Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Fiber: The Forgotten Part of Food

Sponsored: Fiber: The Forgotten Part of Food

Fiber, most of us forget about it and most of us definitely don’t get enough of it! Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. There is no fiber in meat, milk/dairy, seafood, or fats.

It’s recommended that women get 21-28 grams of fiber per day and men get 30-38 grams of fiber per day. Aiming to get 25 grams of fiber/day is a good goal for most adults. While you could certainly take fiber supplements to get fiber; foods that contain fiber have other benefits like vitamins, minerals and macronutrients, so it’s worth it to get your fiber in the foods you eat. Fiber can help with our digestion, slow the rise of blood sugar and make us feel more full and satisfied.

Here are 5 ways to make sure you’re getting 25 grams of fiber per day:

• Pick a breakfast cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving and add raisins and nuts to boost it more.

• Load up your lunch sandwich with vegetables like lettuce, onion, and tomatoes. Have a salad for lunch or enjoy a simple meal like beans, rice and salsa.

• Have a snack of fruit or vegetables and dip or hummus or a homemade trail mix with whole grain cereal, nuts/seeds and raisins.

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• Make sure vegetables take up about ½ your dinner plate or bowl. Choose whole grains like farro and higher fiber sides like beans, barley and quinoa.

• Enjoy fresh fruit as a dessert by itself or with yogurt.

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