HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL TELLS LAUREN TAYLOR

ABOUT TAKING SIMPLE, HUMBLE INGREDIENTS AND MAKING THEM DELICIOUS

- LAUREN TAYLOR

THE fibremaxxing trend - increasing the fibre content in your diet - has been gaining traction this year, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a big fan.

The celebrity chef and food campaigner is now on a mission to highlight the ‘‘fibre heroes’’ that could transform our health and meal times - and they are not the usual suspects.

‘‘If you look at people talking about fibre online, and by the way I’m very happy that they are, there is a lot of focus on nuts and seeds, particularly chia seeds, because they’re so high in fibre,’’ he says.

But high-fibre vegetables are being ignored, and they have the added benefit of phytonutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and other goodies to feed gut bacteria.

In his new book, High Fibre Heroes, Hugh is championing everyday veggies: peas, carrots, broccoli, spinach, cabbage and kale, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, cauliflower, lentils, leek and sweetcorn and making them standout stars in tasty dishes.

It’s the veg we ‘‘almost take for granted’’ he says. ‘‘Everybody knows what they are but we don’t give them the hero status they deserve. They’re overlooked because they’re hiding in plain sight. I wanted to bring them out of the bottom of the fridge and make them a superstar.’’