10 Ways To Add Fiber To Your Diet

Everyone knows that fiber is important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. While the recommended amount is 25-30 grams of fiber a day, the vast majority of people never get more than 10-15 grams. This can lead to poor digestive health, headaches and lack of energy, among other symptoms. If you're looking to increase your fiber intake, here are ten excellent ways to do just that.

1. Replace favorite carbs with integral versions. Bread, pasta and rice can all be healthier when made from whole grains. Brown rice is a great substitute for the white version and this can boost your fiber intake by several grams.

2. Drink green smoothies. Love fruit smoothies? While fruit can provide some good fiber, adding a handful of baby spinach will increase the amount quite a bit. It may look odd, but a green smoothie will taste just as yummy if you use baby spinach as the greens. This doesn't leave a flavor and boosts the fiber drastically.

3. Snack on carrots. A cup of carrots can have up to 5 grams of fiber, so this makes for a great snack. If you're not that fond of carrot sticks, try a mixed cup with broccoli added in.

4. Mix bran flakes into regular cereal. It's tough to eat just bran flakes since they are pretty similar to cardboard in taste and texture. Mixing half a cup into your usual cereal, however, will make it much easier to eat. You might also want to look for honey coated bran flakes for a little boost.

5. Stir some powder into your coffee. Whatever your favorite morning beverage, chances are you can add a fiber powder to it. Look for flavorless ones that will dissolve into your drink and you won't even notice it. You can also mix this powder into Jello when making it for an extra boost at dessert.

6. Toss some garbanzo beans into your salad. These little beans are a great way to boost the fiber of any green salad. You can even make them the main attraction by adding lemon juice and parsley to a can of drained garbanzos and then add a cup of shredded lettuce and a couple of chopped tomatoes.

7. Include beans in your omelet. Third world countries might not be so far off in their beans and rice diets. Adding beans to your daily meals will increase fiber quite a bit, 15 grams per cup. You can add some black beans to an omelet, stir them into a soup or mash them and make a sandwich spread.

8. Add a little something to your baking. Making cookies or muffins? Add a handful of wheat germ or flax seeds to give your baked goods a boost. Flax is also a great addition to breads, adding a bit of a chew to the finished product.

9. Eat your skins. Apples, potatoes and pears are all excellent sources of fiber, but the skins hold most of that useful dietary supplement. Skip peeling and just wash your fruits and vegetables before eating instead.

10. Add fruit to your cereal. There's an endless parade of fruits that will work well on your cereal and all of them have fiber in them. Blueberries, bananas and strawberries are just a few excellent options.

Getting enough fiber in your diet is something everyone needs to strive for. It can prevent a multitude of health issues, including colon cancer and many stomach issues. Just implementing one of the above tips can help you stay healthier long term.


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