Fiber has a reputation for being an elusive nutrient, but if you make a conscious effort to meet your recommended daily intake, it may not be as tricky as you think.
Green vegetables, fruits, bread, cereals, legumes, nuts, meats, and oats are examples of commonly consumed foods that are good sources of fiber.
Eating a minimum of 25 grams of fiber per day can provide you with numerous health benefits, from staving off a variety of diseases, to normalizing your bowels, to helping you lose weight.
Increasing your fiber consumption is a terrific way to improve your overall health, regardless of whether you are overweight, underweight, or perfectly fit.
You can learn more about the extensive benefits of fiber by heading to Medicine Net.
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Which Foods Have a High Fiber Content?
There are a number of foods that contain fiber. Fiber is available in a large number of wheat-based cereals, pasta, and bread.
- For cereals, it’s as simple as looking at the nutritional information on the box in order to learn the product’s fiber content. In general, your best bet is to stick with whole wheat, granola, or muesli based cereals.
- Most cereals have some fiber, but if you want to maximize your intake, avoid sugary, chemical-laden options. Choose wisely and you can get 10 grams per cup of cereal.
- All wheat-based pasta has some fiber in it. An easy way to boost your fiber intake is to swap out bleached for whole wheat. This will get you a few extra grams without losing any of the taste.
- The same principles should be applied to bread. Make sure you go for the whole wheat, or better yet, whole-grain choice. Use rye bread instead of white and you will pick up an extra gram or two, along with a host of other nutrients.
- Popcorn is the fiber enthusiast’s secret weapon. Not only can you satisfy your sodium cravings with this tasty snack, but you will get about five grams of fiber per 40 grams of popcorn.
- If you want an instant fiber boost, crack open a can of baked beans, the equivalent of a fiber-mine. Your average can of beans contains about 20 grams of fiber. If you can finish a can off by yourself, you have nearly achieved your daily requirement in a single sitting.
- There are a number of other bean options, such as black and kidney, which have similar properties to baked beans. Any of these options will do wonders for your fiber intake.
- Oatmeal is a good way to consume oats, as is eating oat-based cereals like Cheerios. Oats are chalked full of fiber and usually contain about 16 grams per cup.
- Green vegetables are a great source of fiber. Add a side of broccoli or peas to your dinner, or toss some kale in a salad to pick up some extra grams of fiber. Try a spinach omelet for breakfast.
- Many fruits are a good source of fiber. Try blending a berry smoothie for a delicious, fiber-filled snack.
- Slice some banana into your breakfast cereal. You can easily pick up two grams of fiber by grabbing an apple on your way out the door.
- Not from concentrate fruit juices can be a good source of fiber as well. Pineapple juice, for instance, can give you a gram or two per 250 ml.
- Many types of nuts are great sources of fiber. Try having a handful of almonds, pecans, or walnuts every day to add three to six grams of fiber to your daily consumption.
The MyHealth.Alberta.ca website has a detailed list of fiber-containing foods and information regarding how much you can expect to get out of each.
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What Are Some Good Specialty Options?
There are a number of fiber-filled specialty products on the market these days. Many of these provide an easy way to increase your intake.
Most of these products are granola bars, or bite-sized wheat or oat-based snacks. These options will typically have between three and six grams per serving.
Often these products will have the word fiber in their names, which makes them easily distinguishable from the more candy-like treats. Try a few. When you find one you like, you will have a snack full of fiber that you actually look forward to eating every day.
Are There Other Ways to Increase My Fiber Intake?
Yes. Taking a fiber supplement is a popular way to increase fiber consumption. Fiber supplements are great for people who are turned off by the taste high fiber foods, or anyone who has difficulty hitting their daily quota.
Of course, proper nutrition is only one part of living a healthy lifestyle; exercise matters, too. Go PRO today for access to workout routines, certified personal trainers, and more.