Why bother with fibre?
Eating fibre rich foods boost digestive health - cereal fibres are the most effective way to increase bulk in the digestive tract and helping to avoid constipation.
Eating high fibre cereals can help to combat fatigue and enhance mood
Some experts believe that fibre can help manage weight by adding bulk to the diet 
Remember if you increase your fibre intake you should drink more fluids.
 
The goodness of grains
Grains are the edible seeds of plants. The definition of wholegrain is used to describe foods which contain all the parts of the natural grain.
Wholegrains like wheat, oats, rye and barley, are made up of three layers:
The Endosperm (a central starchy part, this makes up about 80% of the grain)
The Bran (a fibre rich outside layer)
The Germ (a nutrient packed core area, containing unsaturated fats,B vitamins and vitamin E)
The extent to which the whole grain is used varies with different foods and will affect the fibre content of the final food. Fibre is the name given to a group of materials found in the cell walls of plants which give the plant its structure and form. Fibre is not digested in the way most food components are but it does play a vital role in keeping us healthy.
The greatest quantities of fibre are found in foods such as wheat and other cereals, vegetables, beans, lentils, fruit and nuts. Grains are a good source of carbohydrate, fibre, protein and contain a range of vital vitamins and minerals.
While wholegrains include the fibre part of the grain,  wholegrain foods may not be necessarily high in fibre. Check the labels-  foods with 3g fibre/100g are a “source of fibre” and foods with 6g/100g are a “high fibre food”.
 
 

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