Nearly 86 per cent of vegetarians and 87 per cent of non-vegetarians in India consume less fibre than the recommended daily amounts (RDA), finds Nutritional Journal, 2014. The recommended daily amount of fibre is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Your body needs fibre to slow down the absorption of glucose, speed up the passage of food through digestive system, and balance the intestinal pH. What’s more? The fibre also helps to lower the total and LDL cholesterol, and regulate your blood pressure, says Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2012.

 

For highest fibre, eat whole foods and complex carbohydrates. But if you are someone who loves to grab a glass of smoothie, there are ways. Add whole fruit chunks in your smoothies instead of fruit juices,” says Dr. Nikita Suresh, a nutritionist based out of Bengaluru. Also, for fibre retention in your smoothie blend the ingredients, do not strain, she adds.

 

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Here are 3 methods suggested by Suresh.

 

By adding greens

• Kale: Kale is high in fibre making it a good option for any smoothie. Every 100 grams contains 4.1 grams of fibre making you feel full soon. “Kale is also low in calories making it a good choice when you need to lose weight,” says Suresh. Try some interesting combinations such as kale pineapple or kale banana smoothie to load up on fibre.
• Spinach: Another green leaf, spinach, is high in fibre with 2.6g for every 100 grams. Beneficial for gut health, drinking a spinach base smoothie will help you to avoid constipation besides gaining essential minerals like potassium and magnesium. Some famous smoothie that include spinach as a base ingredient are spinach, banana smoothie, and mango spinach smoothie.

 

By adding seeds

• Chia seeds: Adding chia seeds to your smoothie provides a nice crunch as well as a hefty dose of fibre. 100 grams of chia seeds has about 34.4g of fibre, which means just by having a table-spoon, you get nearly 5 grams of fibre, fulfilling 20 per cent of your RDA of fibre.
• Sunflower seeds: As per USDA, 100 grams of sunflower seeds have 9g of dietary fibre. Also a source of many other vitamins and minerals, sunflower seeds lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and control high blood pressure. “Add sunflower seeds to your smoothies such as blueberry, banana smoothie or strawberry to bring a mix of nutty crunch and creaminess,” says Suresh.

 

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• Flax seeds: Flax seeds act as a good source of fibre with every 100 grams containing 24.5g. Adding them to a smoothie enhances both the texture and nutrition. You get essential trace minerals such as thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, and B vitamins with flax seeds, says Suresh. Also, it spices up your smoothie by providing a mildly nutty flavour.

 

By adding nuts

• Almonds: Almonds might be tiny, but these are very versatile as an ingredient. Adding one tablespoon of almonds provides you 1g of fibre meeting 4 per cent of your daily requirement. “You can either crush them up, sprinkle on top or blend them whole into your smoothies to create a thick and satisfying drink.” Try almonds with milk or banana to get a perfectly healthy naturally-sweet drink.

 

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