Fibre: Superfood’s Least Sexy Cousin – Part 3
By Karalee Boschung RD(t) Let’s begin by asking ourselves – Am I getting enough fibre? The recommended intake of fibre is 25 – 38g per day. It is estimated that most Canadians do not get enough. Some estimate that fewer than 50% of Canadians meet the recommended fibre intake! How can you know you’re getting enough? Ask yourselves the following questions: How many times a day do I eat fruits or vegetables? A diet including enough fiber, will have at least seven servings of vegetables and fruit per day. A serving is half a cup of vegetables, a whole fruit, or one cup of leafy greens. What type of carbohydrates do I eat on a daily basis? Most of the carbohydrates you eat should consist of whole, intact grains. Examples include barley, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, farro, amaranth, buckwheat etc. Other high fibre carbohydrates can be found in starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or purple potatoes. Aim for at least half of your grains per day to be whole grains. How many times a week do I eat plant-based proteins (ex. beans, tofu, lentils)? Aims to get your protein from plant-based sources as much as possible, to increase fibre in your diet. If you are eating plant-based protein at 3-4 out of 7 dinners per week, you are on the right track. How much of my diet is made up of processed foods (ex. white bread, fast food, processed breakfast cereal, cookies, chips)? Processed foods should make up 20% or less of your diet. They should be used as treats but not make up the majority of your daily intake. To get enough fibre you should reduce your intake of processed foods as much as possible. After answering those questions, how are you doing with fibre intake? Are your habits fibre-rich? Or do you need to work on a few things? Here are 6 ways to easily increase your fibre intake: Cut the fluff and switch to whole grains! Bread – the first ingredient listed should be whole wheat, whole rye whole oats etcetera. Look out for “brown bread” that is just white bread colored brown with molasses! Cereal – ditch highly processed breakfast cereals and get whole, intact grains instead. Experiment with steel cut oats, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and more whole grains for breakfast! Start switching out white rice or pasta with whole-grains at lunch and dinner. There are many delicious, nutty-tasting grains out there! Make it your goal to try a new one each month to get familiar with all the options, and see how easy (and inexpensive!) it is to add whole grains into your diet. Get rid of processed foods in your snacks and have…
 Let's begin by asking ourselves - Am I getting enough fibre? The recommended intake of fibre is 25 – 38g per day. It is estimated that most Canadians do not get enough. ... )
