Down In The Dumps? Eat High Fibre! (46 Recipes)

The good news is, you can eat your way out of depression by eating more fibre. The bad news is, healthy, high-fibre foods are not salty crisps, pepperoni pizza, beef pies or yum yums.

My relationship with fibre

I have always ‘tried’ to be healthier to maintain weight. In my twenties, I ate only green leafy veggies for a week. As a result, I did lost a few pounds, at the expense of green stool. I also tried to starve myself, only to then binge on crisps. When I do have my porridge for breakfast, I added chocolate. I did not regret that. So. Good.

When I was living by myself, I will usually have between 0 to 3 servings of my 5 a day. 0 because I eat mostly junk in the weekends. 3 usually happens if I’m at my partner’s flat.

When I started living with my partner, we started having porridge for breakfast every day. Surprisingly, he only started having porridge for breakfast when I made it for him during a holiday. That habit stuck with him, but not me if I was on my own.

Actually, porridge aren’t actually that bad once you add some nuts and fruits. We usually prepare them the night before with frozen fruits and nuts and microwave them the next morning with milk. However, I rarely make any effort to have porridge for breakfast when I’m travelling.

I haven’t always focus so much on eating more fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. There is no diabetes, heart disease or any chronic illnesses in the family, so I took that for granted.

Fibre and depression

Why am I talking about dietary fibre and depression? Let’s see what science has for us in store:

I don’t gain weight very easily. However, I have alarmingly gained 4 kg over 2-3 years since I started taking anti-depressant! Although, it could be my age, or simply sedentary lifestyle.

Apparently, Our gut talks to our brain via our nerves! Ha! I don’t know why that surprises me. The gut and the brain are so far apart, aren’t they?

In summary:

Read more on high quality clinical trials on nutritional psychiatry

What food is high in fibre?

Fibre rich foods include:

What are the different types of dietary fibre?

There are two basic categories of fibres based on water solubility.

The health benefits of dietary fibres are very well documented. Although different types of fibre have different benefits, what’s more important is to have a varied diet. Try and have different kinds of vegetables, more colourful fruits, get them in cans or frozen, it doesn’t matter much.

So now that we know what fibre does to our body, lets go over what to add to your diet!

How do I Add More Fibre to My Diet?

As I said in the very beginning of this post, they don’t come in fun forms. So I have 7 tricks up my sleeve to keep my motivation up. Use them if you think they can be helpful!

Shop yellow label veggies & fruits

Supermarkets use a different logic for reductions. A dented tin can have 1p knocked off the price, but a perfect magnum of champagne might be half-priced only because it’s January. So, I usually a) get familiar with the prices and b) compare to supermarket own brands/other supermarkets. I only buy them if the discount is good enough.

Eat seasonally

This is a great way to eat a variety of foods. Fruits or vegetables that are in season are often cheaper than when they are out of season. In Aldi, I usually go to the super six first. Locally produced seasonal foods are also tastier as the flavours have fully developed. This is also a fantastic way to support local farmers and growers and supporting the community.

Here are a list of fruits and veggies that I usually get at the supermarket because they are often inexpensive:

• Cereal – porridge, shredded wheat
• Vegetables – carrots, canned tomatoes, potatoes
• Grains & legumes – canned beans, lentils
• Fruits – bananas, frozen berries

Porridge are super cheap but 10/10 bland. So, I looked up a few recipes online and the internet did not disappoint. These are recipes that go beyond oatmeal.

Ultimate Oat Recipes

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Do you have a favourite recipe where you just dump anything in the fridge? My favourite is minestrone. It’s because a) canned tomatoes are cheap, and b) I love thick and comforting soups.

Dump-all-veggies Recipes

These are the basic dump-all-veggies recipes that you can try! Play around with recipes and add your favourite protein or veggies. I also love making quiche and stew, they are so good on winter nights.

Swap these food items to get the most fibre:

Oh my sweet bakes! If you have heard of carrot cakes, why stop at carrots? Fruits and vegetables in baked goods make so much sense. They release water into the baked goods and add moisture. Check out these fantastic recipes using vegetables in desserts!

Sweet Veggie Bakes Recipes

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• A fibre-loaded breakfast keeps your blood sugar from crashing before lunch time. This also means that you won’t eat too much during lunch because you were hangry (hungry-angry).
• That is why overnight oats are fantastic. I love them warm, so I prepare them the night before, keep them in the fridge, and microwave it the next morning. But let’s face it, plain porridge is a dull meal. So you need the right recipes to keep you motivated in the morning.

Not a big fan of porridge?

Check out this 19 high-fibre breakfasts. They have smoothies, chickpeas pizza, quesadilla, and more to suit your personal tastebuds.

Veggies Sides

If you do order takeout at home, why not whip up some quick veggie sides? Some of these recipes stay fresh for a good few days in the fridge, so you can just grab them when you need them.

Diet & Depression: The Bottom Line

Eating is a culture, a way of life, and to some, a religion. My eating habits of almost 40 years have been ingrained in me. Changing a habit can be difficult and stressful. My motivation is always to be off of my anti-depressants. My partner is unapologetically supportive, and if you have someone like that in your life, take advantage of that.

I will write again about how CBT helps in changing your eating habits or losing weight. In the meantime, I hope anyone reading this post might find it useful.

Take it easy!