Strange as it seems, the fibre in food which you cannot digest is actually a very important part of healthy eating!  Aside from keeping bowels in good working order, fibre-rich diets have other health benefits too.  For instance, higher-fibre foods help lower blood cholesterol particularly if its too high.

If you are looking for more information on dietary fibre, read on.  This fact sheet is chock full of tips and ideas for increasing your fibre intake.

Two Types of Fibre

There are different types of fibre and they’re found in different foods and each has a different effect.

1.  Soluble Fibre
Soluble fibre is a soft fibre that helps control blood sugar and lower blood cholesterol.  Chances are you have heard about one of the more famous sources of soluble fibre - oat bran!  Oats and oat bran were very popular foods a few years back when the benefits of soluble fibre became widely known.

2.  Insoluble Dietary Fibre
Once called roughage, this type of fibre helps to prevent and control bowel problems and is the fibre linked to lower cancer risk.  Wheat bran is the best known source of insoluble dietary fibre.

Choose a variety of fibre-rich foods to get a healthy balance of soluble and insoluble fibre.

1.  Eat more whole grain breads and cereals
2.  Eat more fruit and vegetables
3.  Eat more legumes, dried beans, peas and lentils

• Start your day with a fibre-rich cereal: oat bran, bran flakes, oatmeal, or  one of the super high-fibre breakfast cereals.  Or, add a scoop of high-fibre cereal to one of your old favourites.  Top up your cereal with a scoop of raisins, a sliced banana or some orange sections.
  
• Take a lower-fat muffin to lunch: make it a bran muffin or an oatmeal muffin.  It is better if it contains fruit like apples, apricots, raisins or dates. Fibre boost salad with carrots, apple slices, dried fruit, raw broccoli and cauliflower pieces, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and kidney beans.
  
• Choose whole grain breads as often as possible.
  
• Load up your plate with vegetables.  Add a little extra fibre to salads and sandwiches with a sliced fresh tomato.
  
• Work some beans and peas into your meals.  For a high-fibre, low-fat meal try split pea soup or baked beans with a slice of whole wheat bread and glass of skim milk.  Finish up with a piece of fruit for even more fibre.
  
• Try curried lentils in a pita pocket; have lima beans for supper.
  
• Add green peas to casseroles, stir-fry meals, rice or noodles - they are a good source of fibre.
  
• Boost the fibre in casseroles and mixed dishes by tossing in a handful of oat bran, wheat bran or a crunchy high-fibre cereal.
  
• Snack on fibre-filled fruit: pears, raspberries, apples, oranges, nectarines and bananas.
  
• Have a sweet tooth?  Cookies such as sultana raisin cookies or fig bars offer some fibre and very little fat.  Make lower-fat oatmeal and raisin cookies at home.

The food labels of higher-fibre foods often list the dietary fibre provided per serving.

Foods containing at least 2 grams of fibre can be called a source or moderate source of fibre; at least 4 grams of fibre renders the food a high source and 6 grams or more fibre per serving is a very high source of dietary fibre.

When you first start to eat more fibre you may feel a little bloated and have more gas.  This is normal.  To help control the gassy part of a higher fibre diet, increase your fibre intake gradually and drink plenty of fluids

1. Baked beans (1/2 c/125 mL)
2. Lentils (1/2 c/125 mL cooked)
3. Wheat bran (1/4 c/50 mL)
4. Bran flake cereal (3/4 c/30 g)
5. Oat bran cereal (1 c/250 mL cooked)
6. Two slices whole wheat bread
7. Raisins (1/4 c/50 mL)
8. Orange or 1/2 grapefruit
9. 1 pear or apple
10. Peas (1/2 c/125 mL)