Brits mistakenly think white rice, cucumber and chicken are key sources of fibre.
A poll of 2,000 adults found brown rice (61 per cent), carrots (27 per cent) and cabbage (36 per cent) are also among the foods they believe are brimming with it.
And while they do contain some, their amounts are relatively modest compared with genuinely high fibre options.
With brown rice containing roughly 1.8g of fibre per 100g cooked, meaning you'd need a substantial portion to make a noticeable dent in your NHS recommended daily intake of 30 grams for adults.
And despite their reputation, carrots only have 2.8g and cabbage around 2.5g per 100g.
In comparison, truly fibre dense foods like bread, beans, lentils, chia seeds, raspberries, wholewheat pasta and wholemeal wraps have around 6g–10g per serving.
Louise Dickinson, content creator and ambassador for FAB Flour [https://fabflour.co.uk/], which commissioned the research, said: “It’s time to ditch the myths and rediscover valuable sources in everyday foods to truly fuel your fibre goals.
“Many people assume, and with some justification, their diet does contain fibre based on what they normally eat, and this is true.
“But it’s also true many people don’t eat enough fibre-rich foods, to really feel the positive benefits.”
The study also found 12 per cent count cucumbers as part of their daily intake.
Worryingly, 29 per cent don’t ever consider their fibre intake at all, with 24 per cent feeling they have been actively misled on what foods contain it.
But 46 per cent would like to give theirs a boost and eat more of it.
Nearly a fifth (18 per cent) described their knowledge of fibre-rich foods as poor, or very poor.
And while 33 per cent base their dietary choices over what their body needs, 41 per cent are more likely to simply prepare something easy.
With 21 per cent struggling to get a balanced diet in them on a regular basis, according to the OnePoll.com figures.
The research also looked into the nation’s bread habits, with wholemeal bread topping the list of people’s favourite loaves, taking 38 per cent of the vote and with 7g of fibre per 100g, it is a fibre-rich staple.
It was found those aged 65 and over had the majority vote for this type of bread (52 per cent), compared to just 24 per cent of 18–24-year-olds.
While Yorkshire and the Humber residents also voted it their favourite (43 per cent) compared to just 28 per cent of people in Wales.
Next-most-popular was sourdough (31 per cent) followed by multigrain (29 per cent) and a French baguette (28 per cent).
Tiger bread, classic white sliced, crumpets and ciabatta also appeared in the top 10 lists of beloved breads.
It was found 25 per cent prefer homemade bread over shop bought and almost half (46 per cent) consider flour and bread to be good sources of fibre.
FAB Flour ambassador, Louise Dickinson, added: “You’d have to go a long way to find someone who doesn’t like bread.
“And it’s also, for the most part, a really good natural source of fibre, so it’s doing you some good while you enjoy it.
“Bread got a bit of a knocking during the period in 2000s and 2010s when everyone suddenly got scared of carbs.
“But it’s a really valuable source of fibre, and can also include protein and other vitamins and nutrients the body needs.”
BRITS’ TOP 10 KINDS OF BREAD:
1. Wholemeal bread
2. Sourdough
3. Multigrain bread
4. Baguette
5. Tiger bread
6. White sliced bread
7. Crumpets
8. Ciabatta
9. Naan
10. Bagels
