By: Cassidy Hobbs
Johnston and Wilson County FCS Agent
If you’re doing a low-carb diet of any form, it is likely you are missing out on a very important nutrient- fiber! Even if you’re not following a trendy weight-loss regimen, you might be lacking in your fiber consumption.
Fiber is often only thought about when a person is looking for a way to relieve constipation and is often negatively associated with thoughts of gas, cramping, and bloating.
Fiber, when included in your daily diet, actually helps to prevent those discomforts and normalizes bowel movements.
Fiber is key in helping maintain a healthy weight, preventing type 2 diabetes, and reducing your risk of heart disease. If that isn’t motivation enough to ramp up the fiber, consider fiber’s ability to manage blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, slow digestion and help increase the feeling of fullness, as well as help clean up your cholesterol levels.
Fiber also lowers your risk of digestive and colorectal cancers.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate made up of plant parts that can’t be broken down and digested. As fiber travels through the body, it binds with water to form a gel, bulk the stool, and allow for easier passage.
According to the Institute of Medicine and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adults should consume between 25g and 38g of fiber each day. Men age 50 or younger should consume 38 grams per day, while men 51 or older should consume 30 grams per day. Women age 50 or younger should consume 25 grams per day, and women 51 years or older should consume 2l grams per day.
Metamucil and other fiber supplements do boost your fiber consumption, but they are not as beneficial as fiber and nutrients from food. Those supplements do not provide you with as many, or as potent, nutrients as food gives you. Fruits and vegetables with the skin, whole-grains (whole-wheat breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, and popcorn are a few examples), nuts and nut butters such as peanut butter or almond butter, seeds, and beans are excellent sources of fiber.
Lots of people are eating more “plant-based proteins” because those sources of protein contain fiber amongst other nutrients.
Meats and seafood have their own nutrient profiles, but neither contain fiber- which, again, is why there is a huge push towards more plant-based proteins.
If you aren’t used to eating lots of fiber, start slow and work your way up to more.
Swapping your grains to whole grains is an excellent start. Reading nutrition labels also helps you make choices to increase your fiber consumption.
Dietary fiber is underneath “total carbohydrates” on the nutrition label.
Remember, fiber is a form of carbohydrate but reacts differently in your body than starches and sugar. To the right of dietary fiber, you will see a percentage. A 5% Daily Value means that food is not a good source of fiber. A 20% Daily Value indicates that food is a good source of fiber.
People ask me all the time what I eat on a daily basis, and I love to share my food choices because it helps others see what a balanced, easy-to-follow diet looks like.
For breakfast, I usually eat plain oatmeal with my favorite concoction of peanut butter, chia seeds, and berries.
By buying plain oatmeal, I am getting whole-grains packed with fiber and protein without all of the added sugar that you get when buying a pre-flavored oatmeal. Peanut butter is more protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep me full until lunch, and the berries add a delicious sweetness containing even more fiber and nutrients. The addition of chia seeds amps up the fiber even more.
If I am in a rush, I’ll chow down on a banana or an apple with peanut butter.
For lunch, I make sure I always have something green on my plate. I usually opt for a salad with grilled chicken and almonds, a sub with cucumbers, lettuce, and spinach with fruit, or a whole-wheat taco filled with a little grilled chicken or lean meat, beans, and lots of greens and vegetables.
I vary my lunches, but greens and vegetables are a must! You can’t forget snacks! For snacks, I might have a piece of fruit with peanut butter, mixed nuts with a tiny bit of dark chocolate chips or raisins, or greek yogurt flavored with fruit.
For dinner, I usually have a small portion of grilled meat or seafood, and lots of grilled or roasted vegetables. When I am in a rush, vegetable stir-fry dishes are my go-to.
Yes, I do eat bread- but I try to stay away from enriched or refined breads (such as white or honey-wheat breads) because they lack the fiber I need.
I eat pretty healthy, but I don’t follow quick-fix diets because when you eat food that is good for you as a life-style, you have better overall health long-term, and you don’t have to begin a never ending quest for the “best diet.” Most quick-fix diets cut out food groups, and all food groups have a purpose in keeping us healthy!
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