A high-fiber diet can lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to MayoClinic.com. Women should consume between 21 and 25 grams of fiber a day and men should eat between 30 and 38 grams a day. Insoluble fiber and soluble fiber are both beneficial. Insoluble fiber helps move toxic waste through your system and prevents constipation. Soluble fiber can lower your cholesterol. Your grocery store is full of foods with healthy fiber content. The key is knowing what to look for, and also understanding the terms that some manufacturers use to tempt you into buying.
Fruits
Skip fruit juices, unless you're buying them to maintain your fluid intake, according to the website Dietary Fiber Guide. Buy fresh fruit instead and eat the skins. Raspberries are the best choice, according to MayoClinic.com. They contain 8 grams of fiber. A medium apple with its skin has 4.4g. Other possibilities from your grocer's produce section are pears, strawberries, bananas and oranges. Dried fruits with good fiber content include raisins and figs.
Vegetables
Gather some fresh artichokes while you're in the produce section. MayoClinic.com reports that one medium artichoke contains 10.3g of fiber. Fresh peas are also very high in fiber. Broccoli, corn, Brussels sprouts and carrots are healthy options with high fiber value. A 1 cup serving of raw baby carrots and broccoli pieces provides a snack with about 5 grams of fiber. Buy baked beans or lima beans from the canned goods section. A cup of cooked black beans contains 15.6g fiber. Most split pea soup recipes call for carrots and potatoes. A cup of split peas contains 16.3g fiber, so these ingredients would make a healthy, high-fiber meal.
Cereal
Add your fruit to oatmeal or a whole-grain cereal. Brands recommended by Dietary Fiber Guide include Kellogg's Raisin Bran or Kellogg's All-Bran Original. If you prefer another brand, check the label. Avoid phrases like multi-grain, cracked, enriched or nutri-grain; these are not whole-grain products, according to Dietary Fiber Guide. Cereals should be either whole-wheat or whole-grain.
Rice, Pasta and Bread
Cross white pasta and white rice off your grocery list, advises Dietary Fiber Guide. Buy bulgar or amaranth grains instead that you can add to salads or chicken. Replace other "white" foods with whole-wheat pasta, pearled barley, or wild or brown rice. Switch sandwich bread for whole-wheat crackers or bran muffins.
Drinks
Dietary Fiber Guide stresses that you must consume plenty of liquids when you start a high-fiber diet, at least eight 8-oz. glasses a day. If tap water isn't to your liking, add bottled spring water to your shopping list. Dietary Fiber Guide says that you can substitute other beverages for some of the water. Fiber moves through your digestive tract by absorbing water from the intestines, so fluids are necessary to get their full benefit.
Shopping Tips
A product must have .6g of soluble fiber per serving in order to claim fiber content as part of its packaging. Dietary Fiber Guide says that "high fiber" means that the product has 5 or more grams per serving. A "good source" of fiber is 2.5 to 4.9g per serving. Anything that bills itself as having "more" or "added" fiber must contain at least 2.5g.
Member Comments