Why You Should Be Eating Fiber

What is Fiber? 

Fiber is getting more and more popular as numerous studies come out in support of it. Fiber is the indigestible part of a carbohydrate. The health benefits are vast including controlling blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, helping keep you regular, promoting gut health, lowering risk for certain cancers like colon and breast cancer, promoting satiety (helps keep you full), helping with weight management, and longevity. So, it’s no wonder that people are trying to get more fiber in their diet! Due to this demand new high-fiber products like candy, syrups, and snacks, are popping up to help people reach their fiber goals. With all these different high-fiber foods, what is the best way for us to reach our fiber goal of a minimum of 25g per day?

The Different Types of Fiber

You probably already have heard of the two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, but beyond this, there is another distinction between fibers: dietary fiber and functional fiber. Dietary fiber is the type of fiber that is intact in food like wheat bran ( GG crackers), vegetables, fruits, beans, flax seeds, etc.  Consumed the same way they are found in nature and in this case, wheat bran and GG crackers can sometimes have a gritty taste. Functional fiber, on the other hand, is extracted from plants. It is an extracted, isolated, and purified part of a carbohydrate that is indigestible. It is then added back into foods to boost fiber content. Functional fibers include prebiotic fiber, psyllium, guar gum, and inulin. The flavor is easily masked when added to foods, and the fiber content of food is boosted without adding calories! Functional fibers are usually soluble while dietary fiber is a mix of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

How Much Functional Fiber?

Even though fiber is so important for our health most people do not get enough fiber, and for this reason, I think adding some functional fiber foods can be great to help people reach their fiber goals, especially if trying to lose weight because they also help control calorie intake and overall carb intake. They are also great for people on-the-go and traveling. However, I do not recommend relying on these fiber-added foods as the sole source of fiber. Instead, get most of your fiber from whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, flax, and wheat bran (these foods have so many health benefits beyond the fiber content). You can fill the gaps with these more processed fiber-containing foods. Beware that these fiber-added foods can cause stomach upsets in some people due to the sugar alternatives in them. I personally try to stick to one to two servings per day of functional fiber-containing foods and getting the rest from non-processed foods!

Functional fiber-filled foods: Julian’s Bakery Pro Granola, Nature’s Path Smart Bran Cereal, Sukrin Fiber Syrup, and Smart Sweets.

High Dietary Fiber Foods 

• 1 artichoke = 6g fiber 
• 1 cup raspberries = 8g fiber, 15g carbs
• 1 cup blackberries = 8g fiber, 15g carbs
• ¾ cup blueberries = 5g fiber, 15g carbs
• ½ c cooked asparagus = 3g fiber
• 1 cup broccoli = 2.5g fiber
• 1 cup jicama = 6g fiber
• ½ avocado = 6-7g fiber
• 1 medium pear = 4g fiber, 15g carbs
• ½ cup cooked beans = 7g fiber, 15g carbs
• ½ cup cooked lentils = 8g fiber, 15g carbs
• ½ cup cooked chickpeas = 6g fiber, 15g carbs
• 4 plain GG crackers = 16g fiber, 24g carbs
• ¼ cup Bob’s red mill wheat bran = 6g fiber, 10g carbs
• ½ cup cooked bulgar = 4g fiber, 15g carbs 
• 1 tbsp flax seeds = 3g fiber, 3g carb
• 6 Flackers flax seed crackers = 7g fiber, 8g carb
• 1 ounce 80% dark chocolate = 3g fiber, 13g carbs

Note: I did not provide carb content for non-starchy veggies because I would never want people to limit non-starchy veggies.  I do not pay attention to their carb content and consider them “free foods.”

Functional Fiber Foods 

• ½ Cup Nature’s Path Smart Bran Cereal = 13g fiber, 24g carbs
  • Source of fiber: psyllium husk 
• ½ Julian’s Bakery Pro Granola = 12g fiber, 14g carb
  • Source of fiber: resistant prebiotic tapioca fiber 
• 2 Tbsp Sukrin Fiber Syrup (perfect alternative to maple syrup) = 28g fiber, 31g carbs
  • Source of fiber: Isomalto-oligosaccharide (a prebiotic plant fiber)
• 1 Creamy PB Raw-Rev Globar = 14g fiber, 17g carbs
  • Source of fiber: Isomalto-oligosaccharide (a prebiotic plant fiber)

Danielle’s Sample Fiber Filled Day 

Breakfast: 1 single serve Greek yogurt with ½ cup nature’s path smart bran cereal and 1 cup raspberries (an F-Factor approved breakfast) = 21g fiber

Lunch: Lentil salad with roasted salmon (women have 3-4 ounces, men 6-7 ounces) (1/2 French lentils, ½ cup artichoke hearts, tomatoes, 1 cup salad greens, red onions) = 14g fiber 

Snack: ½ an avocado with 6 flackers flax seed crackers = 13g fiber

Dinner: oven roasted veggies: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, onion, and ¼ cup sweet potato with olive oil and salt and pepper, and chicken paillard (women: 3-4 ounces, men: 6-7 ounces)= 8g fiber

Dessert: 1 ounce 70-80% dark chocolate = 3g fiber

Water intake: 3 Liter of water (note: make sure you drink lots of water when increasing fiber intake because soluble fiber holds onto water and you can get constipation if you do not drink enough water. Also, if you experience stomach upset increase fiber slowly over a few weeks for better tolerance)

Total Day Fiber Intake: 58g fiber

Written By – Daniella Hamo (@daniellehamord).