How to Eat More Fiber at Every Meal

By Experience Life Staff

There’s one ingredient that should be part of every meal. There’s no need to make a trip to a special store to find it: Nature has already thoughtfully prepackaged it in a cornucopia of vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts. The special ingredient? Fiber.

It’s famous for improving regularity and helping lower cholesterol. But dietary fiber also performs other key roles that might surprise you, affecting everything from your skin to your gallbladder, heart and immunity. Here’s how to add more of the good stuff to every meal.

Breakfast

Throw some frozen raspberries or strawberries and a handful of greens (spinach or mixed salad greens), along with half a banana, into your smoothie.
Instead of pairing your eggs with hash browns and toast, try adding a side of black beans and salsa.
Cook up a big batch of steel-cut oats over the weekend and reheat some each morning with a little chopped-up apple.

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Read more: Diet & Nutrition, Eating for Health, Food, fiber

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Janine K.

10:33AM PST on Mar 2, 2012

As a vegan, I'm right on with all this. I do what Charmaine does with the nuts. It bumps up the nutrition to a sprout. By the way. I have sunflower sprouts going 24/7. I'm convinced that Sunflowers can save us. Sprouted they are greens. Made into oil, they don't have to be grown in orangutan regions. People love the flowers and they are easy to attain. Also makes great peanut butter. Fiber is something a lot of people aren't getting and that's why there are so many mean arrogant nasty people. Keep eating that junk food....you are what you eat.

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Uroosa K.

9:43PM PDT on May 26, 2011

I actually don't have any issue getting enough fiber in my diet. Yesterday I got like 43 grams of fiber, so I'm good. I just eat a lot of whole wheat bread, fruits, cereal and lentils.

Jennifer H.

2:54AM PDT on Aug 3, 2010

Thanks! I really do need more fiber in my diet, so thanks for the suggestions!

Andrea M.

12:43AM PDT on Jul 13, 2010

Thanks for this great information!

Beng Kiat L.

2:45AM PDT on Jul 7, 2010

thanks.

Sexy T.

5:55PM PDT on Jun 30, 2010

Thank you for your sharing. It is nice.

Antonia K.

1:15AM PDT on Jun 29, 2010

Thanks very much

Nita O.

6:45AM PDT on Jun 23, 2010

Thanks.

Katherine M.

9:10PM PDT on Jun 20, 2010

There were some really wonderful suggestions. Very informative! Thanks for sharing.

Charmaine C.

10:48AM PDT on Jun 19, 2010

I like to soak raw organic oats in Almond milk overnight, then just add fruit, chopped nuts and something sweet in the morning and eat it without cooking. It's delicious for breakfast. If you cook it after soaking, it takes less time and is deliciously creamy without having to add cream. I'm gluten sensitive so I use an Oats that has had that removed.