What you eat has an enormous impact on your bowels. (No pun intended!) 

Of course, a healthy eating pattern gives your body the energy and nutrition it needs to take you through your busy days. The same is true when it comes to bowel health.  

The fibre in plant food (fruit and veggies, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds) is your bowel’s best friend.

Fibre helps your bowel work at its peak. It keep your movements regular and helps your bowels absorb all the necessary nutrients and rid your body of unneeded waste. 

Aside from improving bowel health, other benefits of fibre include: 

• Helping prevent bowel cancer 
• Lowering cholesterol 
• Controlling blood sugar 
• Boosting our mental wellbeing
  

What’s not to love?  

So, how much fibre should you have each day? 

Inspiro’s nutrition expert Tracey explains that adults should aim for 25 to 30 grams of fibre per day and children should have between 14 to 28 grams per day depending on age. 

What does that look like?

Don’t force it! Follow Tracey’s simple (and delicious) suggestions for incorporating more fibre into your day.

Please note, these suggestions don’t account for allergies or intolerances. You know your body best so use this as a base to create your own fibre-boosting meal plan that works for your needs.

2 pieces of fruit 

• snack on a piece of fruit,  
• add a few prunes to breakfast  
• make a dessert of baked fruit and crumble with oats and seeds
  

3 handfuls of vegetables 

• Soup for lunch 
• Spinach and mushrooms at breakfast  
• Make half of your dinner plate a variety of vegetables (keep the skin on for extra fibre)

2 -3 serves of wholegrains  

• oats for breakfast in muesli or porridge  
• a slice or 2 of whole meal or wholegrain bread at lunch  
• brown rice or pasta with dinner 
• try a variety of wholegrains in salads, soups or vegie dishes (barley, buckwheat, burghal, chia, corn, millet, quinoa, rye, semolina, sorghum, spelt)

30 grams of nuts and seeds  

• They make a great afternoon snack 
• Or a nibble after dinner  
• Add to a muesli 
• Sprinkle on a salad

Half a cup of legumes  

• Try a variety! (Rinse well if they come in a tin) Choose from black-eyed beans, borlotti beans, butter beans, cannelini beans, chick peas, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, mung beans, soya beans and split peas. 
• Add legumes to soups or casseroles 
• Enjoy hummus or dahl 

Don’t forget – drink more water! 

• When you’re increasing fibre, increase your fluid intake too so you don’t get constipated.