KITLIVING
MAKING CARBS COUNT Recipe overleaf
the amount of fibre in your diet, try doing
it gradually - and don't forget to keep
hydrated (adults should aim for around
6-8 glasses per day) and stay active - at
least 150 minutes a week.
Fibre explained
Fibre is a complex carbohydrate that the
small intestine can't digest or absorb
it like it can with other carbs. Instead,
it's either broken down inside the large
intestine by bacteria for food or passes
through the digestive system to help keep
things regular. Fibre is often classed into
different types:
• Soluble fibre: As the name suggests,
this type of fibre helps to soften stools,
dissolving in the large intestine into a gellike substance where
our friendly bacteria
gets to work. Typical sources include
oats, citrus fruits, barley and nuts.
• Insoluble fibre: Our bodies can't
digest this type of fibre, so it adds bulk
to stools, encouraging waste to pass
through the digestive system. Brown
rice, cauliflower, potatoes and nuts are all
types of insoluble fibre.
• For quick snacks, any fruit and veg
sticks are a good bet, but rye crackers,
oatcakes, unsalted nuts or seeds are
winners too.
• Add veg to every meal: blend in
sauces, chop for stews and slice for
salads. Try to keep some tinned and
frozen veg so you'll always have some to
hand. Beans, lentils and chickpeas also
help to top the fibre up.
Foods full of fibre
Fibre comes from plant-based foods,
there are so many varieties of foods rich
in fibre including:
• Wholegrain cereals, wholewheat
pasta, wholegrain bread and oats, barley
and rye
• Fruit - apples (especially the peel!),
oranges, bananas and berries
• Vegetables - generally speaking,
the darker the veg, the higher the fibre,
artichoke and broccoli are good sources
• Peas, beans and pulses
• Nuts and seeds
• Potatoes with the skin on.
Get more fibre
Here are some easy ways to increase
your fibre intake:
• Start your morning off with breakfast
high in fibre like wholegrain breakfast
cereals, like bran flakes, wholewheat
cereal, porridge and no-added-sugar
mueslis. You can keep it varied by adding
some favourite healthy toppings, such as
fresh or dried fruit, seeds or nuts.
• Choose wholemeal bread for
sandwiches.
• Ditch white pasta and rice and go
for wholegrains - think wholewheat pasta
and brown rice.
• Eat your potato skins: Enjoy a whole
baked potato and avoid peeling potato
wedges.
Half an avocado has 5g of fibre.
One lOne large raw fig has 2g fibre.
A portion of almonds (about
20g) has 2.4g of fibre. A pack of
popcorn (25g) has 2g of fibre.