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6 min read<\/p>\n6 min read<\/p>\n
How much fiber did you have yesterday? If you can’t even begin to answer that question, you may be falling short on your daily fiber goals<\/a>. You\u2019re not alone when it comes to either conundrum!<\/p>\n But fiber is a crucial nutrient for so many aspects of good health and healthy aging, so it\u2019s worth paying closer attention to your fiber intake each day\u2014and doing so is much easier than it may seem.<\/p>\n People have been focused on pumping up the protein lately, but fibermaxxing is another recent nutrition trend that experts are happy to see gaining steam, since its role in overall health and longevity<\/a> is so paramount.<\/p>\n \u201cFiber supports digestion<\/a>, helps you feel full for longer, and supports healthy cholesterol<\/a> and steady blood sugar levels<\/a>,\u201d explains Caroline Thomason, R.D., C.D.C.E.S.<\/a>, a Virginia-based registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.<\/p>\n Research shows that getting enough fiber is also associated with a lower risk for heart disease<\/a>, some cancers such as colorectal cancer<\/a> and pancreatic and ovarian cancers<\/a>, and all-cause mortality<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet, despite the fibermaxxing buzz, most of us still aren’t even close to getting enough fiber each day, with more than 90% of Americans falling short of their fiber needs, according to the American Medical Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to live on beans or fiber-boosted packaged products (many of which have unhealthier ingredients such as additives or added sugars) to hit your daily fiber goals. Here are easy ways to reach your fiber goals for the day, according to nutrition experts.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Caroline Thomason, R.D., C.D.C.E.S.<\/a>, a Virginia-based registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist; Amanda Sauceda, M.S., R.D.<\/a>, a California-based registered dietitian and gut health nutritionist; Amy Brownstein, M.S., R.D.N.<\/a>, a registered dietitian in California; Patricia Kolesa Vivar, M.S., R.D.N.<\/a>, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and founder of Dietitian Dish LLC.<\/p>\n How Much Fiber Should You Eat Each Day?<\/p>\n A good rule of thumb for both men and women: aim for 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat, says Thomason.<\/p>\n So if you eat around 2,000 calories per day, that puts your minimum fiber goal right around 28 grams per day (which aligns with the daily value you see listed on the nutrition facts label of most products).<\/p>\n “Enjoying a variety of fiber foods is almost as important as meeting your daily goals,” says Amanda Sauceda, M.S., R.D.<\/a>, a California-based registered dietitian and gut health nutritionist, as it supports gut health<\/a> and provides other complementary nutrients needed for good health.<\/p>\n How to Hit Your Daily Fiber Goals<\/p>\n If reaching at least 28 grams of fiber in one day feels daunting, it doesn\u2019t have to. Try to include at least one of the fiber-filled picks<\/a> below in each meal and you\u2019ll climb the fiber ladder faster than you think.<\/p>\n Chia Seeds <\/p>\n 2 tablespoons = 10 grams of fiber<\/p>\n “Chia seeds are a fiber overachiever,” says Thomason. “Just one ounce (about two tablespoons) packs about 10 grams of fiber\u2014that\u2019s roughly 40% of the recommended daily value for women.” The best part is how versatile they are, making it easy to add a little here and a little there to quickly boost the fiber content of any meal or snack. “Sprinkle them into oatmeal, blend them into smoothies, or make chia pudding for an easy fiber boost,” Thomason adds.<\/p>\n Beans<\/p>\n \u00bd cup = 7 to 10 grams of fiber<\/p>\n Dietitians (including myself) can’t stop talking about beans, as they\u2019re so affordable and a good source of fiber\u2014and all types deliver a decent dose of it, plus protein and other essential nutrients like iron, which is why I always keep several varieties on hand. “Bean salads are trendy, you can mash beans for an easy dip, bake beans into brownies, or enjoy them with eggs for breakfast like I love to do,” says Sauceda.<\/p>\n Research<\/a> has also found that diet patterns that include 1.7 to 2 servings of beans per day are linked to lower BMI and body weight, as well as a smaller waist circumference, compared with bean-free diets\u2014which all supports good heart health <\/a>and overall health.<\/p>\n Raspberries<\/p>\n 1 cup = 8 grams of fiber<\/p>\n You can’t go wrong with fruit,<\/a> but when it comes to fiber, raspberries are at the top of the pack. One cup of raw raspberries has 8 grams of fiber, plus over a third of your daily vitamin C needs for immune and skin health. Each berry is made up of dozens of little segments, each with its own seed, which is where most of the fiber comes from.<\/p>\n While fresh raspberries are easy to find in peak summer, it’s easier and more budget-friendly to keep a bag of frozen raspberries in the freezer. You can add them to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts, or baked goods, or make a raspberry chia jam to spread on toast.<\/p>\n Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.<\/p>\n Use your Google account to add this to your settings.<\/p>\n Add to Google settings<\/p>\n Edamame<\/p>\n 1 cup = 8 grams of fiber<\/p>\n Soy is an excellent source of plant-based protein<\/a> and is also rich in fiber. Edamame is one of the more versatile soy foods to quickly add to meals or enjoy as a snack, with one cup delivering an impressive 8 grams of fiber. “Besides fiber, edamame provides protein to help with satiety and support muscle mass,” says Amy Brownstein, M.S., R.D.N.<\/a><\/p>\n If you’re not familiar with edamame, you can buy it shelled and frozen to quickly warm up and add to stir-fries, ramen, pasta, and salads. You can also make or buy roasted edamame, a crunchy, tasty alternative to refined snack foods like potato chips or pretzels.<\/p>\n Lentils<\/p>\n \u00bd cup = 7 grams of fiber<\/p>\n Like beans, lentils are a versatile, fiber-rich food<\/a> that’s easy to add to meals and snacks throughout the day. “A half-cup serving of lentils contains almost 7 grams of fiber, a quarter of the goal for the day,” says Patricia Kolesa Vivar, M.S., R.D.N.<\/a>. They’re also a good source of protein<\/a>, iron, and folate.<\/p>\n You can buy dried lentils, canned lentils, or microwaveable pouches that are extremely easy to heat up and eat. They’re perfect for adding to soup, mixing with ground beef or turkey in meals like tacos, meatloaf, meatballs, or spaghetti sauce, or sprinkling over salads.<\/p>\n Pears<\/p>\n 1 medium pear (with skin) = 5.5 grams of fiber<\/p>\n Skip the fruit cups and eat your pears whole when you can get your hands on them. With the skin, one medium pear has 5.5 grams of fiber. In addition to fiber, they’re a rich source of sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol that pulls water into the digestive tract, helping make bowel movements easier to pass, which is good news if you need a remedy for constipation<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can’t go wrong snacking on a whole pear, but they’re also incredible with a little cinnamon and a baked oatmeal crumble topping, cooked into oatmeal or pancakes, or diced and sprinkled on salads or a scoop of ice cream.<\/p>\n Broccoli<\/p>\n 1 cup cooked = 5 grams of fiber<\/p>\n Since broccoli shrinks when it cooks, you get about twice as much fiber in a cup of cooked broccoli as in raw. And don’t forget to eat the stems, too! They’re packed with fiber and make a great addition to stir-fries. Just slice them up and toss them in a saut\u00e9 pan, cooking them along with other veggies like peppers or onions. I love enjoying raw broccoli as a snack dipped in hummus or in a broccoli salad.<\/p>\n Green Peas<\/p>\n \u00bd cup cooked green peas = 4 grams of fiber<\/p>\n![\"Google\"](\"https:\/\/www.prevention.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/social\/google.1467f37.svg\")
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