How and why do we use dietary fibre like oat/potato fibre, psyllium husk and Xantham gum? They are good not just in keto and low-carb diets but also for health benefits.
Many people ask me about the dietary fibre I use in my recipes. Oat fibre is often mistaken for oat bran or oat flour. And potato fibre is confused with potato starch.
In this blog, I will explain the following:
- What is fibre
- Why use fibre
- How to use Oat/potato fibre, Psyllium husk and Xanthan gum
Fiber vs fibre
First of all, I have to explain the word fibre. Some articles or recipes use the word fibre, whilst others use the word fibre. There is no difference in meaning between fibre and fibre. Fiber is the spelling primarily used in American English, while fibre is preferred in British English.
What is dietary fibre
Fibre (or dietary fibre, as you can see in many articles) are plant carbohydrates our body can’t digest. Fibre passes through the digestive system while mainly staying intact. Passing fibre through our guts and not being digested has many health benefits for our bodies. To mention a few: supporting a healthy gut, regulating blood sugar, maintaining a healthy weight, etc.
There are two types of dietary fibre: soluble fibre and insoluble fibre.
Soluble fibre dissolves in water and creates a gel-like mass. Putting it simply, it slows down the digestion of foods. Example: Xanthan gum-commonly used to thicken or stabilize foods.
Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water but physically fills up space in the stomach and intestines. It also helps prevent gastrointestinal blockage and constipation or reduced bowel movements. An example could be Oat fibre.
Generally, both types of fibres help our body to feel full for longer and to ease the passing of the digested food out of the body. You can read more about fibre HERE.
Why use fibre in our diet
As we already know, including fibre in our diet has many health benefits. But why do we need to add extra fibres to our food? We hear everywhere that eating whole grain is healthy. Also eating more vegetables and particular fruit is beneficial for us. Or we are encouraged to eat more vegetables and less starchy food to lose weight. But why?
It is not just because all that “power food”, as many bloggers call it, contains essential vitamins and minerals but also because they are high in soluble and insoluble fibres. And because dietary fibres are an indigestible complex of carbohydrates, they don’t count towards our daily carbohydrate intake.
I know it sounds like rocket science, but keep it easy and think more like fibre in food means fewer carbs, which is why it can help us lose weight or help with high blood sugar.
There are many articles about consuming fibre-rich food on the internet. You can find some additional information, for example, on Healthline.
How to use Oat/potato fibre, Psyllium husk and Xanthan gum
Oat and potato fibre are both insoluble fibres. Oat fibre is made by processing an oat’s hull, the indigestible seed-covering in which the groat is enclosed. Producing potato fibre includes various steps to remove potato water and starch.
I use Oat or Potato fibre (whichever is available in your region) mainly in low-carb bread and bread rolls recipes. As I like fried chicken, fried cauliflower and even fried cheese, instead of usual breadcrumbs, I also use Oat/Potato fibre.
Psyllium husk and Xanthan gum are both soluble fibres, and we now know that soluble fibre absorbs water and creates a gel-like mass.
Psyllium husk has health benefits and is often used to help to lower cholesterol or help with diarrhoea or constipation.
I use Psyllium husk in the recipes for keto or low-carb bread or pizza because it gives a nice chewy, bread-like texture whilst helping to form a dough.
Xanthan gum is a thickener dietary fibre widely used in the food industry. We can find it in sauces, dressings, ice cream, yoghurts and gluten-free baked goods.
I use Xanthan gum in some flour-free bread recipes and cakes as it adds thickness and viscosity to them. Because xanthan gum is gluten-free and vegan, it’s the preferred thickener for those home bakers with food allergies.
Other sources of dietary fibre
Vegetables and fruit are natural sources of fibre; also, whole wheat flour and whole grains are higher in fibre.
Make smart choices like:
- Instead of fruit juices, eat whole fruits
- Add almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds or hemp seeds to your cereal bowl, yoghurt, smoothies or salad
- Add berries, apples or figs to your cereal, smoothie or yoghurt
- Eat brown rice, barley, amaranth, farro, quinoa
- Make raw vegetable side dish instead of cooked (e.g. grated carrots with apples, shredded cabbage or grated celery root with lemon juice)
- Add beans and legumes to your meals, or substitute them for meat in meals like chilli, salads and soups
- And, of course, add Psyllium husk to your smoothie, Potato or Oat fibre to meals like quiche, soups, home fried meat… (look up my Greatest Keto Fried Chicken)
Vegetables and fruit from my garden