You may have noticed TV commercials and food packages that label a food as high in fiber or an excellent source of fiber. Have you ever wondered why fiber matters for our health or if you are eating enough fiber throughout the course of a day?
Fiber facts:
Functions: can prevent constipation, keeps your digestion moving, helps you feel full which means it can help you maintain a healthy weight, may lower LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Foods high in fiber:
Vegetables (especially peas, broccoli, corn and potatoes)
Fruits (especially raspberries, bananas, oranges and apples and pears with their skin)
Oats
Beans and lentils
Nuts
Whole wheat products like bread, pasta or crackers
Whole grain cereal
Popcorn
Amount needed:
25g of fiber per day for women, 38g of fiber per day for men
o Choose foods with a higher % Daily Value (DV) of dietary fiber
5% DV or less of dietary fiber per serving is low
20% DV or more of dietary fiber per serving is high
Sample meal plan:
Breakfast
2 Baked Oatmeal Muffins (5g)
1/2 cup fresh berries (2.5g)
2 tablespoons sliced almonds (1.5g)
Milk
Lunch
1 1/2 cups Zesty Whole Grain Salad (5g)
1 sandwich with
2 slices whole wheat bread (4g)
1 slice cheese
3 ounces deli meat
Water
Supper
1 serving Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Bake (8g)
Chips and salsa
1 Banana Pudding Parfait (1g)
Water
Snack
2 Peanut Butter Balls (2g)
Total grams of Fiber: 29 grams
Information courtesy of ISU Extension and Outreach’s Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website:
https://spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/
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