how to increase fiber in my diet?

I heard we should be consuming 35 grams of fiber every day and most americans consume only 10 to 12 g fiber a day. How do we increase our consumption of fiber rich foods?

Tue. Dec 11, 9:37am

I make sure I cook beans (lentils, split pea, black, navy, etc) once a week. I always cook for leftovers and then take them to lunch with me later in the week. Also, for me, one cup of dry beans makes about 4 meals (I add in veggies and rice and whatever else).

One cup of dry lentils has 59 grams of fiber. If I eat a quarter of that, I get 15g fiber in one meal.

~B

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 9:42 AM

Another thing - processed food (almost anything that comes in individual serving size) generally has little-to-no fiber. So cut that food out, and you'll have more room for fiber-rich foods in your daily calories.

~B

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 9:44 AM

I take supplements as well as try and eat as many veggies including beans as possible

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 9:47 AM

I put flaxseeds in all my food. I drink water so the flaxseeds swell. They provide plenty of fiber. Flaxseed is full of fiber. It’s high in both soluable fiber (like the kind we get from oat bran that helps to lower cholesterol) and insoluable fiber (like the fiber wheat bran offers that helps prevent constipation). Flaxseed has 2.5 grams of fiber per tablespoon. Flax is one of the richest sources of plant lignans (a type of phytoestrogen and cancer-fighting nutrient) in the plant world. Lastly, flaxseed is recognized as a functional food because it is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Very little of the oil in flaxseed is saturated and with its high fatty acid ratio, chronic disease risks are reduced.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 10:11 AM

but flax is better taken ground up than in whole seed format. Seeds often pass through the body undigested. Grind them up and you get all the health benefits from them.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 3:19 PM

I put flaxseeds in my coffee grinder and grind them there. Very Easy.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 4:59 PM

There are some very high breakfast cereals. I use Fiber One. I also put an entire 1/4 cup of unprocessed wheat bran into my salad I fix for my lunch every day with a quarter head of lettuce. I can't really taste it, but it sure has the desired effect.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 9:24 PM

Adding Fiber

It's hard to eat 35 gms a day.

I track WW points and fiber gms.

Most fruits and veggies have a single gram per serving.

But if you use only whole grain bread and pasta, eat a high fiber breakfast cereal, use very high-fiber tortillias and include beans and lentils in your diet, you'll come close. Potatoes with skins are loaded.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 9:48 PM

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