10 foods high in fibre to help keep you regular

High Fibre Foods Essential For Good Colon Health
Fibre is an essential element of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Getting plenty of fibre in your diet, along with drinking lots of water, will keep you regular, which in turn helps to cleanse your colon and keep your digestive system in top working order. It also provides additional benefits such as helping to maintain a healthy weight.

Plenty Of Options
There are numerous tasty foods that provide fibre, so choosing suitable ones for your diet isn't difficult. To help you, below is a list of 10 foods that contain useful amounts of fibre. They are not in any particular order as everybody has different tastes and preferences but they are all easy to include regularly in most diets

1. Apples
The saying has been around a very long time but it’s still true today: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Eating an apple each day will provide many health benefits, including contributing to your fibre intake. A medium-sized apple contains about 17% of the daily recommended value, with less than a hundred calories. In addition, an apple’s high water content helps the fibre do its job of keeping you regular. It is recommended not to peel an apple before eating it because most of the fibre is in the skin.

Serving size of one medium sized apple provides:
Fibre: 4.4 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre:17%
Calories: 95

2. Walnuts
Most people assume that only grains, fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of fibre but walnuts are a fibre rich food that often gets overlooked. Just a handful of walnuts or about a quarter of a cup, contains 2 grams of fibre. You can buy them in the shells and crack them yourself or for more convenience buy a bag of shelled kernels from your local supermarket for a healthy snack on the go. Walnuts can also make a tasty and healthy addition to salads and desserts.

Serving size of a quarter of a cup provides:
Fibre: 2 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre: 8%
Calories: 190

3. Sweet Corn (Yellow)
Sweet corn should be a staple in any high fibre diet. Whether you eat it as corn on the cob or from a can, you will get all the benefits of this versatile grain (or vegetable as some now refer to it). A 6 inch ear of corn on the cob provides the body with about 1.5 grams of fibre but for convenience you can use the canned variety. A 12 ounce can of sweet corn has almost three times the amount of fibre as the 6 inch ear. There are many ways to enjoy it - as a side dish or add it to soups, salads and chilli.

Serving size of canned 12 ounces provides:
Fibre: 4 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre:16%
Calories: 171

4. Oatmeal
Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast every day and you’ll be doing your body a huge favour. It’s high soluble fibre content also makes oatmeal one of the best foods for lowering cholesterol. It’s a great way to kick-start your system in the morning, helping your body stay regular throughout the day. Whether you enjoy it on its own, either cooked (porridge) or raw, the benefits are about the same and you can naturally sweeten it with your favourite berries and add even more fibre to your healthy morning meal.

Serving size of one cup provides:
Fibre: 4 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre: 16%
Calories: 166

5. Lentils
Like most beans, lentils should be an essential part of a high fibre diet to keep the body regular but did you know that lentils are also high in protein, folate, vitamins and iron? Lentils can easily be added to any diet by cooking them with rice, adding them to soups and sauces or seasoning them with herbs and spices for a tasty side dish. Just a cup of lentils in your daily diet contributes an impressive 63% to your recommended daily intake of fibre.

Serving size of one cup (cooked) provides:
Fibre: 15.6 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre: 63%
Calories: 230

6. Artichoke
This often underestimated exotic vegetable is easy to prepare with a unique flavour and high fibre content. A medium sized artichoke provides almost half the daily recommended amount of fibre and also contributes to your daily intake of other essential nutrients and minerals. Artichokes also have a higher water content than many other traditional sources of fibre such as breads and pasta. This important factor, along with their low calorie count, makes them a great addition to a balanced high fibre diet.

Serving size of one medium artichoke provides:
Fibre: 10.3 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre: 41%
Calories: 64

7. Broccoli
Broccoli is a strong tasting green vegetable that is high in fibre and other nutrients. One cup of chopped raw broccoli provides just over two grams of fibre. Cooked broccoli has slightly less but it makes an easy and tasty dish to serve with almost any meat or fish. As uncooked broccoli retains all its fibre and nutrients, it makes a great healthy snack by itself or it can be used raw in a variety of low calorie salads.

Serving size of one cup (uncooked) provides:
Fibre: 2.3 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre: 9%
Calories: 25

8. Shredded Wheat
Shredded Wheat Cereal and others like it are a great way to start a healthy day if you’re trying to ensure that you get enough fibre in your diet. Shredded Wheat will give you an early energy boost and keep you feeling full well into the morning. A one-cup serving provides you with up to 20% of your fibre for the day, plus the positive health benefits of the milk you consume with it.

Serving size of two biscuits provides:
Fibre: 6 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre: 20%
Calories: 220

9. Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are packed as full of fibre as they are with flavour. If you haven’t tried them since childhood you might find your tastes have changed and you will now actually like them! Fortunately, nowadays a quick search on the internet will reveal plenty of very different ways to prepare them apart from the standard old way of boiling in water. The equivalent of just a cup of cooked Brussels sprouts provides about a quarter of your recommended fibre for the day.

Serving size of one cup (cooked) provides:
Fibre: 6.4 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre: 25%
Calories: 65

10. Brown Rice
Brown rice is high in insoluble fibre, making it an invaluable food to include in a healthy, fibre rich diet. The insoluble fibre can help relieve constipation and helps keep you regular. Each one cup serving contains about 3.5 grams of fibre or about 14% of your recommended daily intake. Unlike refined white rice, brown rice still has the side hull and bran attached, which are high in proteins, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, fibre and potassium.

Serving size of one cup (cooked) provides:
Fibre: 3.5 grams
Percentage of recommended daily intake of fibre: 14%
Calories: 218

Thanks to bembu.com for some information sources.