Food Tip: Finding Fiber
by Shereen Jegtvig
Dietary fiber is the part of the plant-based foods that your body can’t digest. You need a good amount of fiber every day to keep your digestive system healthy. Most people need more than the amount they’re currently consuming — men need at least 35 grams fiber every day and women need more than 25 grams each day. The typical American low-fiber diet might be one reason more than one billion dollars are spent on laxatives yearly.
Fiber does more than keep you regular. Eating foods high in fiber slow down the rate at which sugars are absorbed and also help keep you feeling full longer, which is so important if you’re watching your weight. Some types of fiber will also help to lower cholesterol levels.
So where do you find fiber? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grain products. Be sure to eat at least five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day and serve more legume dishes like baked beans or lentil stew. Choose nuts and seeds as a healthy and filling snack and finally, choose whole grain breads, pasta and cereals.
But be careful with some of those breads and cereals that claim to be “made with whole grains” or “multi-grains” on the labels. They may contain much more refined flour than whole grain flour and not much more fiber than their regular products. Look for “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat.”
Even when you choose bread or cereal made with 100% whole grains, there may be so many other ingredients, that it isn’t really a high fiber food. Always read the food labels to look for fiber content. High fiber foods contain more than 5 grams per serving.
To give you an idea, take a look at these whole grain breads arranged by grams of fiber per 100 grams product:
Only the top bread, the 100 Calorie Whole Wheat Sandwich bread is actually a high fiber product.
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