{"id":584555,"date":"2026-07-14T04:21:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T04:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/584555\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T04:21:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T04:21:19","slug":"five-fibre-packed-foods-to-add-to-your-summer-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/584555\/","title":{"rendered":"Five fibre-packed foods to add to your summer diet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

In season July through September, raspberries deliver a hefty 8 g of fibre per one cup.KELSEY MCCLELLAN\/The New York Times<\/p>\n

Fibre is one of the most powerful, evidence-based nutrients for healthy aging, yet it\u2019s one that most people consistently under-consume. <\/p>\n

According to Health Canada, Canadians get, on average, 14 to 17 grams of fibre per day \u2013 roughly half the amount recommended for adults.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not enough to fully reap fibre\u2019s impressive health benefits.<\/p>\n

The good news: summer is a great time to increase your daily fibre intake by taking advantage of seasonal produce and plant-forward meals. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick primer on dietary fibre, plus simple ways to add this season\u2019s fibre-rich foods to your summer meals. <\/p>\n

How much fibre to aim for each day<\/p>\n

The Canadian and U.S. Dietary Reference Intakes for fibre, released in 2002, advise that adults ages 19 to 50 consume 25 g (women) and 38 g (men) of fibre each day. Older women and men are recommended to include 21 and 30 g, respectively, in their daily diet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since 2002, strong evidence has shown that consuming at least 25 to 30 g of fibre a day is tied to meaningful reductions in the risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer and premature death. <\/p>\n

In 2023, the World Health Organization updated its carbohydrate guidelines, recommending that adults include at least 25 g of naturally occurring dietary fibre in their diet each day. <\/p>\n

For many Canadians, this means upping one\u2019s daily fibre intake by at least 10 g. <\/p>\n

How fibre protects health<\/p>\n

Fibre isn\u2019t a single nutrient. It\u2019s a diverse group of non-digestible carbohydrates, with different types having distinct properties that influence their health effects.<\/p>\n

Why you need to eat a high-fibre breakfast \u2013 and how to do it<\/a><\/p>\n

Soluble gel-forming (viscous) fibres found in psyllium, oats, barley, apples, pears and berries can help lower LDL cholesterol and mitigate post-meal rises in blood glucose and insulin. <\/p>\n

Prebiotic fibres feed beneficial gut microbes. When gut bacteria ferment these fibres, they produce short chain fatty acids, compounds that support immune function, strengthen the gut barrier and reduce inflammation.<\/p>\n

Artichokes, garlic, onion, asparagus, dandelion, bananas, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, cooked and cooled potato and pasta, cashews and pistachios are good sources of prebiotic fibres. <\/p>\n

Insoluble fibres in wheat bran, flaxseed, whole grains, nuts and seeds add bulk to stool and promote regularity. <\/p>\n

Add the following local in-season foods to your summer menu. Doing so will increase your intake of a variety of fibres, as well as other essential nutrients and protective phytochemicals. <\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

One medium pear (180 g) serves up 6 g of fibre.Christopher Katsarov\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

Raspberries<\/p>\n

In season July through September, raspberries deliver a hefty 8 g of fibre per one cup. <\/p>\n

They\u2019re also an excellent source of polyphenols, plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties thought to support cardiovascular, brain and gut health. <\/p>\n

Toss fresh raspberries into leafy green salads, blend them into a refreshing smoothie or add them to yogurt bowls and overnight oats. Enjoy them for dessert paired with a square of dark chocolate. <\/p>\n

Artichokes<\/p>\n

Globe artichokes, available August through September, provide a mix of fibres including prebiotic inulin, soluble gel-forming fibre and insoluble fibres. <\/p>\n

One medium artichoke supplies 7 g of fibre; one half-cup of artichoke hearts contains 5 g. What\u2019s more, this vegetable also contains plenty of folate, a B vitamin that makes and repairs DNA in cells. <\/p>\n

Move over, protein \u2013 a high-fibre diet is the latest healthy-eating trend<\/a><\/p>\n

Include artichoke hearts on a grilled vegetable platter. Add them to a homemade pizza or summer pasta. Enjoy steamed artichoke leaves as an appetizer with a yogurt-based lemon dipping sauce.<\/p>\n

Pears<\/p>\n

In season August and September, pears outrank most types of fruit (except raspberries and blackberries) when it comes to fibre. One medium pear (180 g) serves up 6 g of fibre, including 1.5 to 2 g of cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre. <\/p>\n

Toss diced pear into a spinach or arugula salad or stir some into oatmeal or overnight oats. For dessert, try grilled pear topped with yogurt, lemon zest and toasted almonds.<\/p>\n

Or enjoy a pear with a small handful of nuts for a satisfying midday snack.<\/p>\n

Rapini (broccoli rabe)<\/p>\n

This leafy green vegetable, in season July through September, provides 5 g of filling fibre per one cup cooked, along with 200 mg of well-absorbed calcium. And it\u2019s an exceptional source of beta-carotene and brain-friendly lutein. <\/p>\n

Try grilled rapini dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. Add chopped cooked rapini to a white bean salad, or toss it into a pasta salad with cherry tomatoes. <\/p>\n

How this dietitian packs fibre into her balanced diet<\/a><\/p>\n

Pulses<\/p>\n

While lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans and fava beans are available year round, they are nutrient- and fibre-rich Canadian crops grown mainly in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.<\/p>\n

One cup of cooked pulses serves up 9 to 15.5 g of fibre, depending on the type. Plus, they\u2019re an outstanding source of plant protein, folate, magnesium and potassium.<\/p>\n

Include beans in leafy green salads, toss lentils into whole grain salads or add chickpeas to Greek salad. Make a mixed bean, chickpea or lentil salad to serve as a side dish at a backyard barbecue.<\/p>\n

Try grilling black-bean burgers. Make hummus or a white-bean dip to serve with crudit\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

Looking for pulse recipes and cooking tips? Check out www.pulses.org\/nap<\/a><\/p>\n

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based private practice dietitian, is director of food and nutrition at Medcan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: In season July through September, raspberries deliver a hefty 8 g of fibre…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":584556,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[277],"tags":[15337,18,135,19,17,24232,508],"class_list":["post-584555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-dei","tag-eire","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-newnewsletter","tag-nutrition"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116916419677212339","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/584556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=584555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=584555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}