Fibre isn't glamorous. It doesn't come with bold promises or a trendy label, and you'll rarely see it on the front of a package. Yet if I had to pick one quiet change that does the most for your long-term health, eating more fibre would be near the top of the list — and most of us are getting nowhere near enough.
In the UK, adults are advised to eat around 30g of fibre a day. The average intake? Only about 17g — barely more than half. So if you feel like you "eat quite healthily" but still fall short, you're in very good company.
Why fibre matters so much
Fibre is the part of plant foods your body can't fully digest, and that's exactly what makes it useful. Rather than being absorbed, it does its work as it passes through — feeding your gut bacteria, slowing digestion, and helping to carry cholesterol and waste out of the body.
The evidence here is genuinely strong. A large review published in The Lancet in 2019, pulling together decades of studies, found that people who ate the most fibre had roughly a 15–30% lower risk of dying early or from heart disease compared with those who ate the least — along with lower rates of stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. The researchers pointed to 25–29g a day as a sound target, with hints that more may be better still.
Closer to everyday life, fibre also:
- keeps your digestion regular and helps prevent constipation;
- helps steady your blood sugar, especially cereal fibre and wholegrains;
- can help lower cholesterol — soluble fibre like the beta-glucans in oats reduces how much cholesterol your gut absorbs;
- keeps you fuller for longer, which quietly supports a healthy weight without any need to count anything.
Simple ways to get more (without a diet overhaul)
The good news is that closing the gap from 17g to 30g rarely means eating differently — just eating the fuller version of what you already enjoy.
1. Start with breakfast. Swap white toast for wholegrain or sourdough, or have porridge oats. A bowl of oats plus a handful of berries can add 6–8g before your day begins.
2. Leave the skins on. Potatoes, apples, pears, cucumber — much of the fibre sits just under the skin. Scrubbing rather than peeling is the easiest fibre win there is.
3. Add a legume a few times a week. Stir a tin of drained chickpeas, lentils or beans into soups, stews, salads and pasta sauces. They're one of the richest fibre sources going, and they stretch a meal beautifully.
4. Reach for wholegrains. Wholemeal bread, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, bulgur and freekeh all carry far more fibre than their white versions, with barely any change to the dish.
5. Snack on plants. A pear, a small handful of almonds, some carrot sticks with hummus — snacks are an easy, no-pressure place to add a few grams.
A gentle note on going slowly
If your current intake is on the low side, build up gradually over a couple of weeks rather than all at once, and drink plenty of water alongside. Fibre draws water in as it works, so increasing it too quickly can leave you bloated or uncomfortable. Slow and steady lets your gut adjust happily.
You don't need a special diet or a single "superfood" to eat well — you need a bit more of the ordinary, colourful, plant-rich food that's probably already in your kitchen. Add one fibre-rich swap at a time, and within a few weeks it simply becomes how you eat.
This article is for general information and isn't a substitute for individualised advice from your own doctor or dietitian.
Merve Tığlı, Dietitian
Sources: NHS / British Heart Foundation — Fibre and how much to eat; Reynolds et al., "Carbohydrate quality and human health", The Lancet (2019); British Nutrition Foundation — Fibre.