5 fibre-rich breakfasts: oats, toast, beans and cereal
Last updated October 7, 2026
Five breakfasts here, each built on a food the NHS names for fibre: porridge, overnight oats, wholemeal toast with peanut butter, wholemeal toast with beans, and yoghurt with fruit and a wholegrain cereal. The NHS gives a figure for two of them, about 8g a serving, which is over a quarter of the 30g a day UK guidelines set for adults. For the rest, choose by what you will actually make on a weekday morning.
Choosing a format
| Breakfast | What the NHS says on fibre | Work before eating | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porridge with fruit | Oats are a good source; no figure | Cook oats, add fruit | You want a warm bowl |
| Overnight oats | 8g per serving (NHS recipe) | Soak the night before | You would rather do the work the evening before |
| Wholemeal toast, peanut butter and fruit | About 8.3g with a medium orange (NHS example) | Toast and spread | You like a handheld breakfast |
| Wholemeal toast with beans | Pulses named as a good source; no figure | Warm beans, toast | You want something savoury |
| Yoghurt, fruit and wholegrain cereal | Wholewheat biscuits and shredded wholegrain named; no figure | Assemble | You want crunchy and soft textures separate |
The NHS calls its examples illustrations: fibre depends on how food is made and how much you eat, so your bowl will not match them exactly. If you already eat toast, change the bread and add fruit; if you eat cereal, compare labels. Buy for one format first rather than stocking a cupboard of unfamiliar breakfast foods.
Overnight oats
The NHS's easy overnight oats serves four, at 8g of fibre a serving. Stir 150g high-fibre porridge oats with 25g dried cranberries, 50g chopped ready-to-eat apricots, 25g sultanas and 300ml unsweetened apple juice, then cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, share it between four bowls and top each with 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt and berries. Sliced banana or chopped apple work in place of the berries, so you can use fruit from the other breakfasts. If you forget the night before, porridge uses the same oats.
Porridge with fruit
Cook porridge the way you usually do and treat the fruit as a topping, so you can change it without changing the cooking. Sliced banana is soft; chopped apple gives you something to bite. Start with one topping and see whether you like the oats before buying seeds or dried fruit.
Wholemeal toast with peanut butter and fruit
Two slices of wholemeal toast with peanut butter and a medium orange is the NHS's example breakfast, at around 8.3g. Look for "wholemeal" on the bread label, since brown colour alone does not tell you. If peanut butter does not suit you, another spread works, but the 8.3g will not carry over.
Wholemeal toast with beans
Tinned cooked beans, or a bean topping you already make, go straight on toast. For a variation, spoon cooked chickpeas in a thick tomato sauce onto the bread, thick enough that it does not soak through. The same tin can serve breakfast and dinner.
Yoghurt, fruit and wholegrain cereal
A yoghurt bowl keeps the cereal crunchy if you add it at the last minute. Check the label of whichever cereal you choose, and use whatever fruit is already in the house, fresh, frozen or tinned.
For fibre at lunch and dinner, see adding fibre to everyday meals.