The fiber in your diet comes from the portions of fruits, vegetables and grains that can't travel through the walls of your intestines and into your bloodstream. Instead, fiber lingers in your gastrointestinal tract to promote heart health, regulate bowel movements, control blood glucose and cholesterol levels, and prevent some forms of cancer. To get the most fiber from your meals and snacks, choose fresh produce and minimally processed grain products.
Breakfast
If you're trying to eat 35 g of fiber each day, plan your breakfast around whole grains and fresh fruit. Select hot oat bran cereals that deliver 4 g of fiber in a 3/4 cup serving, bran and raisin cold cereals that pack 5.3 g of fiber in the same portion size or cereals made from shredded wheat that have 5.2 g of fiber in a 1-cup portion. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of sunflower or sesame seeds on your cereal to add 0.5 g of fiber. Toast a slice of whole-wheat bread topped with 1 tbsp. of peanut butter for a total of 2.5 g of fiber. Munch on half of a small mango, a small orange or an unpeeled pear for 2.9 g of fiber.
Snacks
When you eat a high-fiber breakfast, you stay full longer and do a better job of controlling your appetite. If you're going to be away from home, pack an orange or grapefruit, which contains 2 to 3 g of fiber. Munch on a medium banana to add 3 g of fiber, choose an unpeeled medium apple that brings along 4 g of fiber or sprinkle 1 tbsp. of ground psyllium seeds on low-fat yogurt for a whopping 6 g of fiber.
Lunch
A luncheon salad can provide plenty of fiber without boosting your calorie intake. A tossed salad with 1/2 cup spinach, 1/4 cup sliced carrots, 1/4 cup of green peas and 1/4 cup of chopped cauliflower provides 5.2 g of fiber. Add a 1/2 cup portion of a high-fiber grain, such as quinoa, which delivers 2.6 g of fiber, or brown rice, which contains almost 3.7 g. If you're aiming for 35 g of daily fiber, the salad and brown rice combination containing 8.9 g of fiber takes you more than 25 percent of the way to your goal.
Dinner
Plan your last meal of the day carefully to achieve your 35 g target. Refer to a reputable source, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database, to determine how much fiber you've already consumed during the day. Consider the fiber content of various dinner menus, and choose one that addresses the gap. Animal-based products, including meat, dairy, fish and poultry, don't contain fiber. However, pinto beans pack 7 g of fiber in a 1/2 cup portion and both northern and black beans deliver 5.5 g of fiber in 1/2 cup. Select an array of fiber-rich vegetables, including dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage or broccoli, to complete your high-fiber meal.
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