Forget all about low-fat, low-carb, gluten-free or any sort of restrictive diets for that matter. You can improve your diet with a very simple element: more fibre!

 

We have all heard that porridge is a healthy breakfast. A recent study confirmed the benefits of this Irish family favourite as scientists, based at the APC Microbiome Institute in Cork, discovered that beta glucan, the fibre found in porridge, could help reduce cholesterol and even body weight. 

 

 

The benefits of porridge have been widely documented in the past few years; it has been proven to make you feel full for longer, and plays a key role in digestion; in reducing our risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

 

Yet, we are not eating enough of it

According to science, adults should aim to eat 30 grams of fibre each day, to enjoy all these benefits - weight loss included. However, a whopping 80 percent of Irish adults are not even reaching 25g a day, which is the European Food Safety Authority recommendation. 

 

How to introduce more fibre into your diet? 

Introducing more fibre into our diet isn’t rocket science. Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. Meat, fish and dairy products don't contain any fibre. To increase your fibre intake, the first thing you can do is to simply to increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereals and legumes - all planted-based food, basically. 

 

 

What foods are really high in fibre ?

Beans, chickpeas and lentils are excellent sources of fibre and should regularly be on your menu, as well as wholegrain or wholemeal bread, rice and pasta. All vegetables and fruits contain fibre, especially cauliflower, broccoli, squash, apple, pears, berries and leafy greens. 

 

Another good reason to stick to your five-a-day, or even more… 

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