Yeesh! Does anyone actually get 38 grams of fiber?

nokitchen

Because I'm having a hard time getting that much on a daily basis. Kashi for breakfast, two cups of spinach with lunch and 8 oz of cooked black beans with dinner are only 15 grams. Have some flaxseed sprinkled on a banana and you're still only at 21. Add a whole avocado's worth guacamole and 6 corn tortillas to all that and you're *still* not there. Unless you're a hardcore leafavore vegan I'm not seeing how you get the recommended (for men) 38 grams on a normal-calorie diet, let alone a weight-loss diet.

On the other hand, I've apparently gone for 47 years without enough fiber without any apparent ill effects. Are the recommendations just out of whack?

Amandawith3kids

i got 7 whole grams yesterday. i usually do better than that.

as far as the recommended daily amount, i have no idea. i'm regular, so there is that.

Rocbola

I got 30 grams just at breakfast yesterday.

Fruit: it's what's for breakfast.

Inittolozeit

Yes! I add flax seed to my smoothies, fruits and veggies and some other things... My diary is open to friends if you want you can add me for ideas..

corgarian

I typically get between 30-45g a day without even trying.... buuut I'm a vegetarian.

UpEarly

I usually get between 28-32 a day (which is my target). Some of my favorite sources: apples, blackberries, popcorn, legumes.

caveninit

Quest bars...lots of fiber

Fullsterkur_woman

I get upwards of 50 on the regular. (tee hee)

But then, I eat stuff like low carb, high fiber tortillas, and Vitalicious Vitatops a couple times a day, and Quest bars almost every day.

karinajean2388

I never have an issue with it. I'm also a vegetarian. Feel free to look at my diary.

Eleonora91

46 gr today, I try to ALWAYS be over otherwise I won't be seeing the toilet much.
If you want to get a look at my diary you can add me, anyway I use a fiber supplement once a day but it doesn't make a great difference, I just eat lots and lots of fruit, bread, salads, and cookies, and I usually get enough fiber.

geebusuk

I read up on the reasons for getting a good bit of fibre....
And decided I wasn't too bothered about it, actually.

If I get some I do, if I don't, I can't see any reason it's an issue.

sympha01

Yep. I average around 40ish grams per day, though it's not unheard of for me to get in the 50s or even 60s. My diary is open.

1. Beans and lentils. I love all of 'em. Put beans in my eggs, eat lentils with chicken, roast chickpeas for snacks, make chili and bean soups all the time. Easy shortcut: I keep frozen shelled edamame around. They make a nice snack and go with a lot of foods.

2. Fruit fruit fruit. Apples and pears every day. Strawberries in season / on sale.

3. Veggies are great, but don't depend on them much to bring your totals up. Potatoes (with the skin) and cabbagy things (like cabbage itself, or brussels sprouts) are among the more helpful ones.

4. If you eat grains, actively shop for higher-fiber breads, pasta, tortillas, etc. I've read a lot of labels of breads that say 100% whole wheat and still have pitiful fiber content. Also, I've been disappointed to find that brown rice isn't particularly high in fiber compared to other grains.

In terms of finding the right level for you, bear in mind of course it's definitely harder to do if you're severely restricting calories. (Also bear in mind that aside from just being able to poop at will, the benefits of higher-fiber diets often start to really show in middle age in terms of insulin sensitivity and colon health.) Since my body is used to a lot of fiber, my rule of thumb is that 1 out of every 5 grams of carbohydrates should be fiber, but that's unusually high. I think 1 fiber gram out of every 9 or 10 carb grams is appropriate for most people as an absolute minimum.

OliverHenryB

Suggestion: One Quest Bar (Chocolate Peanut Butter) has 17g fiber and 20g protein. There are other flavors, and I assume they have similar nutritional value. If you like them, they might help you raise your fiber intake.

michybeans

I agree - Quest bars are not only the tastiest protein bar (that I've tried - and I've tried MANY!), but they are also a great source of fibre. I am always over my goal on fibre, which I guess isn't a bad thing.

laserturkey

Vegetarian here, and I generally have about 50 grams of fiber a day, sometimes much more. Quest bars are great for fiber, as are beans, lentils, and avocados.

Ang108

Because I'm having a hard time getting that much on a daily basis. Kashi for breakfast, two cups of spinach with lunch and 8 oz of cooked black beans with dinner are only 15 grams. Have some flaxseed sprinkled on a banana and you're still only at 21. Add a whole avocado's worth guacamole and 6 corn tortillas to all that and you're *still* not there. Unless you're a hardcore leafavore vegan I'm not seeing how you get the recommended (for men) 38 grams on a normal-calorie diet, let alone a weight-loss diet.

On the other hand, I've apparently gone for 47 years without enough fiber without any apparent ill effects. Are the recommendations just out of whack?

Yes, the number is off ! Women between 19-70 need 25 grams a day according to WHO and similar organization and men, yes, do need 38 grams.
On average I eat 7-11 portions of vegetables a day ( but more on many days ) almost eat no bread, pasta or rice. I also eat a piece of fruit or two a day ; I don't eat much, because I don't like anything too sweet and make up for it in veggies and I get a lot more than the 14 grs I am supposed to have each day, I assume because I am under 5 feet tall and old. I do not use any fiber supplements or sprinkle stuff on my food for extra fiber, but most day get to the recommended amount without trying.

bgarganera

Quest bars, beans, and low carb tortillas LOL.

(if you do IIFYM & eat at Chipotle frequently like I do, 38 grams is easy - but that's all relative )

EricJonrosh

Is there fiber in red beef?

archaichoney

EVRADAY.

Sitting at 45g right now and still have more to eat.

jennilsf

Sure! Adding quinoa, flax, chia seeds, eating plenty of veggies (blended up and mixed right in with eggs and baked, or mixed into a fruity protein smoothie are my favorite ways to get them in my diet), some fruit, steel cut oats, and I buy Nature's Own Double Fiber bread and MIssion Wraps Carb Balance Whole Wheat Tortillas. Sometimes I get as much as 56 grams in one day. I'm used to lots of fiber in my diet, so that much doesn't affect me in any negative way, and my bad cholesterol is wayyyy low.

Ryaa_Bowles

Holy Crap Breakfast Cereal 6g of fibre in 2 Tbsp! also has a bunch of protein to make you feel full. I just started using it and it's pretty yummy. It's made of organic chia, organic buckwheat, organic hulled hemp seeds, organic raisins, organic dried cranberries (organic sugar, organic sunflower oil), organic apple bits, organic cinnamon. If it's only fibre you're looking for they have one called Wild Chia and it has 11g of fibre in 2Tbsp! That's 44% of your daily.

nokitchen

Well heck, glad I asked. I expected a bunch of responses along the lines of "get more than 20 and don't worry about it." So OK, more diligence to getting fiber. Thanks, all.

TitanGM

Eat bean soup on a regular basis and you might end up getting double that amount.

LolBroScience

I usually hit 50-60g a day.

Midori_i

Did you check the fibre count is correct on everything you're logging? Because I checked my diary after I read your questions to give you tiops, because I feel like I eat a LOT of fibre. And then I noticed that I barely ever go over five.

But at second glance I noticed that I had entries in there saying that whole grain bread has 0 fibre, lettuce has 0 fibre... While the calorie, carb, fat and protein count seems correct most of the time. So maybe you're getting more fibre than your diary suggests?

I'm not gonna stress about it at any rate, I feel extremely healthy and have no digestive problems.

kelly_e_montana

Mission carb balance tortillas & Fiber One bars...if not into that, then Metamucil, I suppose. Those food choices are both pretty processed and full of supplemental fiber but I prefer them to drinking fiber supplements.

P.S. Quest bars.

FreeSpirit1992

Is there fiber in red beef?

I can't think of any animal products that have any measurable amount of fibre.

april34josey

no they aren't wack you are actually eating how you should eat you can also add oatmeal and fiber supplements if you find you aren't getting those last couple of grams for the day..... veggies are also a great snack that you can eat tons of throughout the day to get that much needed fiber

TavistockToad

Yes, the number is off ! Women between 19-70 need 25 grams a day according to WHO and similar organization and men, yes, do need 38 grams.
On average I eat 7-11 portions of vegetables a day ( but more on many days ) almost eat no bread, pasta or rice. I also eat a piece of fruit or two a day ; I don't eat much, because I don't like anything too sweet and make up for it in veggies and I get a lot more than the 14 grs I am supposed to have each day, I assume because I am under 5 feet tall and old. I do not use any fiber supplements or sprinkle stuff on my food for extra fiber, but most day get to the recommended amount without trying.

How come men need so much more than women?

NaomiJFoster

I aim for 30. 30 is where my body seems to function best. 40 might get a bit on the dangerous side for me, and I'd probably end up with bathroom issues the next day. And conversely, fewer than 25 leaves with with other bathroom issues. So I aim for 30. 28-35 is comfortable.

I get most of it from high-fiber cereal in the morning, lots of fruits and veggies, beans, lentils (are they beans?). If I don't hit my mark, I eat 2 or 3 or 4 fiber gummies for 'dessert' lol.

Myhaloslipped

I get mine mainly from apples, vegetables, and low-carb, high-fiber tortillas.