Stay healthy with these tips from top nutritionists on a high-fiber diet, including how to get more high-fiber foods, high-fiber recipes and high-fiber snacks into your life.
If you’re like most Americans, your diet is severely lacking in dietary fiber, a powerful nutrient with many health benefits. Fiber is good for your heart, digestion, and gut microbiome (it helps feed your friendly bacteria). It can also help you feel fuller for longer, helping to maintain a healthy weight. It’s no wonder that fiber-rich foods like legumes (beans, lentils, peas), whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds have been linked to so many health benefits, including lower rates of heart disease, obesity, and certain Types of Disease Risk Cancer. So, how do you provide your diet with the fiber your body needs? These top nutritionists offer their best advice. Click here to learn more about the benefits of fiber and check out 13 fiber-rich foods you should eat here.
6 tips from a nutritionist on a high-fiber diet
1. get beanie
The queen of fiber is legumes such as beans, lentils and peas. Try to incorporate them into your diet at least a few times a week. “I add them to soups, salads, and most of my slow cooker recipes. They add tons of fiber and more protein to dishes. Rinse canned beans under running water to reduce sodium content by 35%,” Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University, ” Nutrition and you.
2. Fill your plate with plants
An easy way to increase fiber is to make sure you have more plant-based foods on your plate, including beans, grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. “I stress to my clients the importance of filling half their plates with fiber-providing vegetables and fruits and choosing whole grains. I personally add ground flax seeds to oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies as a supplement to my diet. Another easy way to add heart-healthy fats and fiber to your diet,” says registered dietitian and chef Jessica Cox Ivey.
3. Examine the way you eat
One way to make sure you’re doing your best to meet your fiber needs is to evaluate your current eating habits as well as your pantry and refrigerator. “To make sure I meet my daily fiber goal, I always ask myself the following questions:
1. Is this whole grain? Keeping the bran and germ intact increases nutrients and fiber.
2. Can I add beans? Beans are a great way to increase fiber, protein, and other key nutrients. They also increase satiety, keeping you satisfied for longer. Add them to salads, pastas, soups, tofu scrambles, wraps, and more.
3. Can I add other vegetables? I like to keep chopped or diced veggies on hand for extra fiber and nutrients like extra pizza toppings, quick stir-fries, and better sandwiches. Keep 3-4 airtight containers on hand and rotate which vegetables to use to prevent boredom. ” says Catherine Brown, CDM/CFPP, plant-based chef and culinary nutritionist at A Seat at My Table.
4. Add vegetables to every meal
Don’t wait until dinner to eat your vegetables – eating them throughout the day will increase your fiber. “I encourage my clients and readers to try eating one or more vegetables with each meal to meet their fiber needs. For breakfast, add veggies to a smoothie, overnight oats, or a grab-and-go breakfast cup. For lunch, eat raw Vegetables or salad. At dinner, aim to have half vegetables or other plant-based foods. Eating a variety of vegetables is a great way to add fiber to meals and snacks!” says culinary nutritionist Lizzie Streit After all, this is a vegetarian world.
5. Eat whole foods
Try to limit highly processed foods in your diet, such as products made with refined wheat flour and added sugars, and increase your consumption of more whole forms of foods, such as cooked beans, stewed whole grains, salads, roasted vegetables, and nuts as snacks. “If you eat real, unprocessed foods throughout the day, you’ll have no problem reaching your goals!” says Kelli Shallal MPH RD, RD in private practice and blogger behind hungry hobby.
6. Try more pumpkins
Include more fiber-rich vegetables like squash, including acorn, butternut and turban squash. “Winter squash packs a slightly sweet punch and is high in fiber. But topping the list at 9 grams per cup is acorn squash. I like to roast the acorn squash cubes with salt and pepper, then drizzle with honey and freshly grate of Parmesan Baked, it’s a slightly sweet and slightly salty dish!” says Jennifer Hunt, RDN, LD health inspiration.