Eating fiber-rich foods can be beneficial for heart and overall health. It can make us feel full after eating, which can lead to less overeating, also beneficial for the heart. Eating oatmeal or switching to whole wheat bread is a good start, but it’s important to know there are many fiber-rich foods that are not only delicious but easy to incorporate into our diet. Let’s begin with how much fiber we should eat daily. Typically, women should get 25 grams of fiber and men 35 grams. The good news is, it’s easy to do.
Foods High in Fiber
Leafy greens, like mustard greens, collard greens, swiss chard, turnip greens, and spinach are very high in fiber, delivering about a quarter of our daily value (DV) in just 1 cup of cooked greens. One cup of fresh raspberries delivers 33% DV. And, of course, we can’t talk about fiber without mentioning legumes. Most beans deliver about 50% DV in 1 cup, but lentils are the star. One cup of cooked lentils provides 62% DV.
It's important to note, when we peel some vegetables, we take away some of their fiber. Whenever possible, we should leave the skin on cucumbers, potatoes, apples, and yams.
Here are some meal ideas to help us reach our fiber DV goals.
Breakfast
1 cup of oatmeal (3.98 g)
½ cup of raspberries (4.17 g)
Lunch
2 cups of shredded romaine (1.9 g)
½ cup of sliced cucumber with skin (1.65 g)
½ cup of shredded raw carrots (7.3)
Top with meat of choice and dress with fresh squeezed lemon
juice and olive oil
Dinner
Protein of choice
1 cup of cooked collard greens (5.32 g)
1 cup of cooked cubed winter squash (5.74 g)
This daily meal plan has just over 30 grams of fiber.
Other ways to boost our fiber intake include snacks like blueberries and sliced papaya. If we prefer a crunchy snack, we can choose fiber-rich
carrots, celery, or sliced bell pepper. All go well with hummus. Another high-fiber snack or light meal is a smoothie. We can add kale or spinach and ground
flaxseed.
For those looking to improve health, adding more fiber is a great place to start.
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