The one thing your breakfast needs

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If we told you that eating foods with fibre could help support your immune system you'd probably suggest we were pulling your leg.

But prebiotic fibre is indeed a kind of special fibre that's naturally occurring in grains, certain fruits and vegetables, and consuming prebiotic fibres regularly will help with your health and wellbeing.

"Prebiotics are a type of fibre that feed the good bacteria in our gut so they grow in numbers, which, along with a good quality diet, can help to look after our immune system," explains Dietitian Leanne Ward.

"There's emerging evidence between gut health and immunity, as we discover more about how our good bacteria interact with immune cells within the gut."

Prioritising good gut health is not just for people with tummy troubles. Ward says anyone seeking optimal general health and daily performance should be trying to maximise prebiotic intake.

"There can be a misconception that 'I don't have intolerances or allergies or bloating, so my gut health is fine' but for a lot of Aussies, our gut health isn't as optimal as it should be," she says.

"If we're not feeding the good bacteria in our gut, they're not going to have a chance to thrive and flourish and do all the wonderful things they should be doing, such as helping support our immune system."

Make it a habit

For good gut health, ticking prebiotics off at breakfast is an easy way. "The right type of cereal with fibre can be so simple – we pour it out of the box, we don't have to cook it up. It's great for something quick and easy, particularly for time-poor parents," says Ward.

Pair it with some Greek yoghurt, fresh fruit and nuts or seeds and you have a well-balanced breakfast to fuel you through your winter mornings.

Ward adds that eating a diverse range of fibre from different foods is another great thing we can do for our gut health. To mix things up, you could create some prebiotic-rich Banana Bran Bread, a Sultana Bran Smoothie Bowl or All Bran muffins to have on the go.

"Rotate the toppings on your cereal too – you might switch between blueberry and almonds; raspberries and walnuts; banana and pecan; or peaches and macadamia nuts, to get different vitamins, minerals, fibres, antioxidants and phytochemicals," suggests Ward.

The beauty of eating lots of different grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables is that they tend to be a wonderful "package deal" offering a great blend of nutrients.

Adds Ward: "They give us energy as well as fueling our gut health. That's the power of healthy food."

Looking for delicious ways to get fibre into your diet? Visit kelloggs.com.au/en_AU/recipes/fibre.html