Food, Fibre, and Better Gut Health in 2026

Written by a CORU Registered Dietitian.

It’s not always easy to keep your gut balanced and your digestion working smoothly. Luckily there are some simple steps you can take to support your digestion and work your way to better gut health this year.

Fibre First

Fibre is having a moment in 2026. Seen as the boring nutrient for a long time, people are now recognising what experts have been saying for years: fibre is the foundation of a healthy gut. Trends like Fibremaxxing are helping people to look at fibre in a new way, as a central part of every meal, not just breakfast.

Experts say that you need at least 25g of fibre per day. * In Ireland, almost 80% of adults do not meet this target, even though most people believe that they do.

Breakfast and Beyond

Do you think that a bowl of high fibre breakfast cereal is giving you all the fibre you need for the day? Think again! Most high fibre breakfast cereals will give you between 2 and 6g of fibre. This is why you need to think about fibre at lunch and dinner as well as at breakfast.

How can you build fibre into your meals?

Lots of foods are good sources of fibre, but you do need to eat a few different foods for the best benefit. You will find fibre in fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and wholegrain bread. Do get to know how much fibre is in your food, that way it will be easy for you to keep track.

Fibre Do’s and Don’ts

Small changes, steady progress.

Do include fibre at every meal. Choose high fibre carbs and add some vegetables or fruit.
Don’t try to eat a lot of fibre all in one day, start small and give yourself 3-4 weeks to gradually get to 25g.
Do drink some water, fibre needs water to work, so make sure you are getting some water with your meals as well as in between.
Don’t give up if you feel a little bloated or gassy at the start: this is normal when you increase your fibre and it should settle after 7-10 days.
Do top up fibre by adding seeds to cereals & yoghurt or adding beans to salads and soups.
Do play around with different high fibre foods and recipes. It might take you a few days to find what you really like to eat and it’s important that you do like your food if you’re going to keep going!

What about fermented foods?

Yoghurt, kefir, and other foods that are rich in calcium can also help to support your digestion. It can be great to add in yoghurt or kefir alongside your fibre. It doesn’t always have to be plain or low-fat! Although you do need to keep an eye on sugar, you don’t have to ban it. Most fruit yoghurts have around 1 teaspoon of added sugar and a little sweetness can help get the other nutrients in, especially if you find plain yoghurt a little hard to take at the start.

Get moving

Your gut relies on some physical activity to keep moving. If you struggle with a low moving digestion, adding a little daily activity can help get things going. A short walk, a quick swim or anything that gets you up and about. Don’t always think about a big exercise session. Even 20 minutes can help your gut to wake up.

Make friends with your registered dietitian

Lots of gut issues can be helped by getting expert advice from a CORU Registered Dietitian. Check out www.indi.ie or see your local registered dietitian.