Experts have offered their tips on how to improve your diet and your health in one specific way.
Hanna Geissler and Ewan Mowat Deputy Lifestyle, Trends, & Showbiz Editor
12:00, 16 Mar 2026
Healthy eating trends are far from a new thing. People have been attempting to shift a bit of weight by trying fad diets, joining slimming groups, and cutting or adding certain foods, drinks, and supplements into their routines for years.
How well they work can depend on the change itself as well as the person doing it. One of the latest trends involves trying to get more of one crucial element into your diet – and it’s something that only one in 20 Brits is currently managing.
According to the latest UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which is used by governments to monitor our nutrition, less than one in 20 (4%) of adults and teenagers are meeting the recommended daily fibre intake, which is 30g and 25g, respectively.
That means a whopping 96 per cent aren’t. And that’s probably not a surprise, as it’s highly unlikely you could say how much fibre there is in what you had for breakfast, lunch, or dinner without checking the nutrition labels.
But there is a large movement on social media that is trying to change that – the wellness trend of ‘fibremaxxing’. It is all about getting more fibre into your body and eating more whole plant foods, and it was even picked by M&S as one of the five food trends to dominate this year.
But before you go and fibremaxx all of your meals, you should read on. As experts have warned that there are potentially unpleasant consequences to suddenly turning your diet fibre-rich without properly researching it. Hanna Geissler, health editor at our sister title The Express, has spoken to nutritionists and dieticians to get the low-down on how to take more fibre the right way.
What is fibre?
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses and seeds. Unlike other nutrients, it is not digested but helps to keep the digestive system healthy and can prevent constipation, among other benefits.
Louisa Brunt, a senior nutritionist at M&S Food, says: “Internally at M&S we say that fibre is sexy! Found in plant-based foods, it’s so important to our nutrition as it helps keep our digestive system running smoothly and plays an important role in supporting overall health; supporting gut health, helps us stay fuller for longer, stabilises blood sugar levels and supports heart health by reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol.”
High-fibre diets have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer, part of why Louisa describes fibre as a “hidden hero”. There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fibre, found in fruit, vegetables and pulses, dissolves in water to form a gel, which aids in lowering cholesterol and managing blood sugar. Insoluble fibre, found in the outer shell of seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables, does not dissolve, adding bulk to stool, which prevents constipation.
Fibre can also be taken in pill form or powder as a laxative. Some people with certain health conditions may need to restrict their fibre intake, so always follow your doctor’s advice.
How much fibre do we need?
The recommendation for UK adults is 30g of fibre a day, but only 4 per cent are managing this and most people are incorporating just over half at 16.4g on average. Cereals are the biggest source of fibre in British diets, followed by vegetables.
For children aged 18 months to three years, it’s 12.5g, with around 22 per cent of kids meeting the target. That drops to 14 per cent of those aged four to 10 who are meeting their 14.5g target, and again to just 4 per cent of 11-18-year-olds meeting the 15.4g guidance.
Sian Porter, a consultant dietitian to the Weetabix Food Company, says: “The easiest ways to increase fibre are to add fibre-rich ingredients to meals and make simple additions or swaps, such as adding fruit to your cereal, sprinkling nuts or seeds on yoghurt or soup, choosing wholegrains over white rice or pasta, keeping edible skins on fruit and veg, and swapping snacks like crisps for nuts or meat for beans and lentils. Build these changes gradually and remember to drink plenty of fluids.”
What is fibremaxxing?
Following on from the fitness trend of ‘protein-maxxing’, there has been a social media boom in posts and videos about boosting fibre intake via ‘fibremaxxing’.
Fibre fans and influencers have shared various recipes for whole plant food meals, such as dense bean salads packed with chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans, or taken on the challenge of eating more than 30 different plants in a single week.
Louisa says: “Thanks to social media trends, fibre is being pushed into the spotlight, becoming the next high protein with growing customer demand and more customers are seeking high fibre options in their everyday diets. In a recent Bounce Insights customer survey, 92 per cent of our customers indicated wanting support to increase their fibre intake.”
What are the potential issues with fibremaxxing?
As with any food trend – or any other kind of trend – going extreme can be dangerous. Gastrointestinal experts have warned of unpleasant side effects for those who go far beyond the recommended 30g or suddenly start increasing their fibre intake too quickly.
Kirsten Jackson, a gut health specialist known as The IBS Dietitian said: “Most of the fibre people are consuming is from low quality sources such as highly processed wheat flour in a pizza. So yes, an increase in fibre is good and needed but I would not advise ‘fibremaxxing’, which is a trend that encourages people to eat as much fibre as possible.
“For the average person, going from zero to 100 will cause a range of gastrointestinal discomforts such as bloating, loose stools, abdominal pain and even constipation in some. And for the one in 10 people who have IBS, increasing fibre intake without any strategy could quite quickly cause a whole host of GI symptoms as many fibre sources are high in FODMAPs [carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the gut].”
How can I increase my fibre intake safely?
Kirsten’s expert advice is to gradually up your intake. She says: “The gut is a muscle so you need to train like this — slowly increasing.” And Louisa agrees, adding: “We want to help people get more fibre in their diets but not go from 3g a day straight to 30g!”
A good place to start is learning about how much fibre in the food you eat day-to-day. The British Nutrition Foundation’s website provides advice about 10 of the best sources of fibre, including peas, potatoes with skin on and dried fruits. Other reliable sources of information include the NHS website and the charity Guts UK’s website.
Once you have a rough idea of your starting point, you can try to increase your intake by around 5g and stay at that level for a few days to give your gut microbiome time to adjust. You can keep doing this until you hit the recommended 30g, though you may need to increase your intake of fluids and water to help fibre move smoothly through your digestive system.
Louisa explains: “Start small and build up. A good tip is to stagger your fibre intake across meals and snacks throughout the day, be careful not to overload your digestive system with fibre as this can be uncomfortable.
“Your gut is like a muscle which you need to train. For example, sprinkling some chia seeds on your breakfast, or opting for wholemeal bread at lunchtime instead of white are some easy quick wins to adding in more fibre.”
M&S has created a new Nutrient Dense range in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation, with high-fibre products that also contain at least one of 10 vital nutrients including vitamin D, iron and folate. For example, eating two slices of the brand’s Nutrient Dense Super Seeded Oaty Bread with peanut butter would help you start the day with 15g of fibre.
Sainsbury’s has also launched a new ‘Small but Mighty’ range of products under 350 calories and packed with protein and fibre.
Examples of high-fibre meals include porridge topped with nuts, seeds and fruit; lentil curry with brown rice; and wholegrain pasta with pesto and vegetables. If you have a limited budget, frozen or canned vegetables or canned mixed beans can help increase the variety of fibre sources in your diet.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.dailyrecord.co.uk
