FOCUS ON FIBER!
It is important to get enough dietary fiber in our diets including both soluble and insoluble fiber. Most Americans only get about 50% of the recommended 25 grams of dietary fiber daily. Dietary fiber is best known for its ability to prevent and relieve constipation but also provides other health benefits by maintaining a healthy heart and reducing the risk of heart disease.
WHAT IS DIETARY FIBER?
Dietary Fiber is a broad term used for several materials that make up the parts of plants your body can’t digest. Fiber is classified as soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Foods high in soluble fiber has shown to help lower blood cholesterol levels when eaten as a part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Insoluble fiber helps aid in a normal bowel function.
Examples of Soluble Fibers: Examples of Insoluble Fibers:
Oats Whole wheat bread
Oat bran Whole grain cereals
Oatmeal Wheat bran
Beans Rye
Peas Cabbage
Barley Brussels sprouts
Rice Bran Turnips
Berries Apple skin
CAN FIBER HELP PREVENT OBESITY?
YES, fiber plays a major role in helping prevent obesity which is another risk factor for heart disease as well as helping individuals obtain a healthy body weight. Increasing your fiber intake in addition to reducing your total fat intake can benefit anyone who wants to lose weight. Foods high in fiber is often low in calories and fat and packed with vitamins, minerals, and important nutrients. Fiber rich foods tends to make you feel full sooner which will make you eat less and also keeps you feeling full longer.
TIPS TO BOOST YOUR DAILY FIBER INTAKE:
1. Aim to eat at least 2 cups of fruits and at least 2.5 cups of vegetables daily (fresh or frozen)
2. Read food labels and check the ingredient list, look for bran and whole wheat on packages.
3. Choose a bread with > 3grams of fiber/serving and whole grain cereals > 5 grams of fiber per serving
4. Select snacks that are good sources of fiber such as air-popped popcorn or low fat popcorn, raw or roasted nuts and seeds, whole wheat toasted mini pita bread, or even your favorite fiber filled cereal.
5. Always keep bags of frozen vegetables in freezer and add to soups, pasta dishes, casseroles, and omelets.
6. Use brown rice instead of white rice, switch to whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour, whole wheat breads and whole grain crackers instead of the regular ones.
7. Choose berries more often (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries) contain 2x the amount of fiber of most other fruits.
8. Replace your typical side dishes with high fiber beans and dried peas such as pinto, kidney, black beans & lentils.
9. Be creative, order pizza with vegetable toppings such as spinach, broccoli or green peppers.
10. As you increase your fiber intake, your body needs more water to help process the added fiber in your diet. Aim for at least 8-10 eight ounce glasses of water each day.
A FEW PERSONAL FAVORITE FIBER FINDS:
-Thomas multi-grain lite English muffins-8gms of fiber per muffin
-Roll Ups-like wraps (several flavors such as Rye, whole wheat, flaxseed)-9gms of fiber
-Kashi Brand Cereals (Kashi hot cereals, oatmeal, and cold cereals) - Kashi Vive cereal my favorite 5gms of fiber and greater
-Fiber one cereal (add to yogurt in place of granola for a fiber boost) 14gms fiber per ½ cup
-Fiber One Cereal Bars (Chocolate Chip and Oats and Peanut butter and Oats-YUM)-9gms of fiber/serving
-GNU Bars (fiber and flavor bars) - Banana walnut & cinnamon raisin are my favorites but other varieties as well.12gms of fiber per serving
-Kashi chewy or crunchy granola bars (5gms of fiber per serving)
Source: Jaime RD, CDN
Registered Dietitian, Certified Nutritionist
If you have any other questions or concerns about nutrition or want to meet or contact a Registered Dietitian go to www.nycdietitian.com
