fiber help!

[Blue Skys]

I need to add fiber to my diet. Does anyone have any tips on how to incorporate natural fiber into a diet?

Edited to add: I didn't know where to put this, so add some recipes so that it's in the correct section!

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Adding healthy fiber is quite easy. Start by trying to eat only 100% whole grain pasta, bread, cereal, ect. There are some very very good pastas on the market that are whole grain and they taste great and have a nice texture.

Then for other fiber think fresh veggies and fruit. Have a salad with cucumbers, leave the peel on, have a recipe with apples, leave the peel on. Fresh, dark green leafy veggies are full of fiber if you eat the whole leaf. Ever bake sweet potatos? Eat the peeling, to make it yummy scrub and rub oil all over skin, roast in oven until soft, the skin will be crispy and sweet, the inside creamy and sweet.

I hope this helps you out. I might have someother ideas too. LOL I'll let you know.

 

[JennsPeeps]

You'd be shocked how much fiber is in cocoa powder . It's nearly 2g/tablespoon.

I was drinking lots of homemade hot cocoa last winter and couldn't figure out why I was getting so much fiber in my diet (I track my meals on sparkpeople). Then I looked up the fiber content of the coca powder and realized that's where a good deal of it was coming from.

Other sources:
Triscuits
Veggies
Fruits w/ the peel still on it (esp apples)
Frosted mini-wheats
Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal
Fiber One bars (see warning below) and cereal
Whole wheat items: Thomas English muffins, bread, pasta

Read read read the labels! Try to get a minimum of 6-8g of fiber at every meal and another 3-4g at each snack.

Stuff "made from whole grains" doesn't necessarily have fiber in it. Refined flour comes from whole grains at some point.

Be careful of anything with chicory root extract in it. It will make you VERY gassy. I laugh every time I see this commercial because the days I've eaten 2 of the bars have been very veeeerrrry... ahem... "uncomfortable":

Also be aware that if you go from 10g fiber/day to the recommended 30g/day, your intestines will get a good workout. Work up to the daily rec, don't go straight to it.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

You can also add a handful of bran to just about any recipe. You rarely even notice it (like spaghettti sauce, stew etc.)

 

[Judy]

Beans!

Baked beans, black bean soup, refried beans, etc., etc.

 

[Blue Skys]

Quote:
I joined spark people a while ago, but haven't been good about tracking my nutrition. I entered yesterdays and todays meals and was horrified to see how much my diet is lacking in fiber.

I am shocked at the amount of fiber in cocoa powder. I add it to chili, maybe I will add it to other dishes that it may complement (sp?).

 

[MelissaR]

I know it doesn't really go in the "natural" column, but I switched from regular Splenda to Splenda with Fiber. It's got one gram in each packet.

I'm addicted to coffee and like it sweet. I figured that as long as I was using artificial sweetener, I might as well get some benefit.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Raspberries have TONS of fiber.

 

[halo]

Make Katy's lighter than air rolls and make them with whole wheat flour. Im AMAZED and how full I am when I eat a sandwhich with one of those rolls...

 

[faykokoWV]

Love the fiber bars with Chickory root, they taste like a delicious treat. they are right though, you can only eat one. And for goodness sake, don't get on a airplane afterwards!
(trust me on this, been there don't that... pressurized cabin... high fiber gas.... very very uncomfortable)

I also buy smart taste pasta. Tastes just like regular pata but a lot more fiber. There are two brands of pasta with fiber, you want he one in the pinkish/purplish box. The other brand tastes like cardboard.