentils with mushrooms and spinach
RECIPE
You can boost fibre in meat dishes too, if you combine it with lots of fibre-rich plants. Crispy pork mince, kidney beans and Romaine lettuce salad with mixed toasted seeds is precisely that. Plus caramelised pork crumbs are the best thing since crispy bacon!
Another way of upping fibre in your meat course: turkey schnitzels coated in dukkah breadcrumbs. They are an exciting and flavoursome version of the old comfort staple: crunchy and crisp, but with delightful, fragrant seasoning. Make up a big jar of dukkah to keep in the pantry and sprinkle on everything for a flavour and fibre boost.
Turkey schnitzel in dukkah
RECIPE
How to make your lunchtime sandwich fibre-rich? Bake a loaf of seeded light rye bread with linseed, sunflower and pumpkin. This mixed rye and wheat loaf is leavened with yeast and tastes a little like a blonde pumpernickel. It's easy to bake and best sliced the day after baking.
Fancy a sweet treat? No problem: these homemade cereal bars are made with oats and plenty of dried fruit and seeds (that’s triple fibre). And you might not know that fibre actually partly offsets the sugar content in foods which is why dried fruit is quite a healthy snack.
Oats and dried fruit bars
RECIPE
Bonus recipe: roasted seed and nut mix toasted in a warm oven. Salty and crunchy clusters of seeds and nuts are an excellent fibre top-up to salads, sandwiches and soups. Or you can nibble them on their own!