Fibre: High-Fibre Foods and How They Work

Looking to improve your health from home in a simple and effective way? Increasing your fibre intake is a great place to start. Fibre is often overlooked, yet it plays an important role in digestion, energy levels, and long term health. Found in everyday foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, fibre supports your body in multiple ways. Despite this, many people do not get enough fibre in their daily diet. In this article, we explain what fibre is, how it works in the body, and how you can easily include more fibre rich foods in your meals to support your overall wellbeing.

Table of Contents

• What is fibre?

• Tips for adding more fibre-rich foods to your diet

• How do fibres work in the body?

• A closer look at the impact of fibre on your health

• Frequently asked questions about fibre

What is fibre?

Fibre refers to the parts of plant foods that cannot be digested or absorbed by the small bowel. Rather than being absorbed like other nutrients, fibre moves through your digestive system and supports it along the way.

There are two main types of fibre:

• Soluble fibre: Dissolves in water to form a soft gel. It helps soften stool (good for constipation) and can also firm things up if you have diarrhoea.
  Found in: fruits (like apples and bananas), oats, beans, lentils, and some vegetables.

• Insoluble fibre: Doesn’t dissolve in water. It adds bulk to stool and helps food move through your gut, keeping you regular.
  Found in: whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit and vegetable skins.

Both types are important, and most plant-based foods contain a mix of the two. Together, they help maintain a healthy digestive system and support overall health.

Source: Queensland Health, 2022

Tips for adding more fibre-rich foods to your diet

Adding more fibre to your diet doesn’t have to be complicated. By choosing more plant based, whole foods and making small changes to your meals, you can easily increase your fibre intake over time.

Easy ways to add more fibre are:

• Choose wholegrain bread, pasta, and rice instead of refined options

• Eat fruit, nuts, or seeds as snacks

• Add vegetables to every meal (e.g. tomato on toast, salad in sandwiches, veggies at dinner)

• Start your day with high-fibre options like oats or wholegrain cereals

• Add extras like bran or psyllium husk to yoghurt, cereal, or meals

• Eat whole fruits instead of drinking juice

• Swap some meat meals for plant-based options like beans or lentils

• Aim for a variety of colourful plant foods

Tipp: Increase your fibre slowly to avoid bloating, and drink plenty of water since fibre absorbs water and needs it to move through your gut. 

Source: Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 2023 

How do fibres work in the body?

Fibre supports your body in several important ways, especially digestion and overall health.

Because your body can’t fully digest fibre, it moves through your gut and helps keep everything running smoothly. Insoluble fibre adds bulk to your stool, making it easier to pass and helping prevent constipation. Soluble fibre absorbs water and forms a gel, which slows digestion and can help with both constipation and diarrhoea.

Fibre also feeds the good bacteria in your gut, supporting a healthy digestive system.

Beyond digestion, fibre can:

• Help lower cholesterol

• Keep blood sugar levels steady

• Help you feel full for longer, which can support weight management

Eating a variety of fibre rich foods helps support your gut, heart, and overall wellbeing.

Source: Mayo Clinic Staff, 2025 

A closer look at the impact of fibre on your health

Fibre is an essential part of a balanced diet. It supports digestion, helps regulate important body processes, and contributes to long term health. However, many people still do not get enough fibre each day. Reviewing your eating habits and making small, simple changes can make a real difference to how you feel.

Because fibre plays a key role in supporting your gut, it can also influence your microbiome, the community of bacteria in your digestive system. If you want to better understand your gut health, tools like Homed IQ’s Microbiome Test can offer helpful insights and guide you toward more personalised choices.

Frequently asked questions about fibre

Can you eat too much fibre?

Most people need more fibre, but increasing it too quickly or eating too much can cause discomfort. Common symptoms include bloating, gas, stomach cramps, constipation, or loose stools. This often happens because gut bacteria ferment fibre (producing gas) or because there isn’t enough fluid to help it move through your system. Very high fibre intake may also reduce how well your body absorbs some minerals and can make you feel full too quickly.

To avoid this, increase your fibre intake gradually over time and make sure you’re drinking enough water. This helps your digestive system adjust and allows fibre to work effectively.

Source: UCHealth, 2025

How much fibre do you need?

Daily recommendations for adults are:

• Women: 21-25g

• Men: 30-38g

Source: Mayo Clinic Staff, 2025

Which foods are naturally high in fibre?

Common high-fibre foods include (The information in brackets shows a typical serving size followed by the amount of fibre (in grams) that serving provides):

• Fruits: raspberries (1 cup, 8.0g), pear (1 medium, 5.5g), apple with skin (1 medium, 4.5g), banana (1 medium, 3.0g), orange (1 medium, 3.0g), strawberries (1 cup, 3.0g)
• Vegetables: green peas (1 cup, 9.0g), broccoli (1 cup chopped, 5.0g), turnip greens (1 cup, 5.0g), brussels sprouts (1 cup, 4.5g), potato with skin (1 medium, 4.0g), sweet corn (1 cup, 4.0g), cauliflower (1 cup chopped, 2.0g), carrot (1 medium, 1.5g)
• Grains: whole wheat spaghetti (1 cup cooked, 6.0g), barley (1 cup cooked, 6.0g), bran flakes (3/4 cup, 5.5g), quinoa (1 cup cooked, 5.0g), oat bran muffin (1 medium, 5.0g), oatmeal (1 cup cooked, 4.0g), popcorn (3 cups, 3.5g), brown rice (1 cup cooked, 3.5g), whole wheat bread (1 slice, 2.0g), rye bread (1 slice, 2.0g)
• Legumes nuts and seeds: split peas (1 cup, 16.0g), lentils (1 cup, 15.5g), black beans (1 cup, 15.0g), white beans (1 cup, 13.0g), chia seeds (1 ounce, 10.0g), almonds (1 ounce about 23 nuts, 3.5g), pistachios (1 ounce about 49 nuts, 3.0g), sunflower seeds (1/4 cup, 3.0g)

By making these small, consistent choices, you can naturally increase your fibre intake and support your overall health.

Source: Mayo Clinic Staff, 2025