20+ High fibre foods to support your microbiome

Building a healthy gut microbiome is one of the most proactive things you can do for your overall wellbeing. And while many people turn to supplements, the best place to start is actually on your plate, with high-fibre foods. 

We’ve all heard for years that fibre in your diet is important, usually focused around keeping you regular and lowering cholesterol for heart health. Yet, the Healthylife Living Healthy Report shows us that most of us still fall short of the recommended 25 to 30 grams a day for adults. Why? Because we don't purchase or eat enough of the key food groups that provide us with dietary fibre. 

These food groups are:

• Grains and cereals
• Vegetables and legumes
• Fruit 

Variety is key

When it comes to supporting your gut health, a variety of high fibre foods are your best friend. Think of your gut like a garden: when it’s thriving, it’s a beautiful, balanced ecosystem filled with vibrant flowers and lush greenery.

But a diverse garden needs different kinds of fertiliser. By eating a wide range of plant foods, you’re delivering a mix of soluble, insoluble, and prebiotic fibres, which is exactly how you feed the soil. Without that variety, the weeds (or "bad bugs") take over. 

Variety also helps minimise the concern around ‘anti-nutrients’ such as phytates. These are the substances naturally found in some plant foods like legumes, cereals, nuts and seeds. They bind to minerals like iron, calcium and zinc, which can make it harder for your body to absorb them. 

Thankfully, if you eat a balanced diet with plenty of variety, you really don't need to worry. Because you are getting these minerals from so many different sources. Phytates are generally only a concern in  countries that often rely on one crop, such as rice or corn, reducing mineral availability. However, methods to prepare the food for eating such as soaking, boiling, fermenting and sprouting, will reduce the phytate levels, freeing the minerals for absorption. 

By integrating more foods high in fibre into your routine, you can improve digestion, support heart health, and keep yourself feeling fuller for longer. 

Think in serving sizes

So how do you plan your meals with more fibre? The secret is to look at the serving sizes you actually eat, rather than standard nutritional charts. Comparing foods per 100 grams doesn't make sense in the real world. For example, eating 100 grams of potato is about the size of a small fist, but eating 100 grams of parsley or salad leaves would mean facing a literal mountain of greens. Always compare foods in normal, realistic portions. 

It’s also helpful to remember that vegetables shrink significantly when cooked. A massive handful of raw spinach wilts down to a single spoonful on your plate. Because cooked veggies condense so much, you can easily eat a much larger volume of them, which is an effortless way to get more fibre into your day.

When checking the fibre quantities of grains, cereals and legumes, always look at cooked amounts as we can’t eat them raw. When they cook they absorb water so the fibre content per gram will reduce. If you are looking at keeping yourself full for longer and slowing down digestion, uncooked fibre in fruit and vegetables is generally harder for the body to break down, taking more time. While cooking, on the other hand, breaks down the cells and softens the fibre, releasing the natural sugars more quickly. Keep your fruit raw rather than cooking or juicing if you want to slow the digestion process.

High fibre vegetables

Artichokes-Globe 

• 1 medium boiled Artichoke Globe (120g) comes with 11g fibre
• Boil or steam and rub the surface with lemon and butter

Sweet Potato

• 1 cup (200g) of Peeled, boiled sweet potato comes with 5.6g fibre
• Boil lightly and then toss in extra virgin olive oil with fresh herbs like oregano and roast

Corn

• 1 medium corn cob, boiled comes with 5.9g fibre
• Boil lightly and then toss in extra virgin olive oil with fresh herbs like oregano and roast

Brussel Sprouts

• 100g/1 cup or 5 medium brussel sprouts
• Halve the sprouts and toss in extra virgin olive oil and spread out on a baking tray. Roast until golden then toss in garlic, cracked black pepper and lemon juice. 

Broccoli

• 1 cup/ 80grams of fresh/boiled brocolli comes with 2.0g fibre
• Sautee the broccoli in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and garlic, then add a few tablespoons of water, cover and steam for a few minutes until the broccoli has softened but is still green.

High fibre fruits

Raspberries

• 1 cup/punnet (125g) of raw raspberries comes with 8g of fibre
• Fresh with yoghurt or on their own

Pears

• 1 medium (180g) raw pear with skin on comes with 5.5g of fibre
• Eat whole or sliced with cheese or into salads

Banana

• 1 medium raw banana (120g) comes with 2.8g fibre
• Sliced onto oats or added to smoothies

Apple

• 1 medium (180g) raw (skin on) apple come with 4.4g of fibre
• Eat fresh or slice and serve with nut butter

Pomegranate

• 1/2 cup (87g) of raw (arils) pomegranate comes with 3.5g of fibre
• Sprinkle over salads or porridge

High fibre legumes

Green peas

• 1/2 cup of boiled peas (80g) comes with 4g of fibre
• Steam or boil; toss into pasta or your stir-fry

Chickpeas

• Canned, drained, or cooked (100g) comes with 5.7g of fibre
• Blend for hummus or add to soups/salads

Lentils

• 1/2 cup of cooked lentils (100g) comes with 4g of fibre
• Simmer in soups, casseroles, pasta dishes, or bean salads. 

Edamame

• 1/2 cup (80g) of cooked or shelled Edamame comes with 4g of fibre
• Lightly steam and sprinkle with sea salt

High fibre grains

Brown rice

• 1 cup of boiled brown rice comes with 3.4 of fibre
• Serve as a base for stir-fries or grain bowls

Wholemeal bread

• 1 slice of wholemeal bread (35g) comes with 2.5g of fibre
• Use for sandwiches or toast with avocado

Pearl barley

• 1/2 cup (100g) of boiled pearl barley comes with 5.4g of fibre
• Simmer in soups or use in risotto-style dishes

Oats

• 1/2 cup (100g) of uncooked, rolled oats comes with 4.6g of fibre
• Prepare as porridge or muesli with nuts and seeds or make overnight oats

Bulgur

• 1/2 cup (100g) of Bulgur soaked in water comes with 4.1g of fibre
• Use as base for Tabbouleh or salads

High fibre nuts and seeds

Chia seeds

• 1 tablespoon of raw chia seeds comes with 5.6g of fibre
• Use as base for Tabbouleh or salads

Pumpkin seeds

• 1/4 cup (30g) of raw/roasted pumpkin seeds comes with 2g of fibre
• Roast with spices for a crunchy snack

Almonds

• 30g (a handful) of raw or roasted almonds comes with 3.3g of fibre
• Eat as a snack or crush over salads

Pecans

• 30g (a handful) of raw pecans comes with 2.7g of fibre
• Eat raw or with sliced fresh apples or other fruit

Hazelnuts

• 30g (a handful) of raw or roasted hazelnuts come with 2.8g of fibre
• Chop and add to baked goods or porridge

How to hit 30 plants a week

To hit more than 30 plant foods a week, a goal research suggests is good for our gut and overall health, there are a few tips to consider:

• Add an extra serve of vegetables to each meal: This could be an extra scoop of peas at dinner time, a side salad with your pasta, a handful of leafy greens with your eggs and cherry tomatoes as a snack.
• Look beyond fruit and vegetables: Think wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds. A salad with a bulgur or lentil base, sprinkled with nuts and seeds for extra crunch. A trail mix for afternoon tea and wholegrain cereal with milk for an after training snack.
• Don’t forget herbs and spices: Parsley in tabouli, coriander, basil and fresh mint in Asian soups, and chives in your omelet.
• Add fruits to dessert: Serve berries with half the serve of ice cream or enjoy sliced oranges or pears with a few squares of dark chocolate. Love a good crumble? Make it so the apple and rhubarb outweighs the crumble.

The bottom line

Ultimately, supporting your microbiome doesn't require a radical diet overhaul overnight. In fact, it’s much better to increase your fibre slowly to give your gut time to adjust. Just be sure to drink plenty of water as you go to keep everything moving smoothly. By focusing on incorporating a diverse range of high fibre foods, whether it’s a handful of berries, a sprinkle of seeds, or swapping your usual grains,you’re providing your gut bacteria with the fuel they need to thrive.  

Reviewed by Healthylife health experts July 2026