5 grocery swaps to boost your fibre intake

Burgers

Swap this: Lick’s Homeburgers have 320 calories and a hefty 23 g fat (10 g of which are saturated) in each 153-g (about 1/3 lb.) beef burger. And fibre? Zilch.

For this: Lick’s Nature Burgers have 5 g fibre per 113-g (about 1/4 lb.) patty. Each vegan soy burger has 240 calories and 14 g fat (of which 7 g is saturated).

Soup

Swap this: Happy Planet Berkeley Butternut Squash Soup contains 2 g fibre in 1 cup (250 mL) of soup. It is low in calories (only 140), and fat (6 g, 2.5 g of which is saturated)-but there’s a better choice.

For this: Happy Planet Moroccan Chickpea Soup has 5 g fibre in 1 cup of soup, thanks mainly to the chickpeas. (Bonus: It also contains spinach.) This soup has 120 calories and 3.5 g of fat (0.4 g of which is saturated).

Smoothie

Swap this: PC Blue Menu Yogurt Smoothie Strawberry is a source of calcium and protein, but a 250-mL (1 cup) bottle contains zero fibre. It has 200 calories and 2.5 g of fat (1.5 g saturated).

For this: PC Blue Menu Yogurt Smoothie Mango is a good swap. A 250-mL bottle has 4 g fibre (thanks to added chicory root inulin), for just 10 more cal­ories and the same amount of fat.

Bagels

Swap this: Country Harvest Sesame bagels. If you’re looking for a fibre-rich breakfast, you’ll find just 2 g in each 90-g bagel. (One bagel has 240 calories and 2.5 g of fat, 0.5 g of which is saturated).

For this: Country Harvest Twelve Grain bagels. These have a few more calories (260) and fat grams (4.5 g, 1 g of which is sat­ur­ated)-but more than twice the fibre: 5 g. Add peanut butter for a breakfast with staying power.

Mac and Cheese

Swap this: Kraft Dinner Original macaroni and cheese is classic comfort food. But there’s only 1 g fibre per serving (3/4 cup/175 mL of prepared pasta). There are 240 calories and 5 g of fat when prepared according to the package directions.

For this: Kraft Dinner Smart High Fibre mac and cheese has an impressive 5 g fibre per 2/3 cup (150 mL), thanks to added inulin and oats. It has 190 calories and 3.5 g fat when made following the package directions.

Related:
• 6 ways to sneak more fibre into your diet
• The 5 vegetables that are highest in fibre
• 8 reasons to eat more fibre