Disclaimer: This is an educational and informative post, nothing in it is meant to take the place of medical treatment, neither does it claim to treat, cure or diagnose any condition.
Fiber is something we all need as part of a balanced diet. The average adult needs around 30g of fiber a day.
What is fiber?
Fiber is part of plants that your body cannot digest or absorb.It passes relatively intact through your stomach, colon and out the back end.
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
What does fiber do?
Fiber adds bulk and weight to stools, making them easier to pass.
Fiber is needed for:
- bowel movements
- decreasing constipation
- lowers LDP cholesterol levels
- Helps maintain weight
- helps control blood sugar levels
- feeds good gut bacteria
The Gluten-Free diet does not have to lack fiber.
Gluten-free grains also contain fiber.
Some examples are:
Sorgum 13g per cup
Teff 10g per cup
Quinoa 5g per cup
Buckwheat 5g per cup
Amaranth 5g per cup
Corn 4g per cup
Brown rice 3g per cup
Other foods that contain good amounts of fiber are:
Jacket potato of approx 200g 6.7g
Lentils 7.9g per 100g
Chickpeas 6.4g per 100g
Chia seeds 4g per tbsp
Flaxseed powder 2.8g per tbsp
peas 5.9g per 80g
Apple 2.4g per 100g
Raspberries 6.5g per 100g
Popcorn 14.4g per 100g
Almonds 13.3g per 100g
sunflower seeds 11g per 100g
walnuts 6.7g per 100g
sweet potato 2.4g per 100g
pumpkin seeds 6.5g per 100g
Psyllium husk 5g per tbsp
Ways to increase your fiber:
- Eat fruit and veg every day, skin and pips included where possible and safe to do so.
- Eat a handful of nuts and seeds
- Drink plenty of water every day
- Eat gluten-free grains such as brown rice, amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum and teff
- Choose wholegrain gluten-free pasta such as brown rice pasta over white corn pasta
- Make your own smoothie mix and and add a tablespoon to your porridge, smoothie or yogurt everyday. (such as mixing hemp, flaxseed, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, psyllium husk)
- If you are still not sure, speak to a dietitian to help you more on this topic.