How do you get enough fibre on reduced calories?

[DeftGoldHedgehog]

I tend to eat two meals a day, brunch and dinner, and cook from scratch but struggle to get 30g fibre a day on 1400/1500 calories. I eat lots of veg and I'm not veggie but only tend to have one slice of high fibre bread a day, and don't really eat cereals apart from a high fibre granola on the odd days I do eat breakfast. I like lentils and beans but get a bit fed up if I have them every day and don't want to add them to meals just for the sake of it. I like nuts but you have to watch the portion size. I know pears are good, but again don't always fancy them. My gut seems absolutely fine on 15-20g fibre a day, have a normal bowel movement at least once a day and I'm not constipated and not hungry. Does it matter that much?

For example today I had for brunch salmon, artichoke hearts and scrambled egg on rye sour dough with tomatoes and cucumbers. Tonight I've having bacon, gnocchi and peas in a creamy tarragon sauce, with tenderstem broccoli on the side, a naturally high protein yogurt and cherries for dessert, and medium conference pear for a snack.

It's only 21g or so of fibre. What else could I add/swap without adding too many more calories? I'd think a handful of nuts but it's only another 1g or so, and I'm already up to 1432 calories as it is.

I mix mine with defrosted berries and some kombucha - creates more of a gel, or just thickens it a bit - and have it with other things and yogourt/muesli for my breakfast.

Lidl’s is the best. Tried Green and Black’s organic and it was nowhere near!

I make Greek yoghurt mixed with kefir and stir in chia seeds. I leave it overnight and it’s like whipped cream in the morning! I add hot berries and walnut halves . It’s like the most decadent treat but healthy.

Lidl stopped selling 90% years ago near us. They only have 80% and it's got flavourings in which I don't like at all. Too sweet for me.

Oh I have 80% didn’t realise it had flavouring. I just have the plain dark chocolate. Doesn’t taste of anything else.

@landlordhell I know it's sad. It's got vanilla flavouring and so much more sugar iirc.

You must be very well adapted to virtually no sugar. I don’t have a sweet tooth and I can’t taste sweetness in it. Natural vanilla is fine .

I worked my way up from 70% over about ten years!
I did eat the lidl 85% for years, interspersed with the aldi 80%. Then I discovered the Waitrose one and I was totally hooked.

I like the bitterness, it goes particularly well with a G&T 😁

I like to eat mine with a single malt whiskey or walnuts and camomile tea! Will give Waitrose a try. Thanks .

Ooooh walnuts YES! Good choice.

Ive been trying for so long to ditch them, but I'm finding it so very hard

I know how bad it is for me, I really do, but I get a thirst on me that nothing touches, other then a Pepsi max. I know Im addicted because of that thirst that can not be quencehd

I used to love Diet Coke for the same reason- not 6 cans a day but a few cans a week. I don’t touch it now. I would make that your number one goal above the fibre. Just don’t buy it, you can do it. Squeeze some lime into sparkling water. It hits the spot after you’ve broken that habit.

Aldi do an 85% that’s so unsweet it tastes like burnt tyres. You might like it.

Its complete madness I know

I try not to eat UPFs - a squeeze of sauce, a spoon of mayo ( small household not worth the hassle of making ) . I eat natural protein and get as much fibre as I can in me - whole grains, whole foods, little meat, a lot more plant based , eat a rainbow - get my steps in, pretty active for my age and a heart health 5 years younger then I am etc etc

But the Pepsi max or Zero coke?? I even spent a fortune a week ago on those sugar free San Pellegrino and Kombucha - and I swear I can swallow a can and it won't touch the sides

Im aware of the problem. its something Im trying to address , but it took me a good few years to quit the smokes even though I had decided I wanted to quit

i think there is little point in worrying about fibre whilst drinking 6 cans of Diet Pepsi. I used to drink 2 cans a day and one day I just decided “enough”. I drink a couple of mugs of hot Ribena and very occasional can of diet soda but even with that I know I’m comprising my gut a little.

Kick a lass when she's down why dont you :)

I KNOW what harm its doing, I really do, same as I knew what harm fags were doing me aged 12 ( was in my 40's time I quit )

If there was a magic button, even if I had to give something else up in my life, Id press it.

Ive said here Im totally addicted to the stuff , Im trying to work on it, but seriously , walking around with a dry mouth and throat for 2 or more days, guzzling water, squash , peeing for the world , snd still feeling as dry as a badgers arse - I give in..

Nope, too sweet for me now. As I mentioned above 😊

I was addicted to it (Diet Coke) as well. What changed it for me was an episode of the Zoe podcast where the penalty for getting the question wrong was to drink a Diet Coke and they were both omg no way. After that I just couldn’t stomach it with the thought of the harm each can was doing.

I realised the addition was likely due to the caffiene so I started drinking coffee. You just have to make the decision to stop. Just don’t buy it. Yes the first week was terrible (coffee def helped). But it passed.

Have you been checked for diabetes? An unquenchable thirst is a symptom. Just stop buying the stuff. Simple as that.

Yeah similar for me. A friend told me about brain tumours in rats in lab tests due to the sweeteners and that’s all I see now when I look at a can. There are 3 cans in my garage fridge from Christmas visitors and I am not tempted at all.

1 teaspoon of Chia Seeds = 5g fibre
They're tiny and add a lovely crunch if you add before eating (i.e. with granola and yoghurt). You can add them into smoothies and even make a chia pudding.

Try adding Homespun Chicory Root Syrup (inulin fibre) - also known as vegan honey. It's a game changer for adding fibre with hardly any substantial calories, it's like a mild honey and you can, for example, add it to yoghurt, spread it on toast, etc. I get mine from H&B - it's around £5 per jar. Give it a go. I'm sure you will like it. One small con though - it does make you fart! Good luck...

I start the day with homemade sauerkraut. Cabbage is a good source of fibre and sauerkraut is probiotic.