Chia seeds are a type of seed that swells up to create a gel-like texture when you add them in water, something like basil seeds in certain drinks. A tablespoon of chia seeds gives you 5 grams of fibre. They are my favourite way to increase my fibre intake because it’s so convenient. All I do is add a tablespoon into my water bottle at the start of the day, and I get 5 grams of fibre by the end of the day.

All nuts contain fibre, and almonds have one of the highest amounts. A quarter of a cup of almonds, or 23 almonds specifically, give you 3.5 grams of fibre. Almonds are also high in unsaturated fats and antioxidants that protect your heart and contain protein that keeps you full in between meals.

They are a great snack, and really come in handy at 4pm in the afternoon when you start getting hungry. Keep a packet in your office drawer so it’s easily accessible. Don’t consume more than that quarter cup though, because they do still contain calories.

Wholemeal bread starts at about 3-4 grams of fibre for two slices, and can go up to about 5.5 grams for two slices. On the other hand, half a cup of oats gives you 4 grams of fibre; they’re tasty soaked overnight with milk or yoghurt.

These are both great options to have at breakfast because when food contains fibre, it helps keep you full for longer and prevents pre-lunch snacking.

These plant foods that are always associated with vegetarian diets are not only a good source of fibre, they also contain protein. They include chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, and soybeans. Chickpeas and lentils contain about 2 grams of fibre for every two tablespoons and are easy to incorporate into your diet.

All you have to do is cook 10% less rice than you normally would at mealtimes. You then add two tablespoons of cooked chickpeas or lentils for each person you’re cooking for. If it can be mixed into a dish, by all means. If not, they can just be mixed straight into rice. For convenience, you can buy canned chickpeas or lentils at the supermarket, drain it, and use straightaway.

Most fruits have around 3-4 grams of fibre per serve, such as apples, pears, oranges, and strawberries. Two servings/day, which is the recommended amount, will give you at least 6-8 grams of fibre. Personally, I find the best time to have them is at breakfast or afternoon tea time, and after dinner. Grab-and-go types of fruit are best at breakfast or afternoon tea time where time may be tight.

They include fruits such as banana, mandarin oranges, grapes, or berries. It may be useful to buy a bag of fruits at the start of each week and leave them at work so they’re easily accessible. It’s all about setting healthy eating systems up in place.

Most vegetables contain slightly more than 2g of fibre per cup, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and eggplant. The recommended amount of two servings/day will give you about 4g of fibre. Choose a serving at each of lunch and dinner, and you would have two a day. If you know it’s hard to get vegetables during the day, you have two options. One, if you’re a breakfast smoothie kind of person, you can easily add some cucumber, spinach or celery into it. Otherwise, just cook more at dinner time!

Have you heard of lupin? Don’t worry if you haven’t, you’re not too late in the game. It is a variety of legume that is both high in protein and… you got it, fibre.

What’s even better is the development of lupin flakes. Designed to be more easily added into your food than the bean itself, half a cup of lupin flakes provides a whopping 37 grams of fibre! This amount cooked with a cup of raw rice (2.4g of fibre) yields approximately 4 portions of cooked rice. This translates to 10 grams of fibre per portion of rice cooked with lupin! That meets half a female’s daily requirements and more than a third for males.

Text: Yan Yin Phoi/Shape

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