Why should you up your intake? There are several reasons. “Fiber is really good for decreasing belly fat, which is associated with cardiovascular disease,” says Jessica Crandall Snyder, RDN, CDE, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator in private practice at Vital RD in Denver. “It also helps lower cholesterol levels by clearing out cholesterol that’s building in artery walls.” That’s not all, though. Foods that are rich in fiber can also help you control your blood sugar levels because they take longer to be digested, thus boosting your satiety levels, keeping you fuller longer. “We know Americans struggle with overeating,” Crandall Snyder says, “and fullness helps with weight maintenance.” If you need any more persuading, a study published in January 2019 in the journal The Lancet showed that people who ate high amount of fiber (between 25 to 29 g a day) had up to a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer than those who skimped on the nutrient.
Which Foods Are High in Fiber?
Plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains are rich in fiber. And if you want to add more of these foods to your diet, you don’t have to do a complete overhaul all at once; rather, you can sneak them into your daily meals a few grams at a time. Says Crandall Snyder, “Getting to the goal of 25 to 38 g of fiber a day is something we need to think more creatively about.” Slowly adding to your fiber intake over time is actually the better course to take: Drastically (and suddenly) ramping up on fiber can cause bloating and other side effects, which might deter you from eating these super-healthy foods. Ready to get started? Here are some ways to add fiber to the foods you’re already eating:
Make a berry and chia parfait
When you pop open a container of Greek yogurt, add 2 teaspoons of chia seeds (3 g of fiber) and a half cup of raspberries, one of the berries that are highest in fiber (4 g).
Add beans and grains to a salad
If your go-to meal is a salad topped with a grilled chicken breast (which is healthy, but doesn’t contain fiber), try switching your protein for a quarter cup each of beans and quinoa, which offer protein plus an additional helping of fiber (4 g and 1 g, respectively).
Revamp your sandwich
Rather than eating the same old sandwich every day — a slice of tomato and a lettuce leaf or two with a slice of turkey or other type of deli meat — try switching your toppings, says Crandall Snyder. Her picks: Sprouts and sliced raw zucchini. They’ll add an extra dose of fiber that you won’t get from iceberg lettuce. Another suggestion: Replace mayo and cheese with a generous spread of hummus. Just 2 tablespoons offer 1.5 g of fiber. For bonus points, build the sammie with whole grain bread for about 4 g of fiber. Or get creative with a more colorful bun: Ditch the bread and put your ingredients between slices of red bell pepper (cut the pepper in half and remove the seeds), which provides 3 g of fiber. “It’s not that there’s anything wrong with bread,” says Crandall Snyder, “but when you’re looking to eat more vegetables, this can be a great substitute.”
BYO bento box lunch
For people who are stuck in a lunch rut, Crandall Snyder recommends the bento box. These lunch boxes have different compartments that lend themselves perfectly to being filled with a variety of higher-fiber foods, including a few slices of bell pepper (1 g), a quarter cup of sunflower seeds (3 g), and a peeled clementine (1 g). Find bento boxes in grocery stores or online.
Pair your snacks
Facing down a midafternoon hunger emergency? We’re guessing that your go-to snack is a package of pretzels or chips. Unfortunately, those don’t contain much fiber. Next time, be prepared with this trick healthy snackers use: produce + protein. Pair two kiwis (4 g) with a quarter-cup of dried chickpeas (5g), or a pear (5.5 g) with an ounce of nuts (almonds rank among the highest in fiber, with 3.5 g in 23 nuts).
Spiralize your veggies
Sure, you could buy a spiralizer, but many stores now sell already-prepared veggie “noodles.” A cup and a half of zucchini noodles offers 2 g of fiber. You can toss them with whole wheat noodles to bulk up your pasta dish and then add an extra dose of vegetables, like kale or spinach. Spaghetti squash makes another great noodle substitute: Cut the squash in half lengthwise, roast it in the oven until tender, then run a fork through the flesh to create “noodles.”
Rethink your pizza toppings
On nights when you’re rushed, cooking might mean throwing a frozen pizza into the oven. (No judgment!) But you can still sneak in an extra dose of fiber — while freshening up the pizza and jazzing up the taste — by topping the pie with your own sliced veggies. Try sliced mushrooms, spinach, artichoke hearts, or broccoli, for example. When you’re making pizza, though, anything goes — even pineapple chunks will add a bit of fiber.
Take a supplement
Let’s face it: Despite our best efforts to eat well, we don’t always hit our daily quota of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. If you find that this is regularly the case for you, your doctor may recommend a fiber supplement along with other dietary changes that can boost your fiber intake.
