Feed Scarborough Presents: The Satisfaction of Fibre and Water!

Scroll Down for Survey: Participants can receive an additional 10 points to use at the Feed Scarborough Community Grocery Store!

What is fibre?

Fibre is the indigestible parts of plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and legumes. It is a type of carbohydrate that helps keep our digestive systems healthy. There are three different types of fibre which all have different functions and health benefits.

Fibre is broken down into two different types: soluble and insoluble. Each of them plays an important role in helping to prevent disease and promote good health.

Soluble fibre

• Helps to slow the emptying process in our stomachs, which helps you feel fuller. It also helps to lower cholesterol and stabilise your blood glucose levels. 
• Soluble fibre is found in fruits, vegetables, oats, barley and legumes
• According to Dietitians of Canada, if you need to lower your cholesterol, aim for 10g of soluble fibre per day (ex: Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal, cooked + Snack: 2 medium oranges + Dinner or Lunch: ¾ cup black beans + with any meal: 1 tbsp metamucil = ~10g)

Insoluble fibre

• Insoluble fibre absorbs water to help to soften the contents of our bowel movements and support regular bowel routine. It also helps to keep us full and keep the bowel ecosystem healthy. 
• Insoluble fibre is found in whole grain breads and cereals, nuts, seeds, wheat bran and the skin of fruit and vegetables.

Why is Fibre Important for our Bodies?

Potential benefits of fibre include:

• Helps maintain blood sugar levels: For people with diabetes, soluble fibre may slow sugar absorption and help improve blood sugar levels. 
• Manage Healthy Weight: High-fibre foods require more time to chew, giving the brain more time to process hunger. They also tend to be more “dense” meaning fewer calories, but can make a person feel fuller longer. 
• Maintains Bowel Health: A diet rich in fibre may lower the risk of developing hemorrhoids, gallstones, kidney stones, and colon cancer. Fibre also helps with the absorption of fats in the small intestine. 
• Supports Regularity: Consuming adequate amounts of fibre will help soften and increase the weight of stool, helping with both constipation and diarrhea. 
• Helps lower “bad” cholesterol by attaching to cholesterol particles in the digestive system and moving them out of the body before being absorbed.

Recommended Dietary Allowance

Women should aim to consume 30 grams of fibre per day while men should aim for 40 grams. The best way to increase your fibre intake is by eating a regular variety of plants. Plant foods contain fibre in the form it was meant to be found and they also contain vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and even protein.

Healthy Tip: Eating a variety of plant-based foods will help you get enough fibre each day.

This includes: choosing wholegrain, wholemeal and/or high fibre varieties of grain-based foods like bread and pasta, enjoying a variety of whole-grains, such as rice, oats, quinoa, barley, polenta and buckwheat, and eating two pieces of fruit and five servings of vegetables a day.

You can also boost your fibre intake with:  

• Sprinkle bran or psyllium husk on cereal, 
• Muesli or yoghurt, 
• Eat a small handful of nuts and seeds as a snack 
• Add chickpeas or lentils to your salads and soups
• Add black beans to your chilli
• Choose whole grains
• Eat rolled or steel cut oats for breakfast
• Snack on raw nuts or fruit
• Make sure you are eating vegetables as much as possible

Healthy Tip: If you are trying to increase the fibre in your diet, then there are a few things to be careful with. Adding fibre too quickly to a low fibre diet can cause gas and stomach distress. This often occurs when people add fibre supplements to their diets or if you eat beans when you do not usually eat them. Start to incorporate fibre-rich food slowly into your diet and make any necessary adjustments.

Healthy Forms of Dietary Fibre Within Food

Fruits

Apples (with skin) = Per 1 medium apple contains 2.2 grams of fibre 

Avocados = Per ½ cup contains 5 grams of fibre 

Bananas = Per 1 medium banana contains 2.3 grams of fibre 

Figs = Per 3-5 figs depending on variety, contains 5 grams of fibre 

Oranges = Per 1 medium size orange contains 3.1 grams of fibre 

Pears = 1 medium pear contains 5.5 grams of fibre 

Raisins = Per ½ cup of raisins contains 3.7 grams of fibre 

Raspberries = Per 1 cup of raspberries contains 8 grams of fibre 

Strawberries = Per 1 cup of sliced strawberries contains 3.3 grams of fibre

Vegetables

Artichokes = Per 1 medium artichokes contains 7 grams of fibre 

Broccoli (skin on) = Per 1 cup contains 3.8 grams of fibre 

Brussels sprouts (boiled) = Per 1 cup contains 4 grams of fibre 

Carrots (skin on) = Per 1 cup contains 6.9 grams of fibre 

Peas = ½ cup of boiled green peas contains 6 grams, ½ cup of cooked split peas contains 8 grams, and ½ cup of pigeon peas contains 15 grams of fibre

Potatoes (with skin, baked) = Per 1 medium potato contains 4 grams of fibre 

Spinach, Beet greens and Swiss chard (cooked) = Per 1 cup contains 4 grams of fibre 

Sweet corn = Per 1 medium cob contains 5.9 grams of fibre 

Turnips = Per 1 cup, cubed, boiled, contains 3.1 grams of fibre

Grains

Almonds = Per 23 nuts contains 3.5 grams of fibre 

Baked Beans (canned) = Per 1 cup contains 10 grams of fibre  

Barley (pearled, cooked) = Per 1 cup contains 6 grams of fibre 

Black Beans (boiled) = Per 1 cup contains 15 grams of fibre

Bran Flakes = Per ¾ cups contains 5.5 grams of fibre 

Brown Rice (cooked) = Per 1 cup contains 3.5 grams of fibre 

Chia Seeds = Per 2 tablespoons contains 10 grams of fibre 

Dark Chocolate (70-85% cacao solids) = Per 50 grams contains 5.5 grams of fibre

Flaxseed = Per 2 tablespoons contains 8 grams of fibre 

Instant Oats/Rolled Oats =  Per ½ cup contains 5 grams of fibre

Kidney Beans = Per ½ cup contains 5.5 grams of fibre 

Lentils (boiled) = Per 1 cup contains 15.5 grams of fibre 

Lima Beans = Per 1 cup, raw, contains 7.6 grams of fibre 

Oat Bran Muffins = Per 1 medium muffin contains 5 grams of fibre 

Peanut Butter, chunk style = Per 2 tablespoons contains 2.6 grams of fibre, 2 tablespoons of  smooth peanut butter contains 1.9 grams of fibre 

Pecans = Per ½ cup contains 10 grams of fibre

Pinto Beans = Per 1 cup, cooked, contains 15 grams of fibre

Pistachios = Per 2 tablespoons contains 3 grams of fibre 

Popcorn (air popped) = Per 3 cups of popcorn contains 4 grams of fibre 

Prunes = Per 1/2 cup contains 7 grams of fibre 

Pumpkin seeds = ½ cup contains 3 grams of fibre 

Quinoa (cooked) = Per 1 cup contains 5 grams of fibre 

Rye Bread = Per 1 slice contains 2 grams of fibre 

Sesame seeds = ¼ cup contains 4 grams of fibre 

Steel-cut Oats= Per ½ cup contains 6 grams of fibre 

Sunflower seeds = Per ¼ cup contains 3 grams of fibre 

Whole Wheat Bread = Per 1 slice contains 2 grams of fibre 

Whole-wheat pasta = Per 1 cup contains 7.9 grams of fibre 

 

The Macronutrient of Water!

Why is drinking water important for our bodies?

Our bodies are 70% water, and drinking enough of it is vital for our overall optimal health and survival.

Drinking enough water every day is critical for many reasons:

1. Regulates body temperature and helps convert food into energy

2. Keeps joints lubricated and maintains electrolyte balance and blood pressure 

3. Prevents infections, flushes out toxins and waste

4. Allows the body to absorb minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose and other substances

5. Improves sleep quality, cognition in daily tasks and your overall mood

Water Facts!  

Is tap water in Toronto safe?

Fact!

Toronto’s tap water is regularly tested, monitored and analyzed to ensure it meets the strict standards of Toronto Public Health, the Province of Ontario and Government of Canada.

How much water should I drink every day?

A good rule of thumb is to consume around 8 glasses or around 2 litres of good quality drinking water to avoid dehydration during the day. The amount you will need for each day will also depend on personal factors including body temperature and how much activity you are involved in. 

Tips to stay hydrated:

1. Keep a reusable water bottle with you: Keeping a reusable water bottle on hand serves as a visual reminder to drink more water. You can track your water consumption through the day by marking it on tape in time indicators (hours) onto your reusable water bottle along with positive affirmations (Ex: 7am-9am: Drink 250 ml/1 cup of water, then repeat for every 2 hours until bedtime)

2. Infuse your water: Try infusing your water with fruits or veggies to give it a hint of fresh flavour. Berries, citrus, cucumber and mint all make great flavour-infusing additions.

3. Drink a glass of water when you wake up, before you go to sleep and between meals: Encourage yourself to drink a glass of water within the first 30 minutes of waking up every morning and 30 minutes before going to sleep. Drinking too much liquid during meals dilutes the acid that helps us digest our food. Drinking in between meals will keep your body well-hydrated.

4. Customize your intake: When thinking about how much to drink in the day, consider how much you exercise (the more you move, the more fluid you lose through sweat and breath) and the weather outside (drinking cold water helps reduce your core temperature in the heat, and if it’s humid, you’re likely to sweat more).

5. Eat more foods high in water: Fruits and vegetables that are over 90% high in water include: cabbage, cantaloupe, celery, cucumbers, honeydew melon, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon and zucchini. Along with having a high fluid content, these fruits and veggies are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote overall health.

 ALL ABOUT FIBRE AND WATER! 

Take the survey to receive an extra 10 points on your next grocery order!

 

Scarborough Food Security Initiative

2229 Kingston Road

Scarborough, ON M1N 1T8

For more information contact us at:

info@feedscarborough.ca

416-936-3975