Most of us need to eat more fibre and have fewer added sugars in our diet. Eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of fibre one chocolate fudge brownie disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.

Government guidelines say our dietary fibre intake should increase to 30g a day, as part of a healthy balanced diet. As most adults are only eating an average of about 20g day, we need to find ways of increasing our intake. On average, children aged 11 to 18 are getting 16g a day. Why do we need fibre in our diet? Choosing foods with fibre also makes us feel fuller, while a diet rich in fibre can help digestion and prevent constipation. Go for wholemeal or granary breads, or higher fibre white bread, and choose wholegrains like wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat or brown rice. Go for potatoes with their skins on, such as a baked potato or boiled new potatoes.