95% of people are deficient in fibre. Here are 5 cheap hacks to fix it instantly

Have you ever tried to calculate how much fibre you eat per day? If your answer is "no", you're probably in the vast majority. Up to 95% of the population is not getting the recommended daily intake of fiber. The average person gets in barely half of what their body and gut microbiome need for optimal functioning, good digestion and heart protection.

Feeling guilty? Don't. In this day and age, when highly processed foods dominate supermarket counters, fiber is systematically removed from almost everything you buy. You're not falling behind because of laziness, you're just navigating a world that's set against your digestion.

The good news? You don't need to buy overpriced supplements at the drugstore, import exotic roots, or radically change your diet to fix it. You just need to incorporate a few smart, subtle changes to make up for the missing 10 grams of fiber (the difference between fatigue and great digestion).

5 easy and inexpensive ways to catch up on fiber

This isn't about eating food that tastes like cardboard. It's about strategically adding to what you already love:

• Beans, lentils and chickpeas (absolute cheat code): this one is the king of the price/performance ratio. Half a cup of these legumes will give you 7 to 8 grams of fiber in one sitting. You don't have to cook complicated meals - just toss them out of the can into a salad, stir them into rice, add them to soup, or wrap them with meat. They cost a few pennies and add great texture to your meal.
• Chia seeds (Invisible Helper): One tablespoon contains a respectable 4 grams of fiber. The best part is that they have no distinct taste. If you throw them in your yogurt, oatmeal, or morning protein smoothie, you won't even know they're there.
• Apple with skin (Good old classic): Quick, cheap, portable. One medium apple will give you 4 to 5 grams. But the cardinal rule is: don't peel! It is in the skin that the greatest treasure for your intestines is hidden.
• Raspberries and almonds (Gourmet snack). This combination will fill you up, provide healthy fats and give you nearly 8 grams of fiber.
• Popcorn (Surprise Hero): Few people think of popcorn as a health food. But as long as you don't drown it in gallons of overstuffed butter from the movie theater, it's a great whole grain snack. Three cups of pure popcorn (ideally from a hot-air roaster) will give you 3.5 grams of fiber.

A quick overview for your shopping list:

How to get started?

Don't try to cram all five items in at once starting tomorrow - your digestive system, unaccustomed to such an intake, might be a little shocked. Pick just one or two tips from the chart and add them to your routine. This will plug your fibre gap cheaply and playfully.