How Much Fibre Per Day? Australian Targets by Age
TL;DR: How much fibre per day? The NHMRC adequate intake is 30 g a day for adult men and 25 g for adult women, with higher suggested targets of 38 g and 28 g. The average Australian eats around 23 g a day, so most of us fall short. Add fibre gradually and drink water with it.
Most of us think we eat enough fibre.
The numbers say otherwise.
Australian fibre targets
| Group | Adequate intake | Suggested target |
|---|---|---|
| Men 19+ | 30 g | 38 g |
| Women 19+ | 25 g | 28 g |
| Children 4 to 8 | 18 g | - |
| Teens 14 to 18 | 22 to 28 g | - |
What Australians actually eat
The Australian Health Survey found adults eat around 23 g of fibre a day on average, below the adequate intake for men and only just at it for many women.
Your move: count your fibre for one ordinary day. Most people are surprised.
What 30 g looks like
- Bowl of oats: about 4 g
- Two slices of wholegrain bread: about 5 g
- An apple with skin: about 3 g
- Half a cup of lentils: about 4 g
- Two cups of vegetables: about 6 g
- A handful of nuts: about 2 g
Food first. A fibre powder can fill a gap. More ideas in how to add fibre to your diet.
Fibre in common foods, gram by gram
These are the grams of dietary fibre in a normal serve, from the Australian Food Composition Database.
Eight of them across a day (oats, raspberries, wholemeal bread, an apple, almonds, lentils, broccoli and sweet potato) add up to about 27.2 g.
| Food | Serve | Fibre |
|---|---|---|
| Grains | ||
| Rolled oats, uncooked | 1/2 cup (40 g) | 3.8 g |
| Oat bran, uncooked | 2 tablespoons (20 g) | 3.3 g |
| Whole wheat breakfast biscuits | 2 biscuits (30 g) | 3.5 g |
| Wholemeal bread | 2 slices (70 g) | 4.8 g |
| Wholemeal pasta, cooked | 1 cup (150 g) | 8.6 g |
| Brown rice, cooked | 1 cup (180 g) | 3.1 g |
| Fruit | ||
| Apple, red, skin on | 1 medium (150 g) | 3.8 g |
| Pear, skin on | 1 medium (170 g) | 5.1 g |
| Banana | 1 medium (120 g) | 2.6 g |
| Raspberries | 1/2 cup (65 g) | 3.1 g |
| Kiwifruit, green | 2 fruit (150 g) | 4.5 g |
| Prunes | 5 prunes (40 g) | 3.1 g |
| Avocado | Half (80 g) | 4.7 g |
| Legumes | ||
| Lentils, cooked | 1/2 cup (100 g) | 4.1 g |
| Chickpeas, canned, drained | 1/2 cup (85 g) | 4.8 g |
| Red kidney beans, canned, drained | 1/2 cup (90 g) | 5.8 g |
| Baked beans | 1/2 cup (130 g) | 6.2 g |
| Vegetables | ||
| Green peas, frozen, cooked | 1/2 cup (80 g) | 4.9 g |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1 serve (75 g) | 1.9 g |
| Carrot, cooked | 1 serve (75 g) | 2.5 g |
| Sweet potato, baked | 1 serve (75 g) | 2.4 g |
| Nuts and seeds | ||
| Almonds | A handful (30 g) | 3.3 g |
| Chia seeds | 1 tablespoon (12 g) | 4 g |
| Linseed (flaxseed) | 1 tablespoon (10 g) | 3.3 g |
| Fibre powders | ||
| Partially Hydrolysed Guar Gum (PHGG) | 6 g (4 rounded teaspoons) | about 5 g |
| Organic Inulin Fibre | 5 g (1 heaped teaspoon) | 4.5 g |
| Psyllium Husk | 4 g | 3.5 g |
| Gut Health Powder (fibre blend) | 8 g (2 to 3 teaspoons) | 4.1 g |
Food figures: FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3, calculated for the serve shown. Powder figures are from our pack labels, except psyllium, which uses the database figure. Dietary fibre contributes to regular laxation.
Free: Fibre by the Gram, the one-page guide (PDF)
Daily targets for every age, fibre in 24 everyday foods, and one ordinary day that reaches 30 g. Print it and stick it on the fridge.
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An 8 g serve of our daily fibre blend, Gut Health Powder, adds 4.1 g of dietary fibre from psyllium, slippery elm, yucca root, organic inulin and rice bran. Dietary fibre contributes to regular laxation.
Frequently asked questions
Can you have too much fibre?
Increasing too fast is the usual issue. Build up over a few weeks.
Does fibre from supplements count?
Yes, it is dietary fibre. Food also brings vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds, so aim for food first.
Which fibre supplement should I choose?
See the fibre supplement guide.
References
National Health and Medical Research Council (2006, updated). Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Dietary Fibre.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Results, Foods and Nutrients, 2011-12.
Propel Health Australia. Gut Health Powder 240 g label.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3 (2025).
About the author
Grant Jenkins is co-founder of Propel Health Australia, an Australian, family-owned company based in Brisbane, Queensland, and an ESSA Accredited Exercise Physiologist. Every Propel Health figure quoted here is the figure on the pack.
Disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. Gut Health Powder is a food, taken as part of a balanced diet. Fibre can affect how some medicines are taken up, so leave about two hours between them and ask your pharmacist. Speak to your healthcare provider before starting anything new, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or under medical supervision.
