NEW YORK – With protein hogging the spotlight lately, it may seem as if it is the main nutrient to focus on when it comes to good health. But fibre deserves attention too, nutrition experts say.

Most Americans, while eating plenty of protein, are not meeting fibre recommendations – which are 25g a day for women and 38g a day for men.

Few foods offer both nutrients, said Cheryl Anderson, a professor and dean of public health at the University of California, San Diego. Animal products that are high in protein, like beef, fish and chicken, often contain no fibre. And foods that are high in fibre, like fruit and vegetables, typically offer little protein.

The sweet-spot foods that contain both nutrients offer a nice one-two punch of benefits, Anderson said. Not only are they often satiating and inexpensive, she said, but you also get the protein perks, like muscle maintenance, and fibre perks, like improved gut health and reduced risks of chronic conditions, all in one bite.

You have only so many calories to play with each day, said Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor emeritus of nutrition sciences at Penn State. So incorporating fibre- and protein-rich foods can help you meet your nutrient needs without exceeding your calorie goals.

Here are five food groups that offer both.

Beans, lentils and other pulses

Pulses – which are dried, edible seeds of the legume family – include chickpeas, lentils, dried peas and dried beans, like pinto, kidney and black beans. They top the list because of their relatively high protein and fibre levels.

A half-cup serving of cooked lentils, for instance, has about 9g of protein and 8g of fibre. The same amount of cooked black beans offers about 7.5g of each nutrient.