Start here: the simplest, most impactful thing you can do to improve your diet
Meet or exceed the daily recommended value for fiber.
Every day. Rain or shine. Busy or not.
Because even when we are busy, we eat something.
It’s simple because it’s not complicated. It’s not easy because making changes to what we’re used to eating takes intention and effort.
But we like doing hard things, right?
Chickpeas with swiss chard
What are the consequences of low fiber intake?
“The fiber component of foods is associated with reduced risk of
cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, certain gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, and metabolic dysfunctions, including prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, and colorectal, gastric, and breast cancers.
Fiber also is associated with digestive benefits, such as increased stool bulk, decreased transit time, and fermentation by colonic microflora.”
[source]
Edamame
High fiber foods to add to your daily routine
So I did a quick Google search on high fiber foods. It pulled up a bunch of generic articles. I realized reviewing one of my food logs in Cronometer would be more useful.
Below you’ll find my top sources of fiber from the same day of eating I detailed in my Calcium post.
I want to share real life data and strategies with you.
Artichoke hearts, 6 hearts — 10.2 g
I’ve been loving artichoke hearts in my salad. I buy canned, quartered artichoke hearts packed in water from the Whole Foods 365 brand. Prep is easy, no chopping. I simply rinse in cold water. I add about 1/2 can to my salad.
Who knew artichokes were this high in fiber?!
Quartered artichoke hearts, canned, packed in water
Grape, roma or cherry tomatoes, 7 small tomatoes — 7.6 g
I cut in halves and add to the top of my miso toast. I also add to my salad.
Cherry tomatoes
Miso paste, tomatoes, black pepper on sourdough bread
Chickpeas, 1/2 cup — 6.2 g
I cook dried chickpeas in my Instant Pot. Once cooked and drained, I spread them across a baking sheet to dry. I snack on the cooked beans as is, or add to my salad.
Chickpeas
Tofu, 1/3 to 1/2 block — 5 g
Similar to the chickpeas, I snack on air-fried tofu as is (most common), or add to my salad.
Still soy, but even higher in fiber…
Edamame, 1 cup — 8.1 g
I snack on it. It’s also good in salads.
Tofu, air-fried
Avocado, 1/2 — 4.6 g
1/2 avocado is my salad dressing, with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and nutritional yeast. I don’t pre-mix (because I’m a lazy cook), I simply add all ingredients to the top of my salad, mash the avocado and toss the salad as many times as needed to coat the salad greens.
Salad with avocado
Chia seeds, 1.3 tbsp — 4.5 g
Add to the bottom of your high-speed blender before adding in the rest of your smoothie ingredients.
Freshly grind in a spice or coffee grinder and add to yogurt with fresh fruit and cinnamon.
Make chia pudding.
Ground chia seeds, Kite Hill plain unsweetened Greek style plant-based yogurt, blueberries, cinnamon
Have some time on the weekend to do a little food prep?
Try my oat groats oatmeal recipe. I’ve been loving this with plant milk lately.
Oat groats, raw (soaked) 3/4 cup — 12 g
Can’t make oat groats?
Steel cut oatmeal, cooked, 1 cup — 5.4 g
Oat groats oatmeal with plant milk, cacao nibs and apples.
All plants contain fiber, so the world is your oyster. Choose those you like the best and eat them in large quantities.
How much fiber is in some of our most popular foods?
Yogurt made from animal’s milk — 0 g
Fish — 0 g
Chicken — 0 g
Eggs — 0 g
There’s no fiber in foods made from animals’ flesh, milk or eggs.
Quinoa, black beans
What else is great about fiber?
It’s filling!
“High-fiber foods tend to be more filling than low-fiber foods, so you're likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer.”
[source]
It helps get the waste out.
“The fiber delivered by some carbohydrate-rich foods help bowels move.”
[source]
How do you feel when your bowels aren’t moving? Not good.
What is the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)?
30-35 grams of fiber per day.
[source]
Raspberries, PlantStrong Foods oat and walnut milk, oat groat oatmeal
Is the RDA the bare minimum?
“…the current recommendations for fibre consumption are insufficient to maintain colonic health and prevent the development of diseases associated with high-income lifestyles and suggest that the recommended amount of fibre consumed daily should be closer to 50 g…”
[source]
“Ancestral humans might have consumed as much as 100 g of fibre daily.”
[source]
Apple, fresh with skin — 4.4 g of fiber
Whether your goal is lowering your risk of chronic disease, weight loss, feeling great, or all of the above
and you’d like to start somewhere,
I recommend the RDA of 30-35 grams of fiber PER DAY, EVERY DAY
that place to start.
Additional resources
If you’re transitioning from a low fiber to a high fiber diet, I recommend reading the book Fiber Fueled by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz. As always, consult with your doctor.
What are your favorite high-fiber foods? Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!
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