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- Fiber-rich foods help promote regular bowel movements, feed good gut bacteria, and help you stay full longer.
- You can increase your daily fiber intake with simple swaps such as choosing whole grains, beans, lentils, chia seeds, flaxseeds, avocados, and fiber-rich snacks.
- You can gradually add more plant-based foods and fiber-rich ingredients to your meals.
Fiber-maxing, or maximizing your daily fiber intake, is all the rage on social media right now. While a recent trend, increasing your fiber intake has been recommended by healthcare providers for decades to improve gut health. After all, fiber helps keep bowel movements regular and comfortable and fuels the growth of friendly bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Here are some tips to help you add more fiber to your diet.
1. Add Psyllium Husk to Your Favorite Recipes
Psyllium husk is a highly concentrated source of soluble fiber, which dissolves in water.
Psyllium husk provides 7 grams of fiber per tablespoon and has been shown to support health by improving bowel movement frequency and stool consistency in people with constipation, lowering cholesterol levels, and supporting weight loss.
In addition to being taken as a supplement, psyllium husk can be used in a number of ways in the kitchen. For example, psyllium husk can be added to baked goods, like breads and muffins, to boost their soluble fiber content.
2. Experiment with Beans and Lentils
Beans and lentils are amongst the best sources of fiber you can eat. For example, lentils pack 15.6 grams of fiber per cup, which covers over half of your daily needs.
The fiber found in beans and lentils helps you stay full after eating by slowing down digestion, which can also support better blood sugar management.
Beans and lentils are unique in that they’re high in fiber and protein, another nutrient that helps slow digestion, support healthy blood sugar levels, and reduce hunger levels.
You can add beans to egg dishes, soups, salads, and even desserts like black bean brownies.
3. Choose Higher-Fiber Grains
One of the easiest ways to improve your fiber intake is to choose whole grains over refined grains.
Unlike whole grains, which contain all three parts of the grain kernel (the germ, the endosperm, and the bran), refined grains, such as white rice and white flour, have had their germ and bran removed, which contain important nutrients, such as fiber and B vitamins. Therefore, refined grains are a poor source of fiber and other nutrients.
For example, whole-wheat flour contains about four times as much fiber as refined white flour. Similarly, a cup of cooked brown rice contains roughly five to seven times more fiber than white rice.
4. Fiber-Max Your Snacks
Many popular snack foods, like chips and cookies, are low in fiber. Fortunately, it’s easy to fiber-max your snacks.
Pairing fiber-rich foods with protein sources is one of the best ways to stay full in between meals, as fiber and protein have powerful satiating properties.
Some snack-worthy, fiber-packed combos include:
- Dates stuffed with peanut butter
- Fresh berries and cottage cheese
- Tuna salad made with avocado and chickpeas
- Chia pudding made with collagen peptides
If you’d like something simpler, a piece of fresh fruit, like a pear, paired with a hard-boiled egg or turkey stick, is a convenient option when you’re limited on time but still want to hit your fiber goals.
5. Use Chia and Flax Seeds
Chia seeds and flaxseeds are high-fiber ingredients that can improve your fiber intake while supporting your gut, blood sugar control, and heart health.
One ounce of chia seeds packs 9.75 grams of fiber while the same serving of flaxseeds provides 7.64 grams.
Chia seeds have a unique gelling quality which makes them a perfect option for making a fiber-packed chia pudding. Flaxseeds and chia seeds can also be added to baked goods, smoothies, oatmeal, and even salads for an easy way to increase their fiber content.
6. Eat More Avocados
Avocados are a rich source of fiber, with a 201-gram fruit packing 13.5 grams, or 48% of your daily fiber needs.
Avocados can be enjoyed sliced as a simple side dish or snack, or made into guacamole and used as a fiber-rich topping for salads, burrito bowls, tacos, and savory oats.
Because they’re so rich in fiber, adding avocados to your diet may help improve heart health and keep you fuller between meals, which can help facilitate weight loss.
7. Choose More Veggie-Based Meals
Transitioning to a more plant-based diet is an evidence-based way to increase your fiber intake. Because fiber comes from plant foods, choosing more vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains can help you maximize your fiber intake at each meal.
While transitioning to a fully plant-based diet is an option, simply incorporating more plant-based meals can still significantly boost your fiber intake. For example, choosing beans as a salad topping instead of chicken or bacon, or opting for a grain-and-vegetable bowl over a burger, can make a meaningful difference in the fiber content of your diet.
