Fibre: You are likely not eating enough - but what does that mean? 

Most people have heard they “should eat more fibre,” but not many actually know what that means in real life.

Is it just oats? Is it salads? Do you need supplements? And how much is actually enough?

The truth is: fibre isn’t complicated, but it is something most of us aren’t getting enough of, especially if meals are heavily processed.

The good news? You don’t need a complete diet overhaul, you just need a few simple swaps and a better understanding of where fibre actually comes from.

What is fibre, really?

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plant foods that your body can’t fully digest (1).

Instead of being broken down and absorbed, it passes through your digestive system and plays a key role in:

• Keeping your bowel movements regular
• Feeding your gut microbiome (your “good” gut bacteria)
• Supporting stable blood sugar levels
• Helping you feel full for longer 

How much fibre do we actually need?

In New Zealand, the recommended daily fibre intake is (2):

• Women: ~25g per day
• Men: ~30g per day

But research suggests most people are only getting around 15–20g per day (3), which is where things like sluggish digestion, low satiety, and energy crashes can creep in.

Why fibre matters more than you think

Fibre isn’t just about digestion. A higher-fibre diet has been linked to:

• Better gut health
• Lower risk of heart disease
• Improved blood sugar control
• Better weight regulation (mostly through fullness and appetite control) (4)

But instead of thinking about fibre as a “health rule,” it’s more useful to think of it as something that naturally appears when you build meals from whole foods.

The easiest way to get more fibre without tracking anything 

1. Start with vegetables (not just as a side)

Most meals can easily include:

• Pumpkin
• Kūmara
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Silverbeet

Roasted veg, stir-fries, soups are some examples.  Even just increasing veg portion size at dinner makes a real difference.

2. Choose whole grains more often

Making some adjustments to your ingredient choices can increase the fibre content of your foods (5): 

Instead of white rice → brown rice or quinoa
Instead of white bread → wholegrain or seeded bread
Instead of regular pasta → wholewheat or legume-based pasta

3. Add legumes

Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are some of the highest fibre foods available, plus they are cheap, readily available and storage friendly.

Easy ways to include them:

• Add lentils into bolognese
• Chickpeas into salads or roasting trays
• Beans into soups and stews

4. Don’t forget fruit 

Eating fruit with the skin (kiwifruit skin, anyone?) and the pith (think the white bits on your mandarins) helps increase the fibre content. 

Good autumn options:

• Apples
• Pears
• Feijoas
• Berries (frozen is fine too)

Increasing fibre without the discomfort

If you’re not used to eating much fibre, increasing it too quickly can cause bloating or discomfort.

A few simple tips:

• Increase gradually over a few weeks
• Drink more water (fibre needs fluid to work properly)
• Spread fibre across the day rather than loading it all into one meal

The Dinner Date takeaway

Fibre isn’t a “diet rule," it’s a natural result of eating more real, whole foods. The best way to increase your fibre is to make fibre fit your daily life - not the other way around. Adding high-fibre foods to your meals will be much easier to maintain than trying to add a whole new menu to your life. 

Best,

Gabrielle x

References:

1. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/ 
2. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/dietary-fibre
3. https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/esploro/outputs/graduate/Fibre-intakes-between-vegetarian-and-non-vegetarian/9926478244301891
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559033/
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7599874/