Unlike vitamins or minerals, dietary fibre is not a nutrient. However, it can do a lot to keep you healthy. A low-fat, high-fibre diet promotes gastro-intestinal health and may protect against heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer. High-fibre foods are often low in fat and calories and tend to be more filling...
Some Ways You Can Increase Your Fibre Intake:
- Include fruits and veggies at every meal. Put chopped tomatoes, onions and mushrooms in an omelette, for example. Instead of only bean sprouts in your noodles, add sliced carrots, red and green pepper and cabbage. Top your cereals or yoghurt with little nuts, dried fruit or slices of banana and chunks of strawberry. Yummy! That extra crunch will make you enjoy your food more.
Substitute veggies for some of the meat in your dishes. If you make beef stew, reduce the amount of beef but up the vegetable content by putting in more carrots, potatoes, peas and diced onions. - Inspire yourself by buying new cookbooks which offer exciting vegetable recipes.
- If you live with "anti-veggie" adults and kids, sneak fibre into their food. Fruit in home-made cakes and grated carrots in spaghetti sauce are two ways to "trick" them into eating the good stuff. The best way is to keep reminding them of the benefits of fibre and to think up delicious fibre-enriched meals to whet their palate.
(Source: Health Promotion Board)
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