Fibre Facts
What is Dietary Fibre?
Dietary fibre is made up of the indigestible parts of plants that pass relatively unchanged through our
stomach and intestines.
Why Include Dietary Fibre in My Diet?
Dietary fibre has many health benefits. These include assisting weight management, appetite control,
cholesterol lowering, diabetes prevention and management and digestive system health.
What are the Different Types of Fibre?
Type of
Fibre
Food Sources
Health Benefits
Soluble





Legumes and lentils
Oats and barley
Oat, barley and rice bran
Psyllium husks
Fruit and vegetable flesh



Lowers blood cholesterol levels
Improves blood glucose control
Maintenance of a healthy bowel
Insoluble





Wheat bran
Wholegrain breads
Wholegrain cereals
Nuts and seeds
Fruit and vegetable skin

Improves and maintains bowel
regularity
Maintenance of a healthy bowel

Cooked and cooled
potato and grains

Resistant
Starch


Pre-biotic fibre
(production of good bacteria)
Improves blood glucose control
How Much Dietary Fibre Do I Need?

The recommended daily intake of fibre is a minimum of 25g for women and 30g for men.

Including a variety of foods high in dietary fibre is important for good health.
Tips and Practical Ways to Increase Your Dietary Fibre Intake
Increase your fibre intake gradually to reduce potential side effects such as bloating, flatulence,
constipation or increased frequency of bowel movements.
Increase your Soluble Fibre intake by:
 Eating 2 pieces of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables daily
 Eating whole fruits and vegetables rather than drinking juice
 Adding legumes and lentils or barley to soup, casseroles and pasta sauce
 Spreading low fat hummus (chickpea dip) on sandwiches instead of margarine
 Adding oat, barley or rice bran, or psyllium husks to breakfast cereal
 Taking a fibre supplement such as Benefibre , Fibresure or Metamucil powder
®
Tip:
®
®
Soluble fibre works by absorbing water.
Aim to include a minimum of 6-8 glasses of fluid daily. Water is the best choice.
Increase your Insoluble Fibre intake by:
 Eating 2 pieces of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables daily, including the skin
 Choosing wholegrain breads and cereals
e.g. soy and linseed bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals and crispbreads,
wholemeal pasta and wholemeal pita bread
 High fibre white bread is an alternative for people who have difficulties chewing grains
 Adding extra wheat bran or LSA (ground linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds)
to breakfast cereal
 Including a small handful of nuts or seeds as a snack
 Spreading unhulled tahini (sesame seed spread) on a sandwhich
Increase your Resistant Starch intake by:
 Consuming cooked and cooled potato
e.g. potato salad (use a vinaigrette or natural yoghurt dressing instead
of sour cream or mayonnaise)
 Consuming cooked and cooled grains - rice, quinoa, barley and buckwheat etc..
e.g. rice, pasta or grain salad or sushi
Where to Find Dietary Fibre on a Nutrition Information Panel
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Serving Size Per Package: 9
Serving Size: 83.5g (2 Slices)
Quantity
per Serve
Energy
91.8 kJ
Protein
6.1 g
2.8 g
Fat, Total
- Saturated
0.3 g
Carbohydrate Total
39.8 g
- Sugars
16.3 g
Sodium
Quantity
per 100g
1100 kJ
7.3 g
3.3 g
0.4 g
47.7 g
19.6 g
8.0 g
9.6 g
230 mg
275 mg
Dietary Fibre
Check the
Baker IDI Shopping Guide
for examples of high fibre
food choices
Aim for: 8g / 100g or more
Low Fibre vs. High Fibre Meal Plan
Meal / Snack
Lower Fibre Choice
Breakfast
1 cup corn flakes
Fibre
(grams)
1.0
½ cup low fat milk
0.0
½ cup low fat milk
0.0
1 slice white toast
1.1
1 slice wholemeal, grain bread
2.5
1 glass orange juice
0.2
1 orange
4.0
Snack
2 Cruskit biscuits
0.5
2 Ryvita biscuits
3.7
Lunch
2 slices white bread
2.2
2 slices wholemeal, grain bread
5.0
1 slice of ham
0.0
4.0
1 slice of cheese
0.0
1 slice of cheese, plus lettuce,
tomato, beetroot and cucumber
Snack
2 fruit slice biscuits
1.0
¼ cup nuts
3.1
Dinner
1 fillet steak
0.0
1 fillet steak
0.0
1 medium potato, peeled
1.5
1 medium potato with skin
2.0
1 small carrot, peeled
2.0
1 small carrot with skin
3.0
½ cup green beans
1.5
½ cup broccoli
3.0
½ cup cauliflower
1.5
1 banana
3.0
Supper
2 scoops ice cream
0.0
Total
11.0
Higher Fibre Choice
Fibre
(grams)
4.5
½ cup untoasted muesli
Total
39.3
Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute
Level 4, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic 3004 Australia
T (03) 8532 1800 F (03) 8532 1899 W www.bakeridi.edu.au
© 2014 Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute
Review date: Jan 2016
Literacy Level assessed
No part of this information may be copied or reproduced in any form without written permission of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute