What is fibre?
Fibre is a nutrient found in all plants. It aids the digestive system by helping to make your stool (poo) soft and bulky. This helps prevent constipation.
Fibre is also good for the heart and blood circulation. It may help lower blood cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. As a result, fibre can also help to control your weight because there may be fewer sugar cravings.
Choosing high-fibre foods
When choosing foods, aim for those with at least 2 g of fibre per serving. Reading and understanding the nutrition label will help you figure out how much fibre is in a serving size of food.
There are lots of food options out there to help you get the fibre you need. Take a look at the table of food choices to help you choose high-fibre foods and avoid foods with less fibre.
High-fibre food choices
Breads and cereals
| High-fibre choices | Low-fibre choices |
|---|---|
| Non-white breads such as rye, whole wheat (look for words such as "whole" or "stone ground"), multigrain, mixed grain or cracked wheat; whole wheat English muffins, burger buns or hotdog buns | White bread, bagels, rolls, buns, pita bread or English muffins |
| Whole grain cereals (look for words such as "bran", "whole" or "fibre" in the cereal name) | Non-whole grain cereals (such as Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Corn Pops, Froot Loops or Special K) |
| Whole grain cooked cereals such as oat bran or oatmeal | Non-whole grain cooked cereals such as cream of wheat |
| Rye crackers, graham crackers, whole wheat crackers (brands include Triscuit, Breton) | Soda crackers |
| Whole wheat pasta | White pasta |
| Brown rice, bulgur, barley, quinoa | White rice; noodles made with white rice |
Vegetables
| High-fibre choices | Medium-fibre choices | Low-fibre choices |
|---|---|---|
| Green peas (fresh, frozen or canned) | Bean sprouts | Onion |
| Snow peas | String beans | Cucumber |
| Swiss chard | Broccoli | Mushrooms |
| Brussels sprouts | Tomatoes | |
| Raw carrots | Celery | |
| Eggplant | Cauliflower | |
| Parsnip | Cabbage | |
| Turnip (rutabaga) | Creamed corn | |
| Corn on the cob | Potates, peeled (boiled or mashed) | |
| Whole kernel corn | Asparagus | |
| Potato or sweet potato, with skin | Squash | |
| Lettuce | ||
| Spinach |
Fruit
| High-fibre choices | Medium-fibre choices | Low-fibre choices |
|---|---|---|
| Pear, with skin | Orange; tangerine | Cherries |
| Apple, with skin | Apple or pear, peeled | Grapes |
| Mango | Pineapple | Peach, fresh |
| Blueberries | Banana | Melon, such as honeydew, cantaloupe or watermelon |
| Raspberries | Fruit juices* and peeled fruits | |
| Strawberries | Fruit cocktails; fruit sauces (such as apple sauce) | |
| Coconut | ||
| Dried fruit, including peaches, prunes, apricots, figs, raisins and cranberries |
*Avoid grapefruit juice.
Meat alternatives
| High-fibre choices |
|---|
| Lentils, fresh, canned or dried |
| Chickpeas |
| Beans (black, lima, navy, kidney), canned or dry; baked beans |
| Nuts such as almonds, pistachios, peanuts, cashews |
| Peanut butter |
Snacks
| High-fibre choices | Low-fibre choices |
|---|---|
| Bran or oat bran muffins | Cupcakes; rice cakes; melba toast |
| Oatmeal or oatmeal raisin cookies | Shortbread |
| Homemade cookies with added wheat germ, wheat bran, nuts or seeds | Arrowroot, digestives, plain, chocolate chip or filled cookies (such as Oreos) |
| Popcorn, air popped | Potato chips |
| Vegetables and fruit | Jell-O |
High-fibre meal ideas
Breakfast
- Your favourite meal sprinkled with natural bran or bran flakes
- Whole wheat toast with thin spread of peanut butter
- Fresh fruit
- Yogurt with fruit
- Smoothie with ground flaxseed
- Oatmeal
Lunch
- Sandwiches using whole wheat bread or bun (turkey, lettuce or tomato, or peanut butter and jelly)
- Chili, minestrone soup, black bean soup
- Vegetables and dip
Dinner
- Chicken fingers or fish sticks coated in wheat germ, bran cereal or whole wheat bread crumbs
- Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce
- Sweet potato, with skin
- Side serving of cooked vegetables
- Baked beans; bean chili
Try having a whole wheat dinner roll to get even more fibre.
