Fibre calculator (UK)

If you are 16 or older, the UK guideline is 30g a day. It is the same for men and women. The NHS says most adults eat about 20g, so the typical gap is about 10g a day.

Children need less. Here is the full UK table, in grams of fibre a day.

It is the UK government guideline, and both the NHS and the British Nutrition Foundation use it. The British Nutrition Foundation says the health benefits of a high-fibre diet come from large population studies reviewed by the UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which published its report on carbohydrates and health in 2015.

US guides use different numbers, from 21g to 38g depending on age and sex. If you live in the US, use the US fiber calculator or the US daily fiber by age chart instead.

UK labels show fibre in grams per 100g. Two claims have set rules. A food can say it is a source of fibre if it has at least 3g per 100g. It can say high fibre if it has at least 6g per 100g.

Per 100g is not the same as per portion. A cereal with 10g per 100g gives you about 4g in a 40g bowl. Check the portion size on the pack to see what you actually eat.

Spread it across the day. About 10g a meal gets you there.

• Breakfast: porridge oats or a wholegrain cereal, with fruit on top.
• Lunch: wholemeal bread, beans or lentils, and salad or veg.
• Dinner: add a tin of chickpeas or lentils to a sauce, and keep the skins on potatoes.
• Snacks: a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts or seeds.

Add fibre slowly, over a few weeks, and drink plenty of fluids. The British Nutrition Foundation says this helps avoid bloating and wind. For the grams in common foods, see our fibre library and high fibre foods list. Both soluble and insoluble fibre count toward your target. Our soluble vs insoluble guide explains the difference.

Grove is an iPhone app that tracks fibre only. It does not count calories or macros. Grove starts you at 25g a day. You can change it any time. Set it to 30g to follow the UK guideline.