1. Know Your Fiber Goal
The recommended fiber intake for adults ranges from 25g per day for adult women to 38g per day for adult men. After age 50, fiber recommendations go down to 21 grams per day for women and 30 grams per day for men. Few people achieve this level of fiber in their daily diet.
You can translate this goal into how much fiber to eat at meals and snacks. Divide your fiber goal by four to represent three meals and one snack each day. Depending on your age, gender and calorie needs, you should be getting somewhere between 6 and 10g of fiber each time you eat a meal or snack.
You can also use your fiber goal to help you choose individual foods. "High fiber" on packaged foods means that one serving contains at least 5g of fiber. Choosing two or three high fiber foods per day plus including several other fiber containing foods in your diet is one plan for creating a high fiber diet.
2. Pass the Plant Foods, Please
Meat, eggs, milk and milk products like cheese and yogurt contain no naturally occurring fiber. To succeed in creating a high fiber diet, focus on plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and nuts. Specific high fiber choices include beans, lentils, berries, pears, almonds, potatoes, whole grain bread, oatmeal and brown rice.
3. Choose Whole Foods
Whole foods generally contain more fiber than processed foods. One reason is that processing can remove fiber. For example, the processing of whole wheat four to white (or all-purpose) flour removes much of the fiber. Choose whole wheat bread or foods that contain whole wheat flour.
Another problem is that many processed foods have added ingredients like sugars and fats which add calories but no fiber. For example, a granola bar may contain high fiber ingredients like oats, but because of added oils, sugar and other sweeteners, the actual fiber content is low. Replace the granola bar with a whole food snack like an apple and a few nuts for more fiber.
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, choose fresh or read the labels of packaged versions. Choose canned or frozen produce that has a single ingredient (the fruit or vegetable) or ingredients that do not add lots of calories.
4. Focus on a Few Good Fiber Sources
Even on a high fiber diet, you can eat foods that have little or no fiber like meat, milk, eggs and juice. The key is to find a few high fiber foods that you enjoy and eat them often.
If you eat cereal at breakfast, look for a high fiber option that contains 8 or 10g of fiber. Beans are a super fiber source and can be used in all sorts of stews, soups and mixed dishes. Choosing beans instead of meat several times a week is an easy fiber boost. And don't forget about fiber when you snack. Fresh popcorn, nuts, edamame, rye crackers and fresh fruits and veggies are high fiber alternatives to processed crackers, pretzels and sweetened cereals.
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