Hi First name / There,

 

If you have spent any time on social media recently, you may have come across the word "fibremaxxing." Fibre is having a moment (about time too), and it's being called the new protein, which should tell you exactly where this is heading.

 

Most of us aren't eating anywhere near enough fibre. In the UK the recommendation is 30g a day, and around 96% of people fall short of this target and the US isn't far behind, at roughly 95%. Fibre keeps you fuller for longer, supports your gut, helps keep your blood sugar steadier and keeps things moving (if you know what I mean). So, I am all for people taking more of an interest in it.

The problem emerging is how it's being sold to us.

 

Remember when protein started turning up in everything (and it still is)? Protein cereal, protein crisps, protein chocolate, protein water (I wish I was making that one up). Fibre is going the same way, with fortified bars, snacks and drinks everywhere you look and promising to fill the gap for you.

Now, I'm not going to pretend they don't have a place and even I have a few of these tucked away as they are convenient, and a fibre bar when you are on the go will keep you fuller than a regular chocolate bar. 

 

But a lot of these products are ultra processed, and adding a few grams of fibre to a long list of ingredients doesn't turn it into real food. Just as with the protein versions, if they become your main source, you are missing out on everything else that comes with whole foods: the vitamins, the minerals, and the simple satisfaction of sitting down to an actual meal. 

 

However clever the packaging gets, nothing will ever come close to real food.

 

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that when I share a meal on my stories, I will mention the protein and fibre content rather than the calories. 

 

That is very intentional and those two numbers tell me so much more about a meal than the calorie content will. It tells me whether the meal will keep me full until the next one, whether or not it will fuel my training and if it is doing something useful for my body. A calorie count on its own doesn't reveal any of that.

 

The good news is that you don't need anything fancy to increase your fibre intake and most of what you need is probably already in your cupboard.

 

At breakfast, stir a tablespoon of chia seeds (or flax or hemp) into your porridge and top it with a handful of raspberries, and you have roughly 12g before you have even started your day.

 

At lunch, throw half a tin of chickpeas or lentils into your salad, soup or wrap for around 6 to 8g (it takes about 30 seconds and costs very little).

 

At dinner, add a handful of frozen peas to pasta, curries or stir fries, keep the skins on your potatoes (tinned ones count too), and swap white rice for brown, or go half and half if you are not quite ready to commit.

 

For snacks, try a pear or a kiwi fruit with the skin on or carrot sticks with hummus. 

 

And one of my favourite ways is to add red lentils to my bolognese as it bulks it out, adds fibre and protein, and nobody (not even my children) notices it.

 

One word of warning, go SLOWLY. If you jump from 12g to 30g overnight, your gut will make its feelings known (loudly). Build it up a little each week and drink plenty of water.

 

So yes, I highly recommend that you get on board with the fibre trend, just skip the marketing and inflated price tags. You don't need another product to get there, you need a few more beans and vegetables on your plate.

Speaking of fibre, beans are one of the few foods that give you a good hit of protein AND fibre in one go. Plus, they are cheap, quick and you sitting in a tin or jar waiting for you.