5 Easy Ways to Add Fiber to Your Diet

With today's hectic and stressful lifestyle, fiber in your diet is more important than ever. This wonder substance keeps your digestive tract working properly, helps you maintain a proper weight, and has even been said to help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Without it, you may suffer from constipation, weight gain, fluctuation in blood sugar, and feel especially sluggish and tired. If you're a woman, a good number to aim for is 25 grams per day. Men should have at least 30.

So how do you get more fiber in your daily diet? First, pay attention. Look at labels of the foods you normally buy. You'd be surprised what has fiber (and what doesn't!). Don't go all out, though. If your diet doesn't normally include fiber, take it slow. Too much too fast can make you crampy, bloated, and give you diarrhea. Pick one of these tips at a time and work your way up.

An Apple A Day: It's true. Fruit is a great source of fiber. Just one cup of raspberries adds a whopping eight grams of fiber to your diet. Strawberries contain 3.8 grams in every 1 1/4 cup, and a medium banana packs 3.1 grams. Eat them plain, put them on your cereal in the morning or add to your favorite yogurt. For a fiber-rich treat, mix them together for a delicious smoothie.

Redefine Snack Time: Pitch the potato chips. They're empty calories, and you'll only be hungry again a short time later. Instead, munch on baby carrots and broccoli florets for about five grams per every cup you eat. Spread peanut butter on whole wheat crackers (each one has 1/2 gram of fiber), or pop some popcorn for 1.2 grams for every cup.

Go Nuts: Virtually every nut you can think of has fiber. One ounce of almonds (23 nuts) has 3.5 grams, one ounce of pistachios (49 nuts) has 2.9 grams, and 19 pecan halves (one ounce) has 2.7 grams. Eat them raw, add them to cereal, or toss them in a salad for extra crunch.

Go Whole Wheat: The easiest way to do this is to replace one product you buy with the whole wheat version. Get rid of white bread--it has less nutrients than a piece of cardboard. Instead, buy whole wheat, rye, or multigrain. One slice of these contains 1.9 grams of fiber. Switch to whole wheat pasta as well. Whole wheat spaghetti has 6.2 grams in one cup.

Sneak Good-For-You Stuff Into Good Stuff: If other methods of incorporating fiber aren't working for you, this is an easy alternative. When you make cookies or muffins, add 1/2 cup of oats to the dough or batter. When you bake a cake, use applesauce instead of oil. Not only do you cut out the fat, you add two grams of fiber for every 1/2 cup of applesauce you use.

After awhile, you'll find that you are working up to your suggested daily allowance. When that time comes, try foods that pack a powerful punch of fiber in each serving. For instance, just one cup of split peas gives you 16.3 grams of fiber, over half of the daily suggested amount. Similarly, one cup of lentils has 15.6 grams. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to a healthier, feel better you!

Sources:
Mayoclinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/nu00582
Web MD: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/4-warning-signs-your-diet-may-lack-fiber?page=2