How much fiber everyday?

Gosh, I regularly eat 40-50g (I'm a past middle age woman.)

Whole fruit and vegetables, nuts, popcorn, flax meal, peanuts and other legumes.

I usually eat 40-50g daily, at age 65 and female. I think the MFP default is probably fine, though. I think it might be 25g?

"Bloating" is a very non-specific term. Sometimes people mean constipation, sometimes they mean water retention, sometimes they mean gassiness, sometimes they mean something else.

Going from a low fiber to high fiber diet suddenly is a good recipe for constipation, especially if fat intake is reduced in a mistaken belief that we should eat ultra-low-fat because fat is high in calories. We need to eat some fat, because it's an essential nutrient (which means the body can't manufacture it from any other nutrient(s)). It helps with smooth digestive throughput, among other important things. (Bonus fact: Avocados have both fiber *and* healthy fats.)

A sudden increase in fiber can also cause gassiness (mainly lower intestine type) because our gut microbiome needs to adapt to the dietary change, and while that's happening, there may be a higher level of gas discomfort/flatulence. Increasing fiber slowly should make this less annoying, and eating some probiotic foods (live-culture yogurt or kefir, miso, raw sauerkraut/kim chi, etc.) may help the transition.

Any increase in fiber can slightly increase water retention. Again, slow increase in fiber may ease the process.

If you have allergies or sensitivities to them, anything could cause "bloating". That becomes a personal experiment. I'd point out, though, that an immediate reaction may not be a sensitivity, because of the possible need for the gut to adapt to any significant dietary change. The reaction may be temporary, part of adaptation. Introducing new foods gradually, giving some time for adaptation (if the reaction is tolerable) - may help sort that out.

You can get tailored USDA recommendations for various nutrients here:

https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/dri-calculator/

(Personally, I think that calculator lowballs protein.)

SleekandAble wrote: »

Hi guys!
Does anyone have an idea of what is a healthy amount of fiber in grams to eat everyday, for a middle-aged female?
Any tips on high fiber foods that won't cause digestive distress and bloating?

Wheat, barley or oats are off my menu, but if you have any good ideas, I am all ears and right now also feeling like all tummy, unfortunately.
Thanks!

the amount recommended by health authorities is at least 14 grams per 1000 calories consumed.

cmriverside wrote: »

Gosh, I regularly eat 40-50g (I'm a past middle age woman.)

Whole fruit and vegetables, nuts, popcorn, flax meal, peanuts and other legumes.

Me too, on the higher end when I eat more beans/lentils, which is a great source. Otherwise, I get plenty from vegetables (I eat a lot), some fruit (including avocado), nuts and seeds, and misc other foods (I don't eat a lot of grains, but they contribute fiber if you do -- choose whole grains for more).

I aim for 25g of fiber a day. I've noticed I feel more full and less hangry the more fiber I eat. If I eat too much (for me that's like 50g+ of fiber) then my intestines don't like me for the next couple of days. 😅

Idk if that's for everyone or just me (or could be the kind of fiber I was consuming?🤷‍♀️) Idk but hope that helps 😊

lemurcat2 wrote: »

nooshi713 wrote: »

I believe the recommended amount is 25 grams.

Yeah, but it's a recommended minimum.

That’s right. For someone who is not used to eating much fiber, that would be a good goal although more is probably better. I am pescatarian but mostly eat vegetarian and aim for 30-35g and often exceed that.

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

I eat about 100g+ a day. I get a lot from high fiber wraps. (I eat 3 wraps a day each have 8g) Canned pumpkin is good too. I eat 3c a day. Lots of fiber there.

A lot of bars are high in fiber. I eat about 4-5 bars a day so I get at least 8-10g from each bar.

I also get some from veggies but find fiber from veggies gives me the most gas.

Noreenmarie, I started at around 20-30 grams of fiber a day and am now right there with you at 100+ a day, too. I eat only organic plant-based unprocessed foods. Other than oatmeal, I like the black beans salad mix and popcorn treats for fiber. I agree that it's best to start out with just enough fiber for comfort and let the body get adjusted to slow increases.

I take 40 - 45 gram fibre each day to maintain enough energy level that don't put me in state of dizziness.

I find fiber foods and bloating work together. But, you still can avoid bloating if done right. I usually shoot for 30g of fiber per day and get all of it from fruit, vegetables, seeds, and occasionally nuts. Blueberries, bananas, apples, flax/chia/hemp seeds are my go to foods for fiber. I also have 1 smoothie per day that gives me 10+ grams in 1 serving.

Don't forget, water is a critical item. You can get all the fiber you want, but if you get too low on water it can cause problems. If I'm getting the daily recommended amounts then its all good. But I admit, its alot of water.

I'm a cancer survivor and my oncology nutritionist says 25-30g per day for women. It helps rid your body of carcinogens (which I didn't know!) and helps with weight loss.

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

holly55555 wrote: »

I'm a cancer survivor and my oncology nutritionist says 25-30g per day for women. It helps rid your body of carcinogens (which I didn't know!) and helps with weight loss.

I don't know what people eat to get under 30g a day. I find that almost impossible for me to do.

I'm almost always over 30, and usually well over, but it's not that hard to be low, even eating lots of vegetables, if cals are low and you don't regularly eat beans/lentils or grains or other foods with more fiber (including things like seeds) and generally lower carb.

When I first was at MFP and eating 1200 I was often low. I just did a sample day of how I ate then and came out at 1200 cals and 20 g of fiber, and it had lots of veg and some fruit. (I'm still lower carb but added more higher fiber foods into my diet and don't eat 1200 cals any more.)

Breakfast -- 2 egg omelet, including a serving (80 g) each of spinach and broccoli, plus 2 clementines on the side (1 fruit serving).

Lunch -- huge salad with romaine and arugula, cucumbers, radish, green peppers, and tomatoes with chicken breast on it, and a vinaigrette and an apple on the side (I'd estimate about 2 fruit servings and 7 veg servings based on the amounts I used).

Dinner -- 6 oz salmon plus 100 g of potatoes and 160 g of asparagus (will add 2 more servings of veg).

Totals roughly 1204 cals (I have olive oil in the above unlisted), 94 g protein, 60 g fat (12 g sat), 82 g carbs, with 21 g of that fiber. 11 servings of veg (1 cup of raw greens or 80 g of other veg), 3 servings of fruit.

There are of course other ways to do it that involve eating fewer fruits and veg (that the so called standard American diet is low fiber is hardly surprising), and of course not eating 1200 makes getting in the fiber easier.