The Whole Wheat Fibre Challenge with Weetabix
I consider our family’s diet to be healthy and balanced, we eat everything, but in moderation. I truly believe it is all about having a little bit of what you fancy, together with lots of fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy.
Although we follow a healthy diet, we don’t meet the daily recommend fibre intake of 30g, reaching around half of our fibre needs daily. Apparently we are not alone, as many families in the UK do not have enough fibre in their diets.
Weetabix has recently launched The Whole Wheat Fibre Challenge, aiming to raise awareness of the benefits of a high fibre diet and to help families increase their daily fibre intake.
The top fibre tips are: drink plenty of water (at least 8 glasses a day), include at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables in your daily diet, include pulses, nuts, seeds and wholegrain cereals, such as Weetabix.
Together with Gabby Logan, the front of The Whole Wheat Fibre Challenge, we have been trying to increase our fibre intake. We provided a food diary to Weetabix’s consultant nutritionist Sian Porter, and was given advice on simple ways to enjoy a high fibre diet.
We were given the follow advice:
- Try and include variety of fruit, ‘eat a rainbow’ rather than getting stuck in grape/apple rut. This is because no one food contains all the nutrients you need so need variety.
We used to have mostly have apples, satsumas, bananas and grapes, but we have been trying to add other fruits to our diet.
- This is the same too for carbs, so try and include a variety such as brown rice, wholegrain pasta, potatoes with skins, quinoa and cereal made from whole wheat as it uses all of the grain.
We don’t usually have brown rice or wholegrain pasta, but it can be easily changed. Weetabix is a high in fibre, healthy and nutritious – perfect way to start the day with lots of fibre.
- When you eat rice, choose brown to boost fibre intake.
Noted!
- Think about eating natural yoghurt with nuts, fruit and seeds stirred in to boost calcium intake and fibre as a snack rather than breakfast biscuits or make some of the lemon figgy bars (one of the challenge recipe and take one with you.)
We don’t have much yogurt, nuts and seeds in our diet, but could easily try and change our snack options. We will also be trying some of the challenge recipes.
- It’s fantastic you had beans with your meal as it’s a great way of boosting fibre but try to add to soups too.
We enjoy eating beans and pulses, they are delicious and full of fibre.
- I wasn’t sure if you had vegetables with your lamb curry but make sure you eat veg with every meal. You could add spinach to the curry and use a tomato based sauce or have a lentil Dahl as a side dish.
We always add vegetables to our meals, even to curries and spaghetti bollognese.
Thank you Sian for the tips, they can be easily followed to increase our fibre intake. I will let you all know how The Whole Wheat Fibre Challenge goes. In the meanwhile, please feel free to check Weetabix website for Gabby’s progress and simple high fibre recipes.