How do I Eat More Fiber?

Terytha
Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
My stomach is still a disaster. Looking at my diary, I get barely any fiber in a day, averaging between two and seven out of 25.

But how? I eat a bunch of broccoli for lunch, take a fiber supplement before bed, I'm trying to add chia seeds to my yogurt (but the texture makes me gag.)

It all amounts to not a whole lot, since I don't eat much. Is fruit my only option? Even if I liked much fruit, it's so expensive. :(

I have a hard time with tart/acidic flavors.
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Replies

  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,181 Member
    You can buy bottles of nothing but Fiber.
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,816 Member
    First make sure to double check your entries to see that all of them have the proper fiber amount. Sometimes people don't always enter it.

    As far sources of fiber, beans are probably one of the best options. A half cup of beans usually has 7 or 8 grams of fiber in it. So a cup of beans can almost single handedly take care of your fiber goal.

    Cereals, whole wheat/grain breads and pastas are also good sources.

    As far as fruits, costs can vary petty widely depending on the type of fruits. Bananas are usually pretty cheap and have fiber in them.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    Most of my fiber comes from oatmeal or cold cereal, bread, beans, lentils, bananas, and Fiber One brownies. When I'm in the mood, apples and pears are pretty high fiber for the buck.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,122 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    First make sure to double check your entries to see that all of them have the proper fiber amount. Sometimes people don't always enter it.

    ^This. Many user-entered entries don't have a fibre entry or don't have the correct fibre entered.

    Check that first. If you're still not getting enough, increase it slowly as increasing it too quickly can cause digestive issues.

    Beans, Pulses, Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts & Seeds are a good source.




  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,372 MFP Moderator
    Most of my fiber comes from berries, veggies, unsweetened cocoa powder and some quest bars.
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    chickpeas, in salads or roasted, are my favorite way to add fiber!
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,122 Member
    chickpeas, in salads or roasted, are my favorite way to add fiber!

    mmmm I haven't had roasted chickpeas for ages.... *fires up the oven*
  • qmamasmamas
    qmamasmamas Posts: 2 Member
    A google search of foods high in fiber returns THIS. A scroll of the images at the top will give you an idea of what fiber rich foods you can incorporate into your daily goals. Bananas and apples are fairly inexpensive, as are sweet potatoes (in the US).

    Best of luck to you.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    I am usually over the fiber goal even without beans or lentils (I eat a lot of vegetables, berries, avocado, some nuts and seeds, all of which add fiber). However, I'm way over if I have beans and lentils -- they are hands down the easiest whole food way to add fiber if you like them.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,514 Member
    I solved this problem by eating oatmeal for breakfast every day.

    However, taking a fiber supplement is about the easiest thing anyone can do. I personally like Citrucel; it is calorie free, but it is a bit more expensive. Benefiber is very popular as well and can be added to anything. You mix it in water and it dissolves completely, which is kind of amazing. It does have calories, though.

    You have to experiment a bit with brands and doses to see what works for you.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,515 Member
    I took a look at your diary and you don't seem to be eating a lot of fruits and veggies, both which are great natural sources of fiber. And what's great about fruits and veggies, is that they aren't a huge caloric hit. I'd probably start there before adding fiber supplements which can cause a whole other slew of issues including your body becoming dependent on them in order to move your bowels, that's a vicious cycle that you don't want to jump in to.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    Just to add, if you are looking for cheap sources, dried beans and lentils are about as cheap a food as you can find (even canned beans are economical, $1.50 a can which is more than one serving). And since they also have some protein, you can sub out a little of the (expensive) meat in your diet with them. A big canister of rolled oats usually runs me about $2.50 and lasts for a couple of weeks. Add in cheaper in season fruits and that would get you a long way to your goal for not much cash :smile:
  • DaintyWhisper
    DaintyWhisper Posts: 221 Member
    edited May 2019
    I usually eat a couple of slices of this bread, which helps me meet my fiber goal. You can also look at high fiber cereals, like mini-wheats or raisin bran. I've also found that popcorn is a good, high fiber snack!
  • lady_bug_jd
    lady_bug_jd Posts: 220 Member
    I started increasing my fibre this year and now average 35g per day. The best advice I got from a nurse was All-bran Original cereal. It has 10g per 1/2 cup. I have it with milk and fruit or add it to yogurt. As others have mentioned, the remainder of my fibre comes from fruit, veggies, beans, lentils and whole grains.
  • Ducks47
    Ducks47 Posts: 131 Member
    Bobs Red Mill Protein powder has maybe 20 g of fiber per serving and doesn’t taste bad. You could also try Ezekiel bread or oatmeal. Good luck to you.
  • HereToLose50
    HereToLose50 Posts: 154 Member
    Lately I've been adding toasted flax seeds as a topper on salads. I like different textures in a salad and croutons can add too many calories - I like a lot of crunch with those lol - so the seeds have been a nice substitute.

    It won't change the texture of them like soaking chia seeds does. You could use the remainder of your chia in similar ways. Make sure they won't sit in anything liquid for any amount of time.
  • lilithsrose
    lilithsrose Posts: 752 Member
    Try oatmeal or oat-based snacks (I like Belvita Soft-Baked Oat & Chocolate Bars for breakfast - 4g Fiber). Fiber One bars are good too.

    Try adding flavorless Metamucil (or a generic, like Equate from Walmart) to any liquids you drink. I used to put it in my coffee, water, juices and soups.

    Beans, grains, green veggies, and berries contain fiber. Low-Fat popcorn is also a good idea since its low cal but high fiber.
  • nocgirl72
    nocgirl72 Posts: 139 Member
    Buy some sugar free fiber gummies take 2 every morning there is 5 right there. 2 tB psyllium husk in yogurt will give you 7g.

    1/2 avocado depending on size gives you at least 5g.

    1/2c raspberries gives you 4g.

    Lots of high fiber low cal protein shakes on Amazon.

    Kroger no sugar added 60 calorie fudge pop has 4g fiber

    La tortilla whole wheat high fiber tortilla has 50 cal 9g fiber I buy these at sprouts

    Dannon Triple 000 Greek yogurt 6g fiber

    Lots of whole grain bread natures own lite honey wheat has 3g per slice ( I think)