Fibre is a nutrient that has far-reaching benefits – from supporting gut health^[i] and improving mood^[ii], to helping maintain a healthy weight and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and bowel cancer^[iii]. The nutrient helps support the health of almost all parts of the body, doing so much more than simply helping to prevent constipation!

However, just 9% of us are getting enough fibre^[3] – with the average adult consuming 19.7g a day, compared to the recommended 30g.

It seems we’re much less interested in fibre than more ‘on-trend’ nutrients like protein, with Google searches for the latter over the past 3 months more than double of those for fibre^[4]. There are also currently 2.4 million ^[5] uses of #protein on Instagram, compared to just 901,000 for #fibre and #proteinrecipes has a count of 218k, compared to just 500 for #fibrerecipes.

With the benefits of fibre so far-reaching and so few of us meeting the recommended daily amount, it’s clear we need to increase our intake. And the good news is that it’s easier (and tastier) to reach the recommended 30g than you may realise. Fibre-rich foods don’t need to be beige and boring, in fact versatile leafy veg like kale, cavolo nero and spinach are a simple and tasty way to easily increase the fibre in your diet, with fruits and pulses also being good sources.

A portion of kale for example contains almost 50% more than a slice of brown bread^[6]. And one portion of raspberries offers more fibre than a bowl of fruit and fibre cereal^[7].

As Expert Nutritionist and Dietitian for Discover Great Veg, Jo Travers says “Fibre is such an overlooked yet vital nutrient – offering benefits for almost every aspect of our wellbeing. So it’s really important we all up our intake to the recommended 30g a day.

Vegetables including leafy greens like kale, spinach and cavolo nero, as well as pulses and fruits, are your friend when it comes to increasing your fibre intake – as these foods are all high in the nutrient. Versatile enough to be used in a host of dishes, and quick and easy to cook, there are so many easy ways to add them – and in turn fibre – to your diet, for example:

Add a handful or two of kale, spinach or cavolo nero to favourites like spaghetti Bolognese and risottos – they are also delicious in curries (which can provide up to 18g of fibre per portion), as well as soups (up to 21g), chilli (13g), pasta (13g) and more
Add to salads – a simple winter kale salad can offer up to 21g of fibre per portion
Enjoy veg as a snack – kale crisps provide 3.7g of fibre per portion
Or blend into a smoothie– for up to 4.8g of fibre
Remember to enjoy veg for breakfast and brunch, as well as lunches and dinners. Recipes like shakshuka can provide 8.5g of fibre per portion.”