How To Get More Fibre In Your Diet

Understanding how to get more fibre in your diet isn’t super hard, but it will improve your health. It’s not sexy, it’s not trendy but fibre might just be the most powerful health tool you’re not using. Seriously. 

In all my years coaching people through fat loss, performance, digestion issues, and overall health, one thing comes up again and again: people aren’t eating enough fibre and they don’t realise how much it’s actually impacting them.

Fibre doesn’t get the spotlight like protein or omega-3s. It doesn’t come in a shiny tub, and it won’t give you a pump at the gym. But behind the scenes, it’s doing a ton of heavy lifting when it comes to your health. From your digestion to your heart to your hormones to your long-term disease risk, fibre plays a role in all of it.

And yet, most people are barely hitting half of what they should be.

The recommended intake for fibre is around 25 grams per day for women and 30-38 grams per day for men.

The average person (especially in Western countries like Ireland, the UK, the US, etc.) is getting closer to 12-15 grams a day, which is less than half of what’s ideal.

So if you’re feeling bloated, sluggish, constantly hungry, or like your digestion just isn’t quite “right”, poor fibre intake could be the missing links.

How To Get More Fibre In Your Diet

Why Fibre Matters

Why should you even care about fibre?

Well, the truth is, fibre isn’t technically “essential” in the way that things like vitamin C or protein are. You can survive without it. Your body won’t immediately shut down if you don’t get enough fibre for a few days.

But if you’re aiming to thrive, physically, mentally, hormonally, and metabolically, then fibre is absolutely foundational.

And here’s where most people go wrong, they see fibre as nothing more than “roughage”, something that helps keep you regular, and that’s it. But the benefits of fibre are so much more than this.

Fibre plays a central role in many of your body’s most important systems, and when your fibre intake is low, those systems start to work less efficiently. That’s when you start to feel bloated, fatigued, hungry all the time, or like your body just isn’t functioning the way it should.

Let’s walk through the key benefits of fibre and how it works in your body every single day.

Digestive Health 

Your digestive system is the frontline of health. It’s where food gets broken down, nutrients get absorbed, and waste gets eliminated. And fibre plays a critical role in every step of that process.

There are two main types of fibre:

• Soluble fibre, which dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance. This slows down digestion, softens your stool, and helps with loose bowel movements or diarrhoea.
• Insoluble fibre, which adds bulk and helps “sweep” things through your digestive tract. It’s especially helpful for constipation and irregularity.

Getting both types in a balanced, consistent way helps regulate your bowel movements, improve nutrient absorption, reduce bloating, and even prevent conditions like diverticulitis or IBS symptoms in some cases.

So, if you’re not going to the bathroom regularly, or if it’s an ordeal when you do, fibre is often the missing link.

Satiety & Appetite Control

Ever feel like you just can’t get full? Or that you’re hungry again an hour after eating?

This is where fibre can be a real game-changer, especially if you’re working on fat loss, appetite control, or improving your relationship with food.

Fibre slows down the digestive process, especially when combined with some fat and protein. That means food stays in your stomach longer, you feel fuller for longer, and your brain gets the “I’m satisfied” signal more effectively.

This natural increase in satiety:

• Helps reduce overeating
• Supports portion control without needing willpower (i.e. it reduces cravings)
• Makes sustainable fat loss much easier

This is one reason why highly processed, low-fibre foods (like white bread, sugary cereal, and fast food) tend to lead to overeating. They digest quickly and leave you hungry again way too soon. Swap them out for fibre-rich alternatives, and you’ll feel the difference in satiety almost immediately. You just won’t be hungry again as quickly, and as a result, you will just eat less.

Blood Sugar Regulation

Blood sugar regulation isn’t just a concern for diabetics, it matters for everyone.

When you eat carbohydrates, especially refined ones, your blood sugar rises. How quickly and how sharply it rises depends on several things, and fibre is one of the most powerful tools to blunt and stabilise that spike.

Soluble fibre slows the absorption of sugars into your bloodstream, which helps:

• Prevent energy crashes and mood swings
• Reduce cravings, especially for sugar
• Improve insulin sensitivity over time
• Protect against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
  

Fibre effectively helps smooth out the peaks and valleys in your blood sugar response. Better blood sugar control means better energy, better focus, and better long-term health.

Hormonal Balance

This is where fibre becomes especially important, and where people often don’t make the connection.

Your body gets rid of used-up hormones (like estrogen) through the liver and digestive system. But if your gut isn’t functioning well (if you’re not having regular bowel movements, or if your diet is low in fibre) these hormones can get reabsorbed and recirculated in the body.

Over time, this can contribute to hormonal imbalances that affect:

• Menstrual cycles
• PMS symptoms
• Acne and skin health
• Fertility
• Risk of hormone-related cancers (like breast or endometrial cancer)
  

Fibre binds to excess estrogen and helps carry it out of the body, acting like a filtration system for your hormonal health. It also supports liver detox pathways indirectly, by keeping waste moving efficiently.

So, if your hormones are “out of balance,” fibre might be part of the solution, and it’s a lot cheaper than fancy supplements.

Gut Microbiome Support

This is a big one, and quite honestly, one that science is still uncovering more about every year.

Certain types of fibre act as prebiotics, which means they feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Those bacteria (your gut microbiome) help regulate:

• Digestion
• Immune function
• Inflammation
• Brain chemistry and mood (through the gut-brain axis)
• Even how your body stores fat

When you eat a variety of fibre-rich foods, especially whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and resistant starches, you’re giving your gut bugs the fuel they need to thrive.

The result is better digestion, better immune health, fewer sugar cravings, and even improved mental clarity. Yes, eating more fibre can genuinely help you feel more clear-headed and resilient.

On the flip side, if your fibre intake is low and your diet is lacking plant diversity, your gut microbiome suffers, which leads to a cascade of issues, from poor immunity to fatigue, skin flare-ups, and more.

Fibre Supports Way More Than Just Digestion.

It’s easy to think of fibre as just a bathroom aid, but it’s really one of the most powerful nutritional tools for supporting your whole body.

Whether you’re looking to:

• Improve digestion and gut health
• Support fat loss and appetite control
• Regulate hormones and blood sugar
• Increase energy and reduce cravings
• Future-proof your body against chronic disease
  

…fibre plays a key role.

Fibre even plays a role in reducing heart disease risk by lowering your cholesterol. As heart disease is one of the biggest killers of humans, this is a massive win for fibre. 

And the best part is that it’s not expensive. You don’t need supplements. You don’t need to massively change your diet. You just need to eat more plants, and make a few consistent changes.

In a moment I’ll show you exactly how to get more fibre in your diet, but first, I want to just touch on how much fibre you should be eating. 

How Much Fibre Should You Be Eating?

Alright, let’s get into the numbers because when it comes to fibre, most people are dramatically under-eating it, and they don’t even realise it.

The General Fibre Guidelines

A good rule of thumb for most healthy adults is to aim for about 30 grams of fibre per day.

That’s not a crazy high number, but it’s also not something most people hit by accident, as it takes some intention and consistency with food choices.

If we want to get a bit more specific, we typically recommend aiming for 10-15 grams of fibre per 1,000 calories consumed.

So:

• If you eat around 2,000 calories per day then you should aim for 20-30g of fibre
• If your intake is closer to 2,500 calories per day then you should aim for 25-37g of fibre

These targets are based on what we know from large-scale population studies, clinical research, and long-term health outcomes. People who consistently hit or exceed these fibre ranges have lower risk of chronic diseases, better digestion, and improved metabolic health across the board.

What Does 30 Grams of Fibre Actually Look Like?

Let’s break this down with some real-world examples, so you can see how fibre adds up, and where the opportunities are to increase it:

• 1 medium apple (with skin) → ~4g
• ½ cup cooked lentils → ~8g
• 2 slices whole grain or seeded bread → ~4–6g depending on brand
• 1 cup raspberries → ~8g
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds → ~5g
• 1 cup cooked broccoli → ~5g
• ½ cup oats → ~4g
  

So yes, it’s very doable. But it takes a bit of planning, especially if you’re coming from a lower baseline.

Most People Aren’t Even Close To The Targets

Despite all the health campaigns and dietary guidelines out there, the average fibre intake in places like Ireland, the UK, and the US is shockingly low, usually around 12 to 14 grams per day.

That’s less than half of the recommended amount, and for many people, it’s even lower.

And we see the effects of this shortfall all the time:

• Constipation and bloating
• Increased risk of colon cancer
• Poor blood sugar control
• Higher cholesterol
• Chronic inflammation
• Poor gut microbiome diversity
• Greater rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes
  

Fibre is one of the most consistently under-consumed nutrients across the population, and the health costs are significant.

Why Are Intakes So Low?

There are a few key reasons why fibre intakes are so low:

1. Modern diets are heavily processed: Most ultra-processed convenience foods (think: white bread, sugary cereal, fast food, pastries, crisps, etc.) are stripped of fibre during manufacturing. That leaves people eating a lot of calories, but very little fibre.
2. Low fruit and veg consumption: Despite being told to eat our “five a day,” most people fall short. And when they do eat fruit or veg, it’s often in minimal portions or peeled/prepared in ways that reduce fibre.
3. Fear of carbs: There’s been a long-standing fear of carbs in general, especially in fitness or dieting circles. The issue is that many high-fibre foods (oats, lentils, whole grains) are carbs. So people trying to “cut carbs” often inadvertently cut their fibre, too.
4. Lack of awareness: Most people just don’t realise how important fibre is, or how to get more fibre in your diet..
   

If there’s one simple, low-hanging fruit (pun intended) strategy to improve your nutrition starting today, it’s to increase your fibre intake.

• Use food tracking or label reading to get a rough idea of how much you’re currently eating.
• Start aiming toward 25-30 grams per day, or roughly 10-15g per 1,000 calories (but add slowly).
• Don’t overthink it, just start with small upgrades like whole grain swaps, more fruit and veg, and adding legumes to meals.
  

In a moment, I’ll walk you through exactly how to get more fibre in your diet, from what food sources to choose, practical swaps, and how to actually implement this in your life, but first, I want to offer you a word of warning. 

Take It Slow: Don’t Shock Your System

Now, this is one of the most important things I explain to clients when I start showing them how to get more fibre in the diet:

If you’re not currently eating enough fibre, do not jump from 10 grams to 30 grams overnight.

Yes, fibre is fantastic. Yes, you absolutely need more of it. But, and this is really is crucial, your digestive system needs time to adjust to that increase.

What Happens If You Increase Too Quickly?

If you suddenly flood your system with double or triple the fibre you’re used to, your gut’s going to throw a bit of a tantrum.

Here’s what that can look like:

• Bloating
• Gas
• Cramping
• Constipation or loose stools
• General discomfort that makes you feel like something’s “wrong”

This is where a lot of people get discouraged and give up. They assume fibre “doesn’t agree with them” or that they have a sensitivity.

But in the vast majority of cases, it’s not a food intolerance, it’s just poor pacing.

Your gut is full of microbes that help break down fibre and ferment certain types (especially prebiotic fibres). When you increase fibre intake slowly, these microbes grow and adapt, making the transition smoother. But hit your system too hard, too fast, and you overwhelm the machinery.

How to Increase Fibre The Right Way

The good news is that your gut can adapt wonderfully, you just have to give it a bit of time.

Here’s the method I use with clients, and it works really well:

Week 1: Add ~5 grams more per day than you’re currently eating

• If you normally eat around 15g/day, then aim for 20g/day this week
• This might be as simple as adding an apple to your usual routine or making an easy swap from refined carbs to wholegrain carbs.

Week 2: Add another 5 grams

• That brings you up to 25g/day
• Maybe now you swap white rice for brown rice, or add some beans to your lunch

Week 3: Hit your target (25-30g/day)

• You’re now in the optimal range, and your body will have adapted gradually without digestive drama.
• At this stage, fibre-rich eating starts to become part of your daily diet.

Hydration Matters 

One of fibre’s key jobs in the bowels is to absorb water. This helps bulk up your stool and keep things moving through your digestive tract efficiently.

But if you’re not drinking enough water, then that fibre can sit in your gut like a sponge without enough fluid to do its job, and that’s a recipe for constipation or discomfort.

So, as your fibre intake goes up, your water intake should go up too.

Aim for:

• At least 40mL of water per kilo of body weight per day, as a baseline.
• You will need more if you’re active, sweating, or increasing fibre quickly.
• Water-rich foods (like fruit/veg) all help too and give you the double benefit of more fibre and more water.

Build Fibre Gradually for Long-Term Success

To recap:

• Don’t overhaul your fibre intake in a day
• Add ~5g per day per week until you hit at least 25-30g daily
• Stay well hydrated to support your digestive system
• Watch for symptoms (a little bloating early on is normal, but it should settle)

By increasing fibre gently and consistently, you’re giving your gut a chance to adjust, and that leads to better digestion, better energy, and better health without the side effects.

Now, let’s actually get stuck into how to get more fibre in your diet!

How To Get More Fibre In Your Diet: The Key Food Sources

Alright, now that we’ve covered why fibre is so important and how much you actually need, let’s talk about the practical side of how to get more fibre in your diet. Where do you actually get fibre in the diet from?

The great thing about fibre is that it’s not some expensive supplement or exotic superfood. It’s naturally found in real, whole, plant-based foods, especially those that haven’t been heavily processed or stripped of their nutritional value.

We’re talking about:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Legumes and pulses
• Nuts and seeds

The key is eating enough of these consistently, and ideally including a variety (because different types of fibre do different things in the body, and the more variety you get, the better your gut and overall health will be).

Let’s break this down into five major categories, so you can start identifying simple wins in your own diet.

1. Whole Grains Over Refined Carbs

This is one of the easiest and most effective swaps you can make.

Refined carbs (things like white rice, white bread, and standard pasta) have had the fibre-rich bran and germ stripped away during processing. What you’re left with is a lower-fibre, lower-nutrient, fast-digesting carb that spikes blood sugar and leaves you hungry again quickly.

Whole grains, on the other hand, keep all the good stuff. That means more fibre, B-vitamins, and minerals.

Easy swaps:

• White rice → brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, bulgur wheat
• Regular pasta → whole wheat pasta or lentil/chickpea-based pasta
• White bread → whole grain, seeded, rye, or sprouted grain bread
• Sugary cereal → oats, bran flakes, shredded wheat, Weetabix

Even switching out just one daily grain product for its whole grain version can give you a solid bump in fibre intake.

Label-Reading Tip:

Look for at least 3 grams of fibre per serving, and ideally closer to 5g. Also, don’t be fooled by terms like “multigrain” or “7-grain”, as these sound healthy but aren’t always whole grain. The key phrase to look for is “100% whole grain”.

2. Fruits & Vegetables

You knew this one was coming, not only are fruits and vegetables loaded with fibre, but they’re also packed with water, antioxidants, vitamins, and phytonutrients that support every system in your body. When it comes to fibre, different plants offer different types of fibre (soluble and insoluble), so the more variety, the better.

Pro tips to boost fibre from fruit and veg:

• Eat the skins when they’re edible (e.g., apples, pears, potatoes) as that’s where much of the fibre lives
• Go for colour diversity, and aim to eat across the rainbow for a broader fibre spectrum
• Blend smoothies using whole fruit (not just juice) as you want the pulp and skin
  

Some of the highest-fibre options:

• Raspberries: ~8g per cup
• Pears (with skin): ~5–6g per medium fruit
• Apples (with skin): ~4g each
• Avocados: ~10g per fruit (surprisingly high!)
• Broccoli (cooked): ~5g per cup
• Sweet potatoes (with skin): ~4g per medium potato
• Carrots, spinach, peas, cauliflower: all solid options
  

Try to include at least one fruit or veg at every meal, and consider using them as snacks too. A piece of fruit with a handful of nuts, or raw veg with hummus, is a great fibre-rich combo.

3. Pulses & Legumes

Now we’re getting into the heavy hitters. If you want to seriously bump your fibre intake, legumes and pulses are your best friend.

They’re high in both fibre and protein, rich in minerals like iron and magnesium, and very filling, which makes them ideal for body composition, gut health, blood sugar regulation, and plant-based eating.

Examples to add into your meals:

• Lentils: ~8g per ½ cup cooked
• Chickpeas: ~6-7g per ½ cup
• Black beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans: all around 7-9g per ½ cup
• Peas: ~4g per ½ cup

Easy ways to use them:

• Add lentils to soups or curries
• Mix chickpeas into salads or pasta dishes
• Make bean-based chillies, stews, or casseroles
• Try hummus or black bean dip as a snack
• Even baked beans on whole grain toast is a surprisingly great fibre-rich meal!

If you’ve been avoiding beans due to gas or bloating, remember what we said earlier: go slow and let your gut adapt. 

4. High-Fibre Snack Products

Here’s where a little convenience can come into play. In recent years, we’ve seen a big rise in fibre-fortified foods and snacks, which can help fill gaps, especially if you’re busy or on the go.

What to look out for:

• Fibre-rich cereal bars (like Fibre One, Fulfil, etc.)
• High-fibre breakfast cereals (bran-based, or grain-heavy mixes)
• Fibre-enriched yogurts or protein drinks
• Some protein bars (check the label, as some offer 10g+)

Now, while these can definitely help, they’re best used as a supplement to a whole food-based diet, and should not be a replacement.

A Word of Caution:

Many of these products rely on isolated fibre types like inulin or chicory root fibre or even sugar alcohols. While these are technically fibre, they can cause bloating or gas in some people, especially in large amounts. And they don’t provide the same fibre diversity or nutrient density that you’d get from whole plant foods.

So by all means, include them, but don’t let them become your only source of fibre.

5. Bonus: Quorn Products

This one’s a bit of a wild card, but if you’re plant-based or reducing meat, Quorn is a surprisingly solid option.

Quorn is made from mycoprotein, a type of fungus that’s fermented and shaped into products like mince, nuggets, or chicken-style fillets. It’s high in protein, low in fat, and offers a decent hit of fibre, typically around 4-6g per 100g serving, depending on the product.

Quorn is especially useful if you:

• Are plant based.
• Want to reduce meat but still need high-protein meals.
• Struggle to get enough fibre from other plant sources.

It’s also quick, convenient, and available in most supermarkets now. Just check the packaging for exact fibre content, as it varies by type.

Final Thoughts On How To Get More Fibre In Your Diet

If there’s one message I want you to take away from this article, it’s this:

Fibre might not be “essential” to keep you alive, but it’s absolutely essential if you want to feel your best, function at your best, and stay healthy long-term.

It supports your digestion, blood sugar, appetite, hormones, heart, and even your mental clarity and immune system. And yet, most people are dramatically under-consuming it.

In places like Ireland, the UK, and the US, we’re averaging 12-14 grams per day, which is barely hitting half of what’s recommended. And we’re seeing the effects of that shortfall everywhere: gut issues, insulin resistance, cravings, inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and more.

The good news is that you can fix this. And it doesn’t require anything extreme.

As you build your meals, start thinking in terms of fibre the same way you might already think about protein. Try to include at least one fibre-rich food in every meal and snack, and aim for variety across the day.

Before you leave, here are a few quick tips:

Start slow, build gradually

Don’t try to overhaul your fibre intake overnight. Increase by about 5 grams per day per week, and make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to help fibre move smoothly through your system. Give your gut time to adapt.

PrioritiSe real, whole foods

Focus on the core fibre-rich groups:

• Whole grains over white/refined carbs
• Fruits and vegetables, ideally at every meal
• Legumes and pulses, fibre powerhouses with protein to match
• Nuts, seeds, and high-fibre snacks, easy wins for in-between meals

No need for perfection, but the more of these you can include consistently, the better.

Diversity matters

Different types of fibre feed different types of gut bacteria. That diversity supports better digestion, stronger immunity, and more stable energy and mood. So mix it up: oats and berries one day, lentils and sweet potato the next. Variety is your friend.

Start with small, sustainable swaps

This is where you’ll get the biggest long-term return:

• Swap white rice for brown rice or quinoa
• Replace sugary cereal with oats or bran flakes
• Add a side of veg or a handful of greens to your dinner
• Choose fruit and nuts instead of a processed snack bar
• Toss some beans or lentils into your soup, salad, or curry
  

These aren’t big, overwhelming changes, they’re just smart, consistent upgrades that compound over time.

Ultimately, by getting more fibre in your diet:

• Your gut will feel better.
• Your energy will be steadier.
• Your appetite will self-regulate more naturally.
• And your risk of chronic disease will drop — all from something as simple as eating more fibre.

So next time you’re building your meals or doing your weekly shop, ask yourself:

• Where’s the fibre coming from?
• Can I get just a bit more on my plate?
• Is there a simple swap I can make?

Small steps, repeated often, are how we build better habits and better health.

If you need more help with your own nutrition, you can always reach out to us and get online coaching, or alternatively, you can interact with our free content, especially our free nutrition content.

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Finally, if you want to learn how to coach nutrition, then consider our Nutrition Coach Certification course, and if you want to learn to get better at exercise program design, then consider our course on exercise program design. We do have other courses available too. If you don’t understand something, or you just need clarification, you can always reach out to us on Instagram or via email.