How to Get Enough Fiber

People everywhere want to improve their eating habits to enhance their health. One way to do this is to get more fiber into your diet. Including more fiber helps reduce your risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. To make sure you get enough fiber in your diet, follow these steps.

Instructions

1

Know how much fiber you need. The recommended amount is between 20 and 35 grams of fiber every day.

2

Learn what foods have the most fiber content. Fresh fruits and vegetables are high in fiber content, so choose those over fruit and vegetable juices.

3

Read the labels. Choose food which has high fiber content per serving. Many products labeled as oat bran or wheat bran actually contain very little bran. Whole- grain breads and cereals are great, but make sure the label lists whole-grain or whole wheat flour as the first ingredient.

4

Eat foods high in fiber. Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, so eat at least five servings a day. Some of the fruits and vegetables with the highest amount of fiber are apples, oranges, berries, pears, broccoli, carrots, beans, peas and cauliflower. Anything whole wheat or whole-grain should be a good source of fiber, so eat bran muffins and brown rice.

5

Include high-fiber foods from the start of your day through the end. For breakfast eat a cereal with a high fiber count, such as Fiber One (14 grams per serving) and for extra help sprinkle some cinnamon on top which is 1.2 grams per teaspoon. At lunch sprinkle salad with wheat bran or wheat germ and replace white bread with whole-grain. Eat high fiber snacks such as Wheat Thins or Triscuits throughout the day and end with whole wheat pasta or blend wheat bran or germ into a fruit smoothie for dessert.

6

Take a supplement that contains fiber. Your main source of fiber should be food, but if you are unable to eat enough high fiber foods occasionally, include a supplement with fiber, or mix a fiber supplement in with food or beverages.

7

Increase your fiber intake slowly to avoid discomfort. Drink plenty of fluids, aiming for 64 ounces a day.