Not all fibre is the same. Why variety matters more than volume

Most conversations about fibre are about numbers. How many grams are in this? Am I getting enough? But nutrition thinking is moving away from a single number and towards variety, because fibre isn't one thing. It's a group of different substances, found in different foods, that behave in different ways.

This is what that means for the way you eat.

What fibre actually is

Fibre is the part of plant foods that isn't digested in the small intestine. It travels on to the large intestine, where gut bacteria break some or all of it down.

Dietitians have traditionally split fibre into two main types. The British Dietetic Association notes that research now looks at fibre in more detail: how it dissolves, how thick it becomes and how easily gut bacteria can ferment it.

The main types of fibre

Soluble fibre. This includes pectins and beta-glucans. You'll find it in fruit and in oats, such as Organic Porridge Oats and Organic Jumbo Oats.

Insoluble fibre. This includes cellulose, found in foods such as wheat bran and nuts.

Resistant starch. This is starch that resists digestion and behaves like fibre. Gut bacteria ferment it into short-chain fatty acids. The British Dietetic Association lists bananas, potatoes, grains and pulses as sources, which puts beans and lentils such as Black Beans and Organic Red Split Lentils on the list.

Prebiotics. These are carbohydrates that gut bacteria feed on. The British Dietetic Association gives onions, garlic, asparagus and bananas as examples.

Why variety matters

Because each type of fibre comes from different foods, no single ingredient covers them all. Oats give you beta-glucans but not much resistant starch. Pulses give you resistant starch but not the same fibres as fruit. Seeds bring something different again.

That's the problem with relying on one superfood or a fibre powder to hit your target. You might reach 30g on paper, but from a narrow range of fibre types. A plate that mixes grains, pulses, seeds, nuts, fruit and vegetables gives you a much wider range.

How to build variety into your week

Think in groups, not single foods. Across the day, try to eat something from each group: wholegrains, pulses, nuts and seeds, fruit, and vegetables.

Rotate your pulses. Instead of buying the same bag of lentils every week, try something new. Aduki Beans, Haricot Beans, Butter Beans and Green Split Peas each bring something different to the plate.

Mix your seeds. Keep two or three types in the cupboard, such as Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Ground Linseed and Organic Pumpkin Seeds, and use a different one each day.

Eat the season. Autumn is full of fibre-rich produce: squash, parsnips, apples, pears, leeks and cabbage. The British Dietetic Association recommends aiming for five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Don't forget onions and garlic. They go into most savoury cooking anyway, and they're among the prebiotic foods the British Dietetic Association lists.

One autumn tray, five fibre sources

Our Black-Eyed Bean & Sweet Potato Traybake brings several types together in one dish: pulses (black-eyed beans), a starchy root vegetable (sweet potato), onions and leafy greens (kale). Scatter over a few pumpkin seeds and you've covered five fibre sources in a single tray.

Think beyond the number

Fibre isn't one nutrient, and the best way to get it isn't from one food. Aim for the 30g the guidelines recommend, but think about where it comes from too. A varied plate of grains, pulses, seeds, fruit and vegetables will always do more than a single superfood or a scoop of powder.