How A Nutritionist Gets Her Recommended Fibre Intake Every Day

Breakfast sets the tone. Most mornings, I keep things simple – overnight oats with chia seeds, berries, ground flaxseed and nuts; or rye toast topped with eggs and avocado – a surprisingly good fibre source – and a big pile of herbs and leafy greens on the side. I’m a strong believer that breakfast should be satisfying not virtuous. It needs to fill you up and keep energy steady until lunch, without the need for mid-morning snacks. Right now, my cherry Bakewell overnight oats are on repeat – they have 11g of fibre per serving, which is more than a third of the daily 30g target. I prep a few in advance and keep them in the fridge.

Oat bran is a smart way to upgrade your porridge. Jumbo oats are my number one kitchen staple – they’re affordable, quick and endlessly adaptable – but if you want to go one step further, oat bran is brilliant as it contains almost double the fibre of standard porridge oats. I also buy good-quality seeded sourdough, slice it up and freeze it. Not only does that cut down on food waste, but freezing and reheating bread increases resistant starch – a type of fibre your gut microbes thrive on. The same principle applies to cooked and cooled potatoes, pasta and beans too.

It's the extras that add up. I eat seeds every day. Ground flaxseed, chia or mixed seeds sprinkled over porridge, yoghurt or toast instantly adds fibre, texture and crunch. Frozen mixed berries are another easy win – no chopping, no waste, always available and far more affordable than fresh. There’s always a bag of wheat bran in my cupboard, too. It’s an old-school fibre hero – just a tablespoon stirred into overnight oats or chia pudding is an easy way to boost your daily total. I also tend to choose slightly greener, less ripe bananas, as they’re higher in prebiotic fibre – the kind that feeds your gut microbes.

Simple swaps make the biggest difference. Instead of white bread, I’ll reach for seeded sourdough, rye or wholegrain, and I swap white rice for brown, red or black rice, or quinoa when it suits the meal. Regular pasta becomes wholewheat or a legume-based version – try easing kids in with a half-and-half mix – while crisps are an easy switch for popcorn. I’ve also swapped everyday crackers to dark rye Ryvita, choose bran flakes or Weetabix  over cornflakes, and opt for whole oranges rather than juice. Even small changes count – milk chocolate becomes dark, and mayonnaise is often replaced with hummus or avocado.

Some of the best sources are hiding in plain sight. Frozen vegetables are a lifesaver, while potatoes kept in their skins deliver far more fibre than most people realise. Frozen peas are another hero, offering both protein and fibre, as are edamame beans and sweet potatoes, particularly when roasted. Even foods we don’t typically think of as ‘fibre-rich’ play a part – dark chocolate, coffee (around 2g per cup) and cacao all contribute small amounts. Fibre isn’t just boring, beige food.

Lunch is often leftovers. It’s usually the previous night’s dinner bulked out with extra vegetables or beans, or a large salad with lentils, grains and a protein source. I like minimally processed wholemeal wraps – Crosta & Mollica are a good option – filled with leafy green hummus, cucumber, grated carrot, avocado and whatever protein I fancy. Dinner tends to be a bean-packed chilli, a vegetable-rich traybake or a chickpea-based curry.