Fibermaxxing on a plant based diet

8 min read

A good place to start is with an explanation of what fibermaxxing actually is.

Fibermaxxing means intentionally maximising your daily fibre intake as a core nutritional strategy. It's not a fad. It's not about restriction. It's about flooding your body with the one macronutrient most of us are chronically short on.

The average adult in the UK consumes just 18g of fibre per day. The NHS recommends 30g. On a well-planned plant-based diet, hitting 40–60g is not only achievable — it's almost inevitable. And the research on what that does to your health is remarkable.

18g average UK daily fibre

30g NHS recommended

50g+ plant based potential

Fibre is an unsung hero in terms of our physical well being.

Your gut microbiome (the 100 trillion bacteria living in your digestive tract) runs almost entirely on fibre. Different fibre types feed different bacterial strains, which produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate. They're anti-inflammatory, support the gut lining, regulate blood sugar, and even influence mood via the gut-brain axis.

A 2019 Lancet meta-analysis of 243 studies found that people eating the most fibre had a 15–30% lower risk of all-cause mortality, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer compared to those eating the least.

The following whole food plant based food ingredients are fibre powerhouses and I’d recommend getting more of these into your meals.

Fibre is an essential tool in weight management. High fibre foods are volumetrically satisfying, they physically fill your stomach and slow gastric emptying, keeping you fuller for longer. Beans and lentils score very low on the glycaemic index, preventing the blood sugar spikes that drive cravings.

It’s also a key nutrient in driving athletic performance. Sustained energy from low-GI fibre-rich carbs means no crashes mid-run. Better microbiome diversity is linked to reduced systemic inflammation, faster recovery, and improved VO2 max in emerging research.

Soluble fibre (oats, beans, flaxseed) binds to LDL cholesterol in the gut and removes it from circulation which is a great way to improve your heart health. The NHS specifically recommends oat based foods for cholesterol management. 3g of beta-glucan daily from oats can lower LDL by 5–10%.

Fibre also slows glucose absorption, flattening the post-meal glucose spike. For those managing pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, a high-fibre plant-based diet can be transformative — multiple trials show HbA1c improvements comparable to medication.

Further to this, gut health is strongly linked to mental wellbeing. The gut produces around 90% of your serotonin. A diverse microbiome fed by varied plant fibres is linked to lower rates of depression and anxiety. The gut-brain axis is one of the most exciting frontiers in nutritional psychiatry.

Moreover, insoluble fibre (wholegrains, vegetable skins) adds bulk and speeds transit time — reducing constipation, diverticular disease risk, and colorectal cancer risk. Every Mell’s Kitchen meal has a whole food base, meaning every grain and pasta is wholegrain or wholewheat. 

What does a typical day of fibermaxxing look like? 

Below are some handy tips of where to find fibre based value in the supermarkets:

• Aldi and Lidl stock tinned pulses for 35–45p — the cheapest fibre on the planet

• Morrison's, Tesco, and Sainsbury's all have good own-brand frozen edamame and mixed beans

• Wholegrain pasta costs the same as white — just swap it

• Seeds (chia, flax, hemp) are cheapest at Holland & Barrett or bulk food stores

• Farmers markets often sell dried pulses by weight — great for variety

If you don’t have the time to waste trawling the aisles then we have you covered with nutritionally balanced meal plans, delivered to your door, either ready to eat or ready to reheat in minutes.

If you want to overhaul your diet with fibre as your focus then we’d recommend you go slowly and increase fibre over 2–3 weeks to avoid bloating as your gut adapts.

Ultimately, fibremaxxing on a plant-based diet in the UK isn't expensive, complicated, or niche. It's porridge for breakfast, lentil soup for lunch, and a bean-based dinner. It's the kind of eating humans did for millennia, before ultra-processed food took over our kitchens.

The evidence is overwhelming: more fibre, more plant diversity, better gut health. Whether your goal is losing weight, running faster, lowering cholesterol, or simply feeling less foggy, the humble gram of dietary fibre might be the most impactful change you can make.

Start this week. Swap one thing. Your microbiome will notice within 48 hours.

If you’re ready to feel the difference that real, fibre rich food makes (without the meal planning) we’ve done the hard part for you. Explore this week’s menu and try your first plan with 25% off using code MONTH25. 💚