Fibre is one of the least glamorous parts of nutrition and one of the most useful. It supports digestion, steadies blood sugar after meals, feeds the bacteria in your gut and helps you feel full for longer. Most adults do not get enough of it.
How much do you actually need?
Adults need roughly 25 to 30 grams a day. That sounds like a lot until you see how quickly it adds up with ordinary food.
Where to find it, without shopping differently
You do not need chia seeds or imported cereals. Fibre is already in the foods you know:
- Beans — a cup of cooked beans carries around 12 grams. Ewa agoyin, moi moi, gbegiri, akara all count.
- Vegetables — ugu, okra, garden egg, waterleaf, spinach. Volume matters more than variety here.
- Whole grains — unpolished rice, oats, whole maize, millet, guinea corn.
- Fruit with the skin on — guava, apple, pear. Peeling removes a good part of the fibre.
- Tubers with the skin — sweet potato and Irish potato, where the skin is edible and clean.
The mistake people make
They add fibre suddenly and in large amounts, feel bloated and uncomfortable, and decide fibre does not agree with them. It usually does. The problem is the speed of the change.
Increase gradually over two to three weeks, and drink more water as you do. Fibre draws water into the gut; without enough of it, more fibre can make constipation worse rather than better.
Three swaps that need no new recipes
- Replace half the white rice in a meal with beans.
- Choose a whole fruit instead of juice. Juice loses nearly all the fibre.
- Add a handful of vegetables to a soup or stew you already make.
When to ask for help
If you are managing diabetes, kidney disease or a gut condition such as IBS, the right amount and type of fibre for you is not the same as general advice. That is a conversation worth having with a dietitian rather than guessing.