Come to find out, there’s more to fiber than I thought. During my daughter’s last doctor’s visit I asked him specifically about her protein intake because she seldomly eats meat and I wanted to make sure that her diet was, essentially, “doctor approved”. His response surprised me. He said that I shouldn’t worry so much about the protein, but instead I should focus more on her fiber intake. He then went on to explain the particulars of that as it pertained to her health, but my take-away was that fiber can be more important to our overall health than I had initially thought. And that applies to all of us.

After that doctor’s visit, I began digging into fiber further. I mean, frankly, when I thought of fiber I used to think of super hearty (bordering on some cardboard-level) crackers and bread, legumes, and things like prunes. Boy was I wrong!

What is fiber?

This surprised me, but fiber is technically a carbohydrate. But unlike most other carbs that our bodies break down into sugar (glucose), our bodies are unable to digest fiber. Due to this, fiber passes through our bodies undigested and while it does so, it performs other functions. It helps our bodies regulate sugar and keeps our blood sugar in check while also keeping hunger at bay and making us feel fuller for longer.

According to the Nutrition Source, “Children and adults need at least 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day for good health, but most Americans get only about 15 grams a day. Great sources are whole grains, whole fruits and vegetables, legumes, and nuts.”

To paraphrase the Mayo Clinic, they said that even though there’s a “recommended” amount of fiber we should consume, that our daily intake is also individualized and is dependent on our age and how many calories you consume in a day. The Mayo Clinic stated, “Current dietary guidelines for Americans suggests that people age 2 and older get 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories in the daily diet. For children ages 12 months through 23 months, the guidelines suggest getting 19 grams of fiber a day.”

This is a good reminder that as with everything else, remember to do your own research and consult your physician for your own personal health needs and goals. 

There are different types of fiber

Fiber can either be soluble or insoluble, both of which are important.

According to the Nutrition Source, “Soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, can help lower glucose levels as well as help lower blood cholesterol. Foods with soluble fiber include oatmeal, chia seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, apples, and blueberries. 

“Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water, can help food move through your digestive system, promoting regularity and helping prevent constipation. Foods with insoluble fibers include whole wheat products (especially wheat bran), quinoa, brown rice, legumes, leafy greens like kale, almonds, walnuts, seeds, and fruits with edible skins like pears and apples.”

Besides helping to regulate our blood sugar and to keep us, you know, regular, fiber also serves other important functions such as it helps to lower our risk of developing more serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and a number of others. Fiber also plays a crucial role in our gut health and is therefore directly linked to anti-inflammation and other inflammation conditions. 

In all of the research that I did, and there’s a lot of it, just about every source advised that it is best to not over-do it with consuming only one or two kinds of fiber. Instead, it is more beneficial to consume a wide variety of foods, especially your standard plant foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, and whole grains.  

There are countless resources out there ranging from your primary doctor, a nutritionist, or even the world wide web that has a plethora of information (just be mindful of your sources), and much like me, you can search out as much information as you desire. My research journey began with the above: to understand fiber, its importance and function, and then led me to seek out fiber-rich foods that I could incorporate not just into my daughter’s diet, but my family’s diet. What was good for her would be good for all of us after all.

Diving into fiber-rich foods

Before talking about a handful of fiber-rich foods that I want to discuss, the Mayo Clinic pointed this out: 

“Check the label. When buying packaged foods, check the Nutrition Facts label for fiber content. It can vary among brands.

Start slow. Adding too much fiber too quickly can result in intestinal gas, diarrhea, cramping and bloating. Consider increasing your fiber intake gradually over a few weeks.

Drink fluids. As you eat more fiber, remember to drink plenty of fluids. Some fibers work best when they absorb water, so being well hydrated can help prevent uncomfortable bowel movements.”

I found list after list in my Internet searching, but here are the foods that the folks in my household enjoy as well as some that I have incorporated over the past year.

Fruits: Raspberries, pears, bananas, strawberries, apples, oranges. Fruits are an easy one in our household, my kids out-eat me and my husband with their fruit intake so this was the easiest part of all of this!

Vegetables: Carrots, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, sweet corn, potatoes. We have always been pretty adamant about incorporating all forms of vegetables into meals whether it be raw, cooked, baked, or pan-fried veggies. 

Grains: Whole-wheat spaghetti (this one was not a big success in my house), oats, brown rice (we haven’t made this a full-on transition but we need to work on making it one), rye bread, quinoa (we have this on occasion). There are so many more grain options but, personally, I don’t like barley or bran, so that was a little tough. However, I will eat oatmeal for breakfast on occasion, which was a big fat “no” from my daughter. But instead, I was able to add some oats into her smoothies without her detecting it. So get a little imaginative with it!

Legumes, nuts and seeds: Black beans, cannellini, chia seeds, sunflower kernels, pistachios. You can really run the gamut in this category, much like the other categories, but for our household, we try to add beans into meals a few times a week. My husband is pretty good about eating nuts, while I often try to add sunflower seeds and other like seeds to my salads. The kids aren’t huge on nuts but they love peanut butter. An easy addition for the kids and me was to add chia seeds to our smoothies.

As with everything when it comes to our health, I always advise people to talk to their doctor and do their own research. What may work for me may not work for you, and vice versa. This is just part of my research when it came to fiber and I learned so much from it and wanted to share that experience with you. We should all strive to be healthier and making sure that we get the recommended amount of fiber is very important. And as you see above, there are countless ways for you to incorporate it into your diet, or make some tweaks and additions. The best part? Most of the fiber-rich foods are actually delicious! So it’s not like it would be a hardship to eat an apple or carrot or add some chia seeds to a smoothie. Have fun with it and be healthy! •