How to Increasing my Fiber (recipes are welcome)

angel_of_harmony
angel_of_harmony Posts: 188 Member
edited November 25 in Food and Nutrition
Hello everyone!

I know know this is a personal subject, but I have been having to rely on laxatives due to chronic constipation. This happened after taking antibiotics for two weeks, and I have been taking a probiotic for a month now.

My doctor suggested taking a magnesium supplement, but I would also like to increase the amount of fiber in my diet. Right now I eat between 15 - 25mg a day.

I eat frequently, so any suggestions that can be incorporated as snacks would be great. Also, feel free to post links to recipes! The only restrictions I have is that they must be low fat (less than 20g per serving) and I have to avoid spicy foods, tomatoes, and onions due to my acid reflux.

Thanks for the help!

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Veggies, apples, raspberries, beans, high fiber bread/tortillas.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    eat more fruits and veg, legumes, lentils, oats and other whole grains.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Fruits and veggies. Raspberries are really good for fiber. :)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I suggest that bulk will help, too. I have good success with popcorn.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    All of the above.

    Also, I add ground flax seed to many dishes for extra fiber. I even put it on pizza this past weekend and neither my husband or grandson noticed.
  • sinbad714
    sinbad714 Posts: 28 Member
    Break out the prune juice and eat a large bowl of canned spinach with balsamic vinegar. Works for me every time.
  • amberlyda1
    amberlyda1 Posts: 154 Member
    yep fruit and veggies. I also found quinoa does the trick. I believe in a one cup serving has 21% of your daily fiber.
  • livelovebbg
    livelovebbg Posts: 45 Member
    I've recently started eating dates to add some fibre to my diet! I eat them on their own or chopped up in oatmeal/greek yogurt.
  • Unknown
    edited October 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
    I love black bean spaghetti. Explore Asian makes the noodles entirely out of black beans, and 2oz has 12 grams of fiber with 25 grams of protein. It tastes really good too! Just like regular pasta. It'll turn the water you boil it in black, but the pasta itself still tastes delicious. I put spaghetti sauce on it, but you could put just about any kind of sauce on it.

    The same brand also makes noodles out of adzuki beans, soybeans, and edamame too!
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    If I have an apple as a snack, and broccoli sautéed with a little oil or butter, it helps me when my stomach isn't playing along. One other thing I've discovered and love is extreme wellness low carb tortillas. They're made with flax seed, so they're high fiber. I use them as wraps for sandwiches and they give my fiber a nice boost.
  • rtpjmlm5
    rtpjmlm5 Posts: 22 Member
    I eat mostly plant based vegan and I can get anywhere from 50 to 80 g of fiber. So as everyone said plants are the way to go. I used to consume maybe 20 grams or so and I developed diverticula of the colon and then last year had a colectomy. Docs say it was probably years of a low fiber diet. Just eat what you can digest though. Tummy troubles suck
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    Lots of veggies, beans, whole grains...

    Avocados are surprisingly high in fiber. I like roasted beets and beet greens. They may turn things a bit pink. Almonds and popcorn have a moderate amount of fiber and make good snack foods.

    To get both magnesium and fiber, dark leafy greens, lentils, edamame are good choices.

    If you have a hard time getting enough magnesium with diet and oral supplementation, its supposed to be better absorbed through the skin. You can try topical magnesium oil (just MgCl dissolved in water) or an epsom salt bath. Even a simple foot bath would help.
  • CharminQT
    CharminQT Posts: 14 Member
    if you don't mind the natural fats then try Dr Hyman breakfast detox smoothie. It as 1tbsp chia, pumpkin and hemp seed, 1/4 avocado, 1/2 tbsp coconut butter and 1tbsp almond butter with 1/2c blueberry and cranberry with a few walnuts blended with 1c water. That is 16g of fiber right there.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    I'm working on the fiber thing with IBS too. I've been upping my veggies, sugar snap peas are an easy snack, I love popcorn. Fiber one bars are easy, so are some of the heavy duty protein bars like OhYeah! Victory, or quest. (I prefer the first) beans are good, and bananas and other fruit too. I like to make smoothies. Greens in them add even more fiber, but it's easy to go crazy on calories with smoothies in general. I tend to use almond milk to keep calories down, even though I don't have dairy issues. And beans, it's so easy to make a burrito with regular or refried beans. And bean chili is easy, I like lentils in it too.
  • 1992fx3
    1992fx3 Posts: 35 Member
    edited October 2015
    I just starting eating Kellog's All Bran Buds. 1/3 cup is 51% of the RDA for fiber and 80 calories. I eat them as snack, they're crunchy and have a nutty flavor. Of course you could eat it as breakfast cereal with milk; or possibly work it into recipes. A single serving daily is keeping me regular so far.
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
    I get my fiber from fruits and veggies (berries and squash are good sources), whole wheat pasta and wraps, bran cereal, and legumes. A high fiber meal (over 30 g!) I eat frequently is a burrito made with a whole wheat wrap, veggie crumbles, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and black beans. Quest bars also have a lot of fiber.
  • alexjvolk
    alexjvolk Posts: 22 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    eat more fruits and veg, legumes, lentils, oats and other whole grains.

    I second this. Especially lentils. Popcorn has good fiber content as well.
  • SamandaIndia
    SamandaIndia Posts: 1,577 Member
    I am super excited. My doc put me on magnesium to increase regularity and of course add more fiber. I just noticed a sheet of nori seaweed has 1 gram protein and 1 gram fiber which is helpful to know. No carbs other than the fibre. Easy add to my prawns or chicken dishes.
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
    I'm lazy on fiber so I eat a serving, maybe two of all bran buds and cashew milk. It gives me the entire amount I need for the day and everything else is a bonus.
  • TheBeachgod
    TheBeachgod Posts: 825 Member
    CharminQT wrote: »
    if you don't mind the natural fats then try Dr Hyman breakfast detox smoothie. It as 1tbsp chia, pumpkin and hemp seed, 1/4 avocado, 1/2 tbsp coconut butter and 1tbsp almond butter with 1/2c blueberry and cranberry with a few walnuts blended with 1c water. That is 16g of fiber right there.

    What exactly does it detox?
  • SamandaIndia
    SamandaIndia Posts: 1,577 Member
    Chia seeds. Great for protein and fiber. In salad or soak for at least a half hour (even overnight) in milk to create a pudding. Can use almond milk. 1 cup milk to 1/3 cup chia seeds and whisk a lot until they are swelling and softening to a paste. I add cinnamon.
  • shaynaboyce25
    shaynaboyce25 Posts: 5 Member
    Psyllium Husk :) natural fibre.. google it.
  • Phaewryn
    Phaewryn Posts: 142 Member
    Everyone should be eating 14 grams of fiber per every 1000 calories consumed, to be up to the USDA recommendations. That being said, you said you're only eating 15-25mg. I do hope you meant grams, not milligrams. If that's the case, you don't really need more, unless you're eating a lot of calories. 15 grams fiber on a 1000 calorie day is ideal, 25 grams fiber would be fine for up to about 1800 calories, I think (I'm not great at math). The more calories you eat, the more your fiber consumption should go up, for, say a 2000 calorie diet, they recommend closer to 35 grams fiber daily.

    Anyway, amounts aside, keep in mind that adding fiber is only 50% of the equation in controlling bowels: You have to add WATER for it to work. I don't think there are any set guidelines on how much water per grams fiber, but I have found that I require about 20 ounces of water per meal just to get anything to move at all. I try to drink at least 12 ounces between meals as well. I am eating a high fiber diet for similar reasons as you, and I'm also a bit perplexed by the "correct amounts" of fiber. I do know that a LOT of the recommendations are working on the assumption that we're all eating over 2000 calories a day, so they are way high! My favorite foods are Oat bran, Ground flax seed, Lentils, Quinoa, and vegetables/fruits like Broccoli, Peas, Pumpkin, Banana. All of those are fairly high in fiber, and easy to incorporate into the daily diet (like putting the pumpkin in the oat brand and flax breakfast cereal with a touch of cinnamon and maple syrup - breakfast you can make in under 2 minutes in the microwave and then CHUG without chewing). Lentils and Quinoa can be used anywhere you'd normally use rice or pasta (like in chicken cacciatore/parmesan, under stir-fry, in dressing/stuffing, soups). Speaking of rice, if you have to have it, make sure it's brown rice. Lentils can be used in anything that you'd normally use lower fiber beans in (read labels, some beans are better than others), substitute half the beans for lentils (chili, soups). Quinoa can be made into a passable cold salad with a vinaigrette dressing and some fresh crisp vegetables, certainly it's easy to add 1/4 a cup as a "topper" on a traditional salad and doesn't change the flavor much at all (be sure it's rinsed quinoa). Another favorite "salad" of mine is a pea salad, I just use canned peas, add a spoonful of low calorie mayo, a dash of apple cider vinegar, and a drop of mustard (some people use just mayo and lemon juice). It's very easy to adapt and change to suit your tastes, basically cold green peas and mayo. Think of it as a healthier version of potato salad.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    metamucil (psyllium husk)
This discussion has been closed.