Tips on increasing fiber? Discussion too, maybe?

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ScottishMrs
ScottishMrs Posts: 254 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My fiber is often only around 7-12 and I'm pretty sure that I should be getting more. MFP has my fiber goal at 17 but I only tend to be able to meet that if I go over my calories. Any tips on increasing my fiber a bit without impacting my budget too much and still tasting pretty good?

Limitations: I'm allergic to ALL fruits and vegetables (really and truly, epipen and all for some, not quite as bad for others), almonds, and pistachios and I can't really eat beans, but chickpeas are alright (I currently have hummus a couple of days a week and that's good for the fiber goal). I'm lactose intolerant, so if you suggest some sort of cereal it has to taste good dry. Sorry for all of the criteria.

I'm not sure what's relevant information for how much fiber I should be getting so: my weight = 154lbs and my calorie goal = 1800cal and I don't eat back burned cals (TDEE method). Let me know if more is needed.

I won't be making my diary open because people get too hung up on the things I eat but that's a result of the above mentioned limitations and I'm working on it. That's why I ask for tips here.
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Replies

  • texaslonghorn42
    texaslonghorn42 Posts: 34 Member
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    I love the Fiber One brownies and they only have 90 calories and I think they taste just like real brownies. :) I also usually have some sort of whole grain or multi-grain muffin for breakfast. So between these two items I usually always get enough fiber. I am not a veggie and fruit eater really either.
  • kindasortachewy
    kindasortachewy Posts: 1,084 Member
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    They have low card high fiber tortillas

    La Tortillia Factory Smart & Delicious - Large Tortillias. Low Carb, High Fiber, Whole Wheat

    80 calories 18 carbs 12 fiber - and they are big!!
  • ellaloveslove
    ellaloveslove Posts: 166 Member
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    Have you tried anything like Benefiber? I'm not sure of the ingredients so there might be something you could be allergic to in it...? But I take a Safeway brand and I like it for days when I didn't get enough fiber from my normal foods. One serving has around 3g or 4g of fiber in it and it's tasteless and you can add it to anything.
  • endoftheside
    endoftheside Posts: 568 Member
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    The most fibrous foods fall into four categories, and you are eliminating (fruit, veg) or severely restricting (beans, legumes, seeds, nuts) three of them...it's going to be tough without supplementation.

    Can you eat lentils? seeds? other nuts?

    Whole grains may be your best bet: wheat, oats, corn, brown rice, barley, rye.

    Then there are the supplemental fibers, but I would be a bit iffy about taking them on a long-term basis.

    Have you gone waaaaay out there on the fruits and vegetables to try things that you have not been exposed to before, maybe some things available at ethnic markets, etc.? Did you have testing to determine your allergy vs. safe foods or are you going by food trials? It just seems like there is something else going on where the allergies are the symptom, not the root cause, and if you could figure that out you might be able to get some foods back in rotation.
  • ScottishMrs
    ScottishMrs Posts: 254 Member
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    @texaslonghorn: Thanks! I might have to look at some Fiber One stuff at the store.

    @kindasortachewy: Thanks! I'll have to look into those and see if they sell them near me.

    @ellaloveslove: I've never heard of Benefiber. If I can't manage to get enough fiber from the foods that I can eat then I might have to look into that. Thanks :)

    @endoftheside: I'll have to learn how to cook brown rice and try adding that into my diet. I can eat lentils, seeds, and pretty much anything else I didn't list. My allergies are 100% legitimate. I've been for allergy testing and I try the lower end allergy foods sporadically to check how I react. I'm allergic to an enzyme that develops in ripe fruits/veg and once they've been off of the 'vine' for a week or so then my reaction is pretty strong. It's related to pollen allergies. I'm allergic to all plants (I have testing which proves it). The food allergies started out mild when I was little but when I was about 6 I ate a poisonous flower which caused a severe reaction, I almost died, and all of my fruit/veg allergies escalated. Fruit and vegetable allergies are actually the most common food allergies, but most people are allergic to only one-few and not all of them like I am. I have developed ways of coping with the less severe allergies as I am able to eat them when extremely cooked (spaghetti sauce, applesauce, etc) and I discovered that drenching with food acids such as vinegar or Realemon neutralize the enzyme. Fiber from sources that I am not allergic to would be a lot easier to do though.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    Maybe try adding hemp hearts, chia seeds, or ground flax seed to salads.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    Have you tried chia seeds or psyllium husk?

    Can you have dried fruits by any chance (sorry to push, but dates and prunes are good for fibre too if for some reason you can have dried)?

    edit: psyllium husk is like the natural, REAL version of metamucil and all those other fibre drinks. Natural :)
  • ScottishMrs
    ScottishMrs Posts: 254 Member
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    @herblackwings: Well, I can't eat salads, but do you know of other things that I can add these to? I tried ground flax seeds once but they were rancid already when I bought them (they were in a sealed bag too).

    @jessicalysenko: I want to try getting the fiber from whole foods before introducing things like psyllium husk because I've tasted that and it was pretty nasty. I haven't tried most dried fruits in a long time. I seem to recall reacting to some, but they might have been in a trail mix with some nuts I didn't know I was allergic to yet. Are dried apricots good? My husband likes those and I've eaten them with him before. I could make date squares too--oats and dates, a double whammy.
  • rosered93
    rosered93 Posts: 69 Member
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    Breakfast-wise, oat bran is very high-fiber (moreso than oatmeal). I tend to make a porridge of oat bran, flax meal, ~1t psyllium husks (can't taste it, increases satiety), and cinnamon. Then I cook in egg whites for some extra protein and stir in fruit and coconut oil. Obviously the fruit is an issue for you, but hey that can be omitted easily. I'd wonder, however, if you can do fruit that has been roasted? Like, roasting some berries or figs? I'd think that the heat would be sufficient to denature the enzyme (obviously your call to test that theory). Unlike dried fruits which are dehydrated at low temps, roasting would hit a pretty high one?

    Chickpea flour can be used to make a few things including panbread, tortillas/wraps, pancakes, and a sort of tofu (google Burmese chickpea tofu). At 5g/1/4c flour that could help out for main dishes.

    Coconut flour is allll over the place these days and is very high fiber. It can be used to make baked goods, microwave cakes (current favourite: 2T coconut flour, 2T cocoa, 1/3c applesauce, 1/2c egg whites, 1t oil, +flavoring/sweetener of choice--stirred together and microwaved for two minutes; low-calorie, very filling), pancakes, pseudo-oatmeal--all kinds of things. Coconuts are technically a fruit so I'm not sure if that would be an issue, but I'd imagine that even if it were, that by the time you've derived a flour from the coconut, that enzyme would have been destroyed.
    Along the same lines, peanut flour, if peanuts themselves are an issue, would, I'd imagine, be sufficiently processed. 1/4c = 110calories, 4g fiber, 16g protein. Using it in lieu of peanut butter would help with calorie management and add fiber and protein. It's also tasty mixed in with yogurt, or used in baked goods, or mixed with cocoa powder and some liquid for a peanut-chocolate pudding.

    Lentils are very very easy to cook and very high fiber/protein. Not sure if those are okay given what you've listed, but an option nonetheless.
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
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    My fiber intake is about 30-40g a day. Mostly from avocados, nuts/seeds, ezekiel breads/tortillas, spinach, oats.
    One piece of advise... slowly increase your fiber day by day. Otherwise you will get very bloaty and maybe even gassy, lol.


    21525558.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • Gioooo
    Gioooo Posts: 301 Member
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    I take fiberlyze - lemonade flavor. My diet is super high in protein that I need a fiber supplement. I actually love the taste of it i mix it with water and pink lemonade crystal light. No trouble in the bathroom after that LOL
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    @herblackwings: Well, I can't eat salads, but do you know of other things that I can add these to? I tried ground flax seeds once but they were rancid already when I bought them (they were in a sealed bag too).

    @jessicalysenko: I want to try getting the fiber from whole foods before introducing things like psyllium husk because I've tasted that and it was pretty nasty. I haven't tried most dried fruits in a long time. I seem to recall reacting to some, but they might have been in a trail mix with some nuts I didn't know I was allergic to yet. Are dried apricots good? My husband likes those and I've eaten them with him before. I could make date squares too--oats and dates, a double whammy.

    yeah I honestly don't like psyllium husk either, but if you add it into something I think it could be good... I can't think of what right now since you can't have fruit/veggies, but soup perhaps? who knows :/ meat balls? sounds strange but it is flavourless!

    Chia seeds are amazing though, about 6 or 7g of fibre per serving so try them out too if you can eat them!
  • makemesomegains
    makemesomegains Posts: 11
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    light flat out wraps, has 9 grams of fiber its 90 kcals
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
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    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/split-pea-burgers-recipe/index.html
    this is a pretty simple recipe, easy to modify, and you could make them in bulk and freeze.

    lentil meatballs are also really tasty.
  • zombilishious
    zombilishious Posts: 1,250 Member
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    I take in 30-40 grams of fiber daily. I use BarnDad's Ultra Fiber DX...it has a high amount of protein along with plenty of fiber. It doesn't give you the normal side effects of fiber supplements and the German Chocolate Shake is really tasty! I add it to shakes, and have tried most of the recipes on the website and loved them!

    http://www.barndadnutrition.com/
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
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    http://ohsheglows.com/2013/01/16/homemade-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-larabars/
    http://ohsheglows.com/categories/recipes-2/food-allergies/

    it's a vegan blog so everything is already dairy free.
    she usually gives ideas for substitutions too.
  • indygal76
    indygal76 Posts: 283 Member
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    The Fiber One 90 Calorie brownies are delish! I also like Kashi Go Lean Crunch (it has flax seeds). Apples are another good source. I aim for 30 grams or more of fiber a day.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    So sorry you have it way worse than me. I have an epi-pen too but due to different reasons.
  • Linuraleal
    Linuraleal Posts: 7
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    Can you eat coconut flour?

    The brand I use (Risenta - Swedish brand I think) has 43g of fiber.
  • SurfyFriend
    SurfyFriend Posts: 362 Member
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    To know how to get fibre, you need to know where it comes from. Plant matter has fibre. Animal products do not. The fresher the plant, the more chance it is fibrous.
    Foods highest in fibre are raw plant foods. E.g. fresh fruit and vegetables. Have fruit on your cereal, as a snack or dessert. Have salad with lunch and vegetables with dinner.
    Moderate fibre foods are cooked grains (oats, cereals, bread), nuts, seeds, lentils. Tip, swap to brown bread, high fibre cereals (low sugar), swap baked potato for pumpkin, zucchini, sweet potato, eggplant. Yummy! Put dried herbs and olive oil on top!
    Low fibre foods are white bread, pasta, etc. they are generally high GI.

    Oranges, apples, bananas, watermelons, pineapple, grapes, blueberries, strawberries.
    Lettuce, carrots, celery, spinach, watercress, parsley, onions, sprouts
    Chickpeas, brown lentils, baked beans, refried beans.
    Getting any ideas? :)
    Hope this helps x

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