If you regularly dine at fast-food restaurants, you may not be eating enough fiber. If you make vegetables an occasional side dish rather than a part of most meals, you may not be getting enough fiber. You also may not be getting enough fiber if you make all of your sandwiches on white bread and obtain all of your protein from meat. Most Americans do not include enough fiber in their diets, according to the American Dietetic Association, or ADA.
Fiber Recommendations
Men should aim to include 38 g of fiber in their daily diets, and women need 25 g -- a lot more than the 15 g the average person eats daily, according to the ADA. Fiber, found primarily in plant-based foods, includes two types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves somewhat in water; insoluble fiber does not. All fiber leaves your body undigested. Insoluble fiber -- whole-wheat flour and broccoli, for example -- can help relieve constipation. Soluble fiber, found in some fruits, grains and legumes, can help lower your blood sugar and cholesterol.
Beans
Beans provide the best source of soluble fiber. Just 1 cup of cooked split peas contains 16.3 g of soluble fiber. You get 15.6 g of soluble fiber in 1 cup of black beans, 15 g in 1 cup of lentils, 13.2 g in 1 cup of lima beans and 10.4 g in 1 cup of vegetarian baked beans. You can easily include 1 cup of beans in your diet if you make soup. Other good options include serving beans over brown rice or making a bean burrito.
Fruit
Fruit also provides soluble fiber. Citrus fruits and fruit with edible seeds and skins contain high amounts. An orange contains 3.1 g of soluble fiber. Raspberries contain 8 g of fiber in a 1-cup serving. A pear with skin contains 5.5 g of soluble fiber, and an apple with skin contains 4.4 g. Other fruits with soluble fiber include bananas, strawberries, figs and raisins. You can snack on fruit or add it to cereal, yogurt, salads and smoothies.
Considerations
Grains include soluble fiber. Oatmeal provides 4 g of fiber in a 1-cup serving, and barley contains 6 g in 1 cup. You can combine grains and other types of soluble fiber. You may add raspberries to a bowl of oatmeal, or you may add barley to bean soup. You may sprinkle oats on cooked apples or top a slice of whole-wheat toast with a sliced banana. If your current diet includes little fiber, add more fiber gradually to give your digestive system a chance to adjust.
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