What to Eat for 30 Grams of Fiber Per Day

A woman is eating berries.
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Getting the recommended 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day for adults may help lower your risk for high cholesterol, heart disease and constipation, according to Colorado State University Extension. A study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in December 2009 found that increasing your fiber intake may also help you lose weight. It doesn't have to be hard to get 30 grams of fiber per day -- just replace a few refined foods with high-fiber foods.

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Breakfast Ideas

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Start off your day with a cup of oatmeal, with 4 grams of fiber, topped with a cup of raspberries, which add another 8 grams of fiber, for a breakfast with 12 total grams of fiber. Many ready-to-eat breakfast cereals made with whole grains are also high in fiber if you don't like oatmeal. Two biscuits of shredded wheat provide about 5.5 grams, and 1/2 cup of bran cereal has about 8.8 grams. Trade the raspberries for an orange or a cup of strawberries, and you'll still get 3 grams of fiber.

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Lunch Options

Have a salad and a sandwich for a high-fiber lunch. Two slices of whole-grain bread will provide about 3.4 grams of fiber. A 2-cup serving of romaine lettuce adds 2.4 grams. Top your lettuce with a tomato for another 1.5 grams and 1/2 cup of carrots for an additional 1.6 grams of fiber. This lunch has a total of 8.9 grams of fiber. The meat and cheese in your sandwich won't add fiber, but any vegetables you include will increase the fiber somewhat.

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High-Fiber Dinners

A cup of brown rice has 3.5 grams of fiber. Top it with 1/2 cup of kidney beans for another 5.5 grams of fiber. Serve your rice and beans with a cup of cooked broccoli to increase the fiber of your dinner by 3 grams, for a total of 12 grams. If you swap the rice and beans for skinless chicken breast and a medium baked potato, you'll get 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 7 grams if you still eat the broccoli.

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Snack Solutions

A smoothie made with milk, a banana and a cup of strawberries will have 6.4 grams of fiber. Or snack on an ounce of almonds, for 3.3 grams of fiber. Pair your nuts with a pear for an additional 5.1 grams of fiber or an apple for 3.3 grams of fiber. A 3-cup serving of popcorn has 3 grams of fiber, an ounce of peanuts has 2.3 grams, and peaches, nectarines and kiwi fruits all have at least 2 grams of fiber per ounce.

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