how do i get more fiber in my diet?

dedgjonator
dedgjonator Posts: 35
in Health and Weight Loss
I have numerous problems with food. There are very few foods I can actually eat. Hence always being below calories. I am trying to up my calories by having a juice or soup. However having fruit and veg this way reduces the amount of fiber. Any ideas?

Replies

  • ZealousMissJJ
    ZealousMissJJ Posts: 454 Member
    What are your problems exactly? What can or can't you eat?
  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member
    Without knowing what you can and can't eat it makes it hard to provide ideas, but things like the following will help provide fiber:

    whole grain bread instead of white bread
    a handful of nuts
    eating whole fruit and vegetables instead of juice or soup
    oats for breakfast instead of low-fiber cereal
    include legumes in what you cook...

    also fiber supplements will help, but it is better to get your fiber from a good diet as that way you get vitamins and minerals too.
  • angiewf
    angiewf Posts: 175 Member
    porridge for breakfast is good, and the oat fibre helps lower cholesterol too.
  • IbiH
    IbiH Posts: 250 Member
    The following foods are all good sources of dietary fibre…

    Wholemeal, granary and softgrain varieties of bread
    Jacket potatoes, new potatoes in their skins and baked potato skins
    Wholegrain breakfast cereals, eg. Weetabix, branflakes, unsweetened muesli, Shreddies and porridge oats
    Wholemeal pasta and brown rice
    Beans, lentils and peas
    Fresh and dried fruits – particularly if the skins are eaten
    Vegetables – particularly if the skins are eaten
    Nuts and seeds
    Wholemeal flour
  • springfaith
    springfaith Posts: 7 Member
    psyllium husks are a great source of fiber. also chia seeds & flax seeds
  • dedgjonator
    dedgjonator Posts: 35
    Diet wise Im like a child. Will only eat certain foods, like Pizza, Pasta..I can't eat most fruit only Apple. Any Veg I have has to be smooth so I can't feel the texture. If something isnt cooked the way I like it, I wont eat it. Im scared of trying new food...tried to get help from the doctors but they wont help. I have had eating problems in the past when my mum made me packed lunches I used to put the food in the bin and make it look like I was eating when I wasnt.
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
    I take over the counter fiber supplement. I'm on a large dose of iron so that offsets the constipation. Here's a link with how much fiber certain foods have. http://www.mayoclinic.org/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948

    Best of luck to you :)
  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member
    Well if things need to be smooth then perhaps take the above suggestions, throw everything in the blender and see how you go. It sounds like you may need to get some more help about your food issues because while pasta and pizza can have their place in a normal diet you are going to have a really hard time making changes if you aren't open to trying foods.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Diet wise Im like a child. Will only eat certain foods, like Pizza, Pasta..I can't eat most fruit only Apple. Any Veg I have has to be smooth so I can't feel the texture. If something isnt cooked the way I like it, I wont eat it. Im scared of trying new food...tried to get help from the doctors but they wont help. I have had eating problems in the past when my mum made me packed lunches I used to put the food in the bin and make it look like I was eating when I wasnt.

    None of these is a problem with "food"
  • dedgjonator
    dedgjonator Posts: 35
    Its a problem to me, I can't eat out because I'm too embarrassed. My eating habits lead to me having problems getting enough vitamins and nutrients from my diet. I feel stuck because on rare occasions when I have tried something new I've gagged and been sick. What I really need is Cognitive Therapy to work though my issues with food. I have asked but in vain, I can't afford to go down alternative routes. Hypnoses etc..
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    www.healthsmartfoods.com

    Get the protein bars. They have about 10 g. protein and about 10 g. fiber - about 100 calories, and sugar/gluten free, kosher.

    I like the Triple Chocolate Fudge. My husband likes the Cashew Caramel and Peanut Butter. We both like the cookies n' cream.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Diet wise Im like a child. Will only eat certain foods, like Pizza, Pasta..I can't eat most fruit only Apple. Any Veg I have has to be smooth so I can't feel the texture. If something isnt cooked the way I like it, I wont eat it. Im scared of trying new food...tried to get help from the doctors but they wont help. I have had eating problems in the past when my mum made me packed lunches I used to put the food in the bin and make it look like I was eating when I wasnt.

    In other words, you CAN eat anything. You just refuse to.

    If you won't eat fruit, you're SOL. I guess a supplement is your only option, but you'd probably refuse that, too.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    Get over your picky eating.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Plain old Libby's Pumpkn puree! It's an excellent source of fiber. Add some cinnamon, nutmeg and rice or almond milk. Heat it up and eat it. Some may find it too bland but I love it. You can also add it to a green smoothie.

    There's also bran. Just 3/4 of a cup a day will help you out.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Its a problem to me, I can't eat out because I'm too embarrassed. My eating habits lead to me having problems getting enough vitamins and nutrients from my diet. I feel stuck because on rare occasions when I have tried something new I've gagged and been sick. What I really need is Cognitive Therapy to work though my issues with food. I have asked but in vain, I can't afford to go down alternative routes. Hypnoses etc..

    You can do therapy all on your own without needing to spend money on a specialist. There are tons of self help sites to assist you in getting over it. It really is all in your head and you have the power to fix it, you just have to want it and believe you can do it.

    Taking responsibility gives you the power to change it.
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  • rjmwx81
    rjmwx81 Posts: 259 Member
    Diet wise Im like a child. Will only eat certain foods, like Pizza, Pasta..I can't eat most fruit only Apple. Any Veg I have has to be smooth so I can't feel the texture. If something isnt cooked the way I like it, I wont eat it. Im scared of trying new food...tried to get help from the doctors but they wont help. I have had eating problems in the past when my mum made me packed lunches I used to put the food in the bin and make it look like I was eating when I wasnt.

    Maybe you have a psychological issue, or maybe you're just making excuses. I'm not saying it's one or the other, I'm just saying you need to take a really deep look at the problem to determine how best to tackle it. Bottom line is, for optimal health you're going to have to eat vegetables/fruits even if you don't particularly care for them. You can either find ways to make them more palatable (Soups, maybe? Cook them until the vegetables are all squishy...that would count as "smooth," yes?) or just knuckle down and eat them. Try to think of food less as something you want to enjoy ("If I don't like it, I won't eat it") and more as a necessary process to fuel your body ("I don't like the taste/texture of this, but I do like the health benefits.")

    As for getting more fiber, they make supplements in pill form now (Metamucil is one of the brand names, but anything with "psyllium husk" is the same thing) so you don't have to mix it with water or juice or whatever. Makes it real simple to get your fiber. But still, getting some through your diet is better.
  • alexandriax03
    alexandriax03 Posts: 289 Member
    Diet wise Im like a child. Will only eat certain foods, like Pizza, Pasta..I can't eat most fruit only Apple. Any Veg I have has to be smooth so I can't feel the texture. If something isnt cooked the way I like it, I wont eat it. Im scared of trying new food...tried to get help from the doctors but they wont help. I have had eating problems in the past when my mum made me packed lunches I used to put the food in the bin and make it look like I was eating when I wasnt.

    Mind over matter. Either that, or you need therapy with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders/phobias/etc.

    If you continue down this path, you will end up with more serious problems than being a picky eater. If you are not already, you will become deficient in major vitamins and minerals which can lead to dangerous health problems that will land you in the hospital.
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    Its a problem to me, I can't eat out because I'm too embarrassed. My eating habits lead to me having problems getting enough vitamins and nutrients from my diet. I feel stuck because on rare occasions when I have tried something new I've gagged and been sick. What I really need is Cognitive Therapy to work though my issues with food. I have asked but in vain, I can't afford to go down alternative routes. Hypnoses etc..

    You can do therapy all on your own without needing to spend money on a specialist. There are tons of self help sites to assist you in getting over it. It really is all in your head and you have the power to fix it, you just have to want it and believe you can do it.

    Taking responsibility gives you the power to change it.

    ^^This.
  • ef79
    ef79 Posts: 3 Member
    I wouldn't worry about getting more fiber, at least, not at this point. I don't want to be rude, but since you mentioned it first, it certainly sounds like you could benefit from some therapy sessions. However, if you truly cannot afford that, have you googled "tips for picky eaters?"

    I'm a mother of three small children, and a recovering picky eater myself, so I understand how difficult it is. There's a saying out there that says children need to try something 10-15 times before they'll "accept" it. I take that approach with my children and I think it works. They'll tell me they don't like something 10 times but by the 11th they'll often gobble it up with no argument. But after 15 times and they still don't like it, I stop pressing because not everybody has to love every kind of food.

    I do the same thing with myself and have learned to truly love a lot of new foods that I used to hate: avocados, hummus, brie, squash, black beans.

    On the same hand, I've also given myself permission to accept that I don't like everything and that's okay, because no matter how often I try them, I cannot stand: onions, peppers, anything with vinegar, or shrimp!
  • ElaineBeekman
    ElaineBeekman Posts: 12 Member
    I worked with some students who have Asperger's who have similar issues with textures and new foods. They loved smoothies because they could get protein and fiber and fruits/vegetables/fiber could be mixed in without a change in texture or for some of the fiber/new foods and supplements - taste.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Its a problem to me, I can't eat out because I'm too embarrassed. My eating habits lead to me having problems getting enough vitamins and nutrients from my diet. I feel stuck because on rare occasions when I have tried something new I've gagged and been sick. What I really need is Cognitive Therapy to work though my issues with food. I have asked but in vain, I can't afford to go down alternative routes. Hypnoses etc..

    You can do therapy all on your own without needing to spend money on a specialist. There are tons of self help sites to assist you in getting over it. It really is all in your head and you have the power to fix it, you just have to want it and believe you can do it.

    Taking responsibility gives you the power to change it.

    This times a million. The fact that you acknowledge that the problem is you and not with food gives you the power to face this and make changes.

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