Diet and Nutrition
Dietary Fibre and Your Body
Dietary fibre is the portion of food that cannot be digested by our bodies. Therefore, there is a misconception that dietary fibre is just food remains which provides no nutritional value. Actually, dietary fibre can be divided into two types: soluble and insoluble fibre. Both serve different functions in the body and can be obtained from different foods.
Health benefits of dietary fibre
Eating moderate amount of dietary fibre-rich foods helps prevent the development of many chronic diseases and improve body health.
- Prevent and relieve constipation
Dietary fibre increases faecal volume and stimulates peristalsis. It swells, absorbs water and lubricates the large intestine to soften faeces and make defecation easier. - Help maintain gut health
Dietary fibre promotes the activity of intestinal good bacteria to maintain gut health. - Prevent colon cancer
Dietary fibre shortens the retention time of food residues in the intestine and so prevents the accumulation of carcinogens. - Help weight control and reduce the chance of obesity
Eating dietary fibre-rich food requires relatively more time to chew. This can make people feel full easily, thus eating less food. - Help stabilise blood glucose level and control diabetes
Soluble dietary fibre can slow down the absorption of sugar. - Help lower blood cholesterol level and prevent heart disease
Soluble dietary fibre combines with bile to enhance bile excretion and lower blood cholesterol level.
Foods rich in dietary fibre
Grains - wholemeal bread, brown rice,
oatmeal
Vegetables - Chinese kale, broccoli, spinach
Root
vegetables - potato (with skin), sweet potato
Mushrooms and seaweeds - straw mushroom, shitake mushroom, mushroom, cloud ear fungus
Fruits - orange, grapefruit, prune
Beans - red kidney bean, soya bean, red bean
Others - sesame, almond,
cashew nut, peanut
Daily dietary fibre requirement
- The daily recommended intake of dietary fibre for adults and teenagers is 25 grams or more.
- For children, the daily requirement of dietary fibre in grams is equivalent to their age plus five. For example, the daily recommended intake of dietary fibre for a six-year-old child is 6+5 grams = 11 grams.
Essential facts
- Obtain dietary fibre from food rather than supplements (e.g. fibre tablets, powders, etc.).
- Eat different varieties of dietary fibre-rich food as dietary fibre obtained from different food serves different functions.
- Increase the intake of dietary fibre progressively to avoid gastrointestinal symptoms caused by a sudden intake of a large amount of dietary fibre.
- Eat unpeeled fruits and vegetables (e.g. unpeeled cucumber, plums, apple and grapes, etc.).
- Since the dietary fibre content in fresh fruit is higher than juice, eating fresh and whole fruit is better than drinking juice.
- Dietary fibre absorbs water. To help dietary fibre function effectively, drinking 6 to 8 glasses of fluid per day is suggested.
- Although dietary fibre is important to health, we should not neglect other food groups. A well balanced diet and regular exercise are of the utmost importance to good health.
Dietary fibre content of different food groups
| Food group and amount | Dietary fibre (g) | |
|---|---|---|
| Grains | ||
| White rice (Round grained rice, steamed) | 100g | 0.2 |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 100g | 1.7 |
| Wholemeal bread | 100g | 6.9 |
| Muesli (added dried fruit & nuts) | 100g | 11.4 |
| Breakfast cereals, cornflakes | 100g | 3.2 |
| Oatmeal (whole grain) | 100g | 10.4 |
| Quinoa | 100g | 2.8 |
| Fruits and dried fruits | ||
| Fuji apple (with skin) | 100g | 1.7 |
| Red delicious apple (with skin) | 100g | 2.4 |
| Orange (peeled) | 100g | 2.4 |
| Banana | 100g | 1.2 |
| Green kiwifruit (peeled) | 100g | 3.0 |
| Avocado | 100g | 7.5 |
| Strawberry | 100g | 2.5 |
| Blueberry | 100g | 3.5 |
| Western pear (with skin) | 100g | 3.0 |
| Dragon fruit | 100g | 1.7 |
| Dried apricot | 100g | 8.4 |
| Dried prune | 100g | 7.8 |
| Sultana | 100g | 3.3 |
| Vegetables | ||
| Broccoli (boiled) | 100g | 2.5 |
| White cabbage (boiled) | 100g | 2.4 |
| Water spinach (boiled) | 100g | 2.3 |
| Lettuce (boiled) | 100g | 1.9 |
| Chinese flowering cabbage (Choy sum) (boiled) | 100g | 2.0 |
| Tomato | 100g | 1.3 |
| Boiled carrot (peeled) | 100g | 3.3 |
| Chinese kale | 100g | 2.3 |
| Spinach | 100g | 1.7 |
| Corn | 100g | 3.8 |
| Shitake mushroom | 100g | 3.3 |
| New potato (baked, peeled) | 100g | 1.7 |
| Sweet potato (baked, orange flesh, peeled) | 100g | 3.1 |
| Dried beans | ||
| Soya bean | 100g | 15.5 |
| Black Soya bean | 100g | 10.2 |
| Mung bean | 100g | 6.4 |
| Red kidney bean (fresh, boiled, drained) | 100g | 9.8 |
| Nuts and seeds | ||
| Cashew nut (roasted) | 100g | 3.0 |
| Peanut (roasted, with skin) | 100g | 8.3 |
| Sesame | 100g | 14.0 |
| Pistachio | 100g | 9.0 |
| Almond (roasted) | 100g | 11.8 |
Recipes rich in dietary fibre
| Food type and amount | Dietary fibre content (g) | |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Low fat milk, 1 glass (240ml) | 0 |
| Wholemeal bread, 2 slices (56g) | 3.9 | |
| Egg, 1 piece (50g) | 0 | |
| Morning snack | Sultana, 1/3 cup (49g) | 1.6 |
| Roasted almond, 1oz. (28g) | 3.3 | |
| Lunch | Brown rice, 1 bowl (195g) | 3.3 |
| Steamed fish (120g) | 0 | |
| Broccoli (boiled), 1/2 bowl (90g) | 2.3 | |
| Banana, 1 piece (110g) | 1.3 | |
| Afternoon snack | Boiled carrot (peeled) 1/2 bowl (78g) | 2.6 |
| Dinner | Brown rice, 1 bowl (195g) | 3.3 |
| Chinese flowering cabbage (Choy sum) (boiled), 1/2 bowl (65g) | 1.3 | |
| Meat or chicken (120g) | 0 | |
| Orange, 1 piece (130g) | 3.1 | |
|
|
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| Total dietary fibre content | 26 | |
Nutrient Information Inquiry System, Centre for Food Safety
(Revised in June 2026)
