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Official nutritional advice

ceiswyn
ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
...is it just me, or is the official nutritional guidance we're given often kind of terrible?

Today there's been a BBC news story about the benefits of fibre. So far so good, but I'm staring at the NHS nutritional advice in horror.

Everyone tells you to eat fruits and vegetables to get fibre. Has anyone looked at the amount of fibre that's actually in most fruits and vegetables? I eat over ten portions (that's 800g) of fruits and vegetables a day, and struggle with my fibre goal. Yesterday's 11 portions of fruit and veg got me a whole... 14g of fibre. That's less than half of the new goal.

Similarly, 'a small handful of nuts can have up to 3g of fibre'. Well, yes, a 'small handful' of nuts can indeed provide you with 3g of fibre; if you're defining 'small handful' as 28g, and I imagine everyone here knows exactly how small a handful that really is. It's also 160 calories. So anyone eating enough nuts and seeds to have a noticeable effect on their fibre intake will also be consuming a LOT of extra calories.

Why do they do this? Do the official nutritionists actually know ANYTHING about nutrition?!
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Replies

  • smolmaus
    smolmaus Posts: 442 Member
    To be fair the article I read on it did make sure and say that it was going to be almost impossible to get all the fiber you need from fruit and veg. It recommended focusing on whole grains. Suggesting nuts of all things is mental, why are they always suggested as a snack in every nutritional article I read?? Who is being paid by Big Nut?

    I have the same issue, all my meals are vegetable based and I get about 13-15g of fiber a day from those. The two slices of seeded bread I have with my breakfast is 6g by itself but that's a not-insignificant amount of my daily kcal since I'm so short. If I start eating whole grains instead of veg to boost fiber it's going to be much harder to stay inside my kcal limit.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
    A few months ago I went to a pharmacy to see if they had anything to help with constipation. The pharmacist decided to advise me to eat more fruit and vegetables, drink more water, and get more exercise.

    Guess how useful that advice was.

    And note that's fruit and vegetables, specifically. She said nothing about pulses or wholegrains. I wonder if it's an issue specific to the UK that officialdom seems to think that fibre=fruit?
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    ...is it just me, or is the official nutritional guidance we're given often kind of terrible?

    Today there's been a BBC news story about the benefits of fibre. So far so good, but I'm staring at the NHS nutritional advice in horror.

    Everyone tells you to eat fruits and vegetables to get fibre. Has anyone looked at the amount of fibre that's actually in most fruits and vegetables? I eat over ten portions (that's 800g) of fruits and vegetables a day, and struggle with my fibre goal. Yesterday's 11 portions of fruit and veg got me a whole... 14g of fibre. That's less than half of the new goal.

    Similarly, 'a small handful of nuts can have up to 3g of fibre'. Well, yes, a 'small handful' of nuts can indeed provide you with 3g of fibre; if you're defining 'small handful' as 28g, and I imagine everyone here knows exactly how small a handful that really is. It's also 160 calories. So anyone eating enough nuts and seeds to have a noticeable effect on their fibre intake will also be consuming a LOT of extra calories.

    Why do they do this? Do the official nutritionists actually know ANYTHING about nutrition?!

    What kind of fruits and veggies do you eat 10 servings of and don't meet 25-30g of fiber? I found this list on WebMd. If you're eating 10 servings of pretty much any combination of the items listed you're getting 25-30g of fiber.

    https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/fiber-groceries

    Fruits and Vegetables
    Apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries all have around 3 to 4 grams of fiber. (Eat the apple peels -- that’s where the most fiber is!)
    Raspberries win the fiber race at 8 grams per cup.
    Exotic fruits are also good sources of fiber: A mango has 5 grams, a persimmon has 6, and 1 cup of guava has about 9.
    Dark-colored vegetables. In general, the darker the color of the vegetable, the higher the fiber content. Carrots, beets, and broccoli are fiber-rich. Collard greens and Swiss chard have 4 grams of fiber per cup. Artichokes are among the highest-fiber veggies, at 10 grams for a medium-sized one.
    Potatoes. Russet, red, and sweet potatoes all have at least 3 grams of fiber in a medium-sized spud, if you eat the skin and all.


    Dry and Canned Goods
    Stock up on beans. Navy and white beans are the most fiber-rich, but all beans are fiber-packed. Any of these is a good choice for your shopping cart: garbanzo, kidney, lima, or pinto beans. They make great soups and chilis, and are a flavorful addition to salads. Beans are also high in protein, so if you’re cutting back on red meat, they’re a healthy, filling substitute.
    Include other legumes. Peas, soybeans (edamame), and lentils are also high in fiber.

    Bread and Grains
    Check cereal labels. Most cereals have at least some fiber content, but they’re not all created equal. Any cereal with 5 or more grams of fiber per serving is a good source.
    CONTINUE READING BELOW
    YOU MIGHT LIKE


    Whole-grain breads. Seven-grain, dark rye, cracked wheat, and pumpernickel breads are good choices.
    Whole grains. Bulgur wheat, brown rice, wild rice, and barley are all tasty substitutions for white rice.
    The Snack Aisle
    Nuts and seeds.An ounce of of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, or almonds gives you at least 3 grams of fiber. They are also high in calories, though, so make a little go a long way.

    Popcorn . Three cups of air-popped popcorn have about 4 grams of fiber.


    The Cold Case
    Try foods with fiber added. Milk and other dairy products, and most juices, naturally have no or low fiber. New products, however, are changing that picture: Look for labels on orange juice, milk, and yogurt that say fiber is added or “fiber fortified.”
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    edited January 2019
    I understand the OPs frustration with the advice. I eat a lot of vegetables (hardly any fruit, usually just apples) and I usually get over 35g of fiber a day easily and sometimes get 50g or more. I took a look at my MFP fiber report over the last 90 days and the biggest contributors for me were popcorn, peanut powder (e.g. PB2), and the protein bars I eat (Questbars have a lot of fiber) - none of which are fruits or vegetables!

    Edit: apparently popcorn can also be considered a fruit (see here)
  • smolmaus
    smolmaus Posts: 442 Member
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    But who's recommending this? The OP gave an NHS link that doesn't actually say this? It's first recommendation is whole grains, then potatoes, beans, then towards the bottom is veg/fruit, with nuts finishing the list. The link the OP gave doesn't seem to be supporting her claim? (I could be reading it completely wrong though, it's early and I need coffee lol).

    It just says "fruit and veg" with no information on which fruit and veg.

    My first post at the top there I am saying that there is also a focus on whole grains so yes, we agree, but I also agree that telling people to eat f&v to boost fiber is a bit silly when you don't get that much from them, even when you eat 10+ servings a day.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Well no offense but if you're eating 10 servings of fruits and veggies and you're not getting adequate fiber you do not know how to make proper selections to get fiber.

    That is, as smolmaus already pointed out, precisely the point.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    edited January 2019
    Everything I've seen on fiber stresses beans, whole grains, AND fruits and veggies.

    It can be tricky to hit a high fiber goal if you have a low calorie allowance, I'll give you that.

    That's what I see too.

    I think one issue with advice like that is that it tends to be aimed at everyone (the US's version seems in large part to be trying to find ways to communicate with kids), and so it's more about overall foods to include and ones to limit and not about "fiber: it's in these foods, get X g." Especially since fiber can be confusing with the 2 kinds in different foods.

    But if you ate the way it recommends, you'd have plenty of fiber, at least going from the US one (especially since it's pro beans and lentils and moving toward being somewhat more plant based).

    I think they are specifically trying not to say you should worry only about eating the highest fiber fruits and veg, as the variety is good too. Choosing peaches and pears on some days as your fruit and avocados and raspberries on others is what they want, not thinking of foods only as collections of specific nutrients.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    I am not understanding your argument at all. Of course you get fiber from fruit and vegetables. I had 42g yesterday, and only 8g of that was from bread/grain. I had a chili omelet with potato and corn muffin and an orange for breakfast, a peanut butter sandwich for snack, then tuna with vegetables for dinner, some yogurt and fruit and nuts for dessert, and then popcorn with butter.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
    I am not understanding your argument at all. Of course you get fiber from fruit and vegetables. I had 42g yesterday, and only 8g of that was from bread/grain. I had a chili omelet with potato and corn muffin and an orange for breakfast, a peanut butter sandwich for snack, then tuna with vegetables for dinner, some yogurt and fruit and nuts for dessert, and then popcorn with butter.

    Are you counting corn as grain?

    I'd be interested to know which and how much fruit and veg you ate to get 36g of fibre out of it, given that I don't get even half that and I eat a lot.

    Of course, I generally avoid high-calorie vegetables like potatoes - I suspect you have rather more leeway there.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    edited January 2019
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    I am not understanding your argument at all. Of course you get fiber from fruit and vegetables. I had 42g yesterday, and only 8g of that was from bread/grain. I had a chili omelet with potato and corn muffin and an orange for breakfast, a peanut butter sandwich for snack, then tuna with vegetables for dinner, some yogurt and fruit and nuts for dessert, and then popcorn with butter.

    Are you counting corn as grain?

    I'd be interested to know which and how much fruit and veg you ate to get 36g of fibre out of it, given that I don't get even half that and I eat a lot.

    Of course, I generally avoid high-calorie vegetables like potatoes - I suspect you have rather more leeway there.

    I know I kinda cheated on the popcorn, that's 11g right there. I sometimes think of it as a grain and sometimes not, so I concede that point.

    But beans in the chili, carrots, potatoes, celery, tomato, avocado, squash, strawberries, mango, blackberries, (lots of) red leaf lettuce, walnuts, fresh ground peanut butter, and oranges were the foods that contributed. Two slices of whole wheat bread. Some cocoa powder. 2000 calories.
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
    edited January 2019
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    I am not understanding your argument at all. Of course you get fiber from fruit and vegetables. I had 42g yesterday, and only 8g of that was from bread/grain. I had a chili omelet with potato and corn muffin and an orange for breakfast, a peanut butter sandwich for snack, then tuna with vegetables for dinner, some yogurt and fruit and nuts for dessert, and then popcorn with butter.

    Are you counting corn as grain?

    I'd be interested to know which and how much fruit and veg you ate to get 36g of fibre out of it, given that I don't get even half that and I eat a lot.

    Of course, I generally avoid high-calorie vegetables like potatoes - I suspect you have rather more leeway there.

    I still eat potatoes several times a week (various kinds) with a calorie allotment of around 1,400. How many calories are you working with? Could you fit in potatoes 1-2 times a week? They're pretty awesome nutritionally :)
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
    Yeah, I would not be counting popcorn as a 'vegetable' :) And beans absolutely have good fibre, but I probably wouldn't consider them under the generic heading of 'fruit and vegetables' - I know they technically are, but they ain't generally found in the fresh produce section of the supermarket! The official guidance tends to list beans and pulses separately, and that part I agree with :)

    (I do eat potatoes occasionally, when I fancy them, but once again I am not asking for advice on how to improve my own fibre intake because I totally know how to do that. I am pointing out the problem with advising people to eat unspecified 'fruits and vegetables' and nuts to significantly improve their fibre intake, using my own high-veg diet as an example.)
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    i don't think anyone is saying ONLY eat fruits and veg to get your fiber needs - but that in the context of a well-balanced diet, fruit and veg can contribute to your overall fiber needs

    most of the veg that you listed in your post (aside from the butternut squash) are also relatively low in calories in general - so you can eat a lot for lower calories (that whole bulk eating thought)