High-fiber foods are a healthy part of a balanced diet. Dietary fiber may reduce the risk for developing some types of cancer, such as colon cancer, improve gastrointestinal health and help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. A high-fiber diet includes fiber with each meal with plenty fluids to help move the fiber through your system. The average daily fiber intake should be 21-to-25 grams for women and 30-to-38 grams for men, according to MayoClinic.com's nutrition guide.
Breakfast
Breakfast sets the tone for the day with a healthy nutritious meal. It refuels your body after sleep and gives you energy to start your morning. Adding fiber to your breakfast while maintaining an overall nutritional balance can be done by including fruits and whole grains, along with a smaller portion of low-fat proteins, such as milk and eggs, recommends MayoClinic.com.
Whole grain cereal, such as bran flakes, adds 5.3g of fiber to your breakfast. Add low-fat milk for protein, 1 cup raspberries with 8g of fiber, and you have added a total of 13.3g of fiber to your morning meal. This is about one-third of your daily recommended amount of fiber.
A winter breakfast may include 1 cup of oatmeal (4g of fiber), low-fat milk, one-half sliced apple (2.2g of fiber) and ¼ cup sunflower seeds (3.9g of fiber). This breakfast adds up to 10.1g of fiber.
Lunch
Dietary fiber includes soluble fiber, such as oat bran, oatmeal, peas, rice bran, citrus fruits, berries, apple pulp and insoluble fiber, such as whole-wheat bread, wheat cereals, wheat bran, cabbage, carrots, beets and other vegetables. The American Heart Association recommends eating plenty of both types of fiber.
Try a black bean burger (15g of fiber) with a pear (5.5g of fiber) for a lunch total of 20.5g of fiber. Any fruit can be added with the burger or even a small salad with high-fiber vegetables. Carrots have 1.7g of fiber each; a tomato has 1g of fiber, while 1 cup of onions has 2.88g of fiber.
If you want to pack a quick lunch, try an apple (4.4g of fiber) and a low-fat chicken sandwich on whole-grain bread (4g of fiber for two slices of bread).
Dinner
Grilled vegetables are a good high-fiber option for summertime. Grilled corn has 4.2g of fiber per cup. Another recipe includes 1 cup of zucchini (2.63g of fiber), 1 cup of summer squash (2.52g of fiber) and 1 cup of sweet red peppers (2.62g of fiber). Wrap them up in foil and grill them.
Any type of lean meat or fish makes a good combo on the grill.
For dessert, try a cup of fresh seasonal berries (8g of fiber) with a low-fat cream, or a slice of caramelized pear bread (8g of fiber).
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