Only one in three over 50s know if they are getting enough fibre in their diet, study finds

ONLY one in three over 50s know if they are getting enough fibre – dubbed the breakfast F-Word – in their diet.

A study of 2,000 adults found just 35 per cent of those aged 50 and above knew you should be eating 30g of fibre a day as part of your diet.

But 48 per cent also admitted they don’t know which foods can help increase their intake, with 30 per cent convinced they don’t have enough fibre.

In comparison, 75 per cent of Gen Z feel confident they can identify high-fibre foods, with those aged 18-29 crediting social media (29 per cent) and influencers (15 per cent) for their knowledge of what they need to eat.

Gen Z also emerged as the most likely to keep a close eye on their health, with 84 per cent tracking metrics such as calories (43 per cent), sleep (40 per cent) and steps (34 per cent), or the protein (36 per cent) and fibre (26 per cent) they are consuming.

The study was commissioned by Kellogg’s, which is encouraging adults in mid-life to embrace the F-word at the breakfast table each morning.

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“The good news is that increasing fibre does not need to mean a complicated diet overhaul.

“Breakfast is one of the easiest places to start, whether that is choosing a high-fibre cereal, adding fruit, seeds or nuts, or simply becoming more aware of the foods that help you move closer to your daily target.”

The study also found fibre was not top of mind for many, with 27 per cent of all those polled admitting it is not an important consideration for them when making food choices, while 41 per cent aren’t confident they could name high-fibre foods.

More than four in 10 (42 per cent) don’t feel they have a good understanding of how much fibre experts recommend, with only 36 per cent naming this as 30g per day.

As a result, 30 per cent don’t think they have enough fibre in their diet.

Protein topped the list of health topics adults hear about most online or from friends and family (29 per cent), followed by calories and gut health (both 24 per cent).

In contrast, only 12 per cent said they regularly hear conversations about fibre.

While 29 per cent track their daily steps and 25 per cent monitor calories, only 15 per cent keep tabs on their fibre intake.

When it came to boosting consumption, breakfast was seen as the easiest opportunity to get more fibre into the diet, according to 33 per cent of those polled via OnePoll.

Cereal and milk were the most popular breakfast choice overall, eaten by 31 per cent, ahead of eggs and toast, both at 18 per cent.

Meanwhile, 39 per cent said they are actively trying to make healthier choices, with a further 30 per cent admitting they would like to improve their habits but find it difficult.

May Simpkin added: “Fibre doesn’t always compete with trendier health conversations around protein, calories or supplements, even though it plays an important role in our overall wellbeing.

“Many people want to make healthier choices but aren’t always sure where to start, and fibre is often overlooked despite being one of the simplest things we can improve.