Nine superb high-fiber foods to incorporate into your diet

Nine superb high-fiber foods to incorporate into your diet

Let's talk about the fiber situation, my friend! Fiber is a crucial component of a well-balanced diet, as it supports gut health and digestion. Plus, it promotes satiety, keeping you feeling full between meals, and decreases the risk of certain diseases. Unfortunately, most people in the U.S. aren't eating enough fiber daily - only 5% of adults meet the recommendations!

So, what can we do to boost our fiber intake? Here are 17 top picks, backed by some expert nutritionists:

9 Great Fruits for Fiber:

1. Almonds - They have more fiber than many other nuts (3.8g per 1/4 cup) and are packed with healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamin E.
2. For a tasty crunch, sprinkle whole or slivered almonds on salads or use them to coat your favorite protein, like in our Almond-Crusted Chicken recipe.
3. Grind them into almond butter and add it to hot cereal, toast, yogurt, smoothies, or sandwiches.
4. Oatmeal - In 1/2 cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats, you'll find 4 grams of fiber.
5. Make overnight oats or baked oats for a quick and easy breakfast.
6. Use oats to make granola, which you can enjoy on yogurt, with milk, or by the handful.
7. Make a banana-oat smoothie for a fiber-rich drink.
8. Apples - One medium apple provides 4 grams of fiber, rich in pectin, a type of fiber that lowers blood cholesterol.
9. Add apples to salads, fruit salads, hot cereals, or skillet recipes like crumbled sausage with autumn squash, red onions, and cranberries.
10. Apples are a great vehicle for nut butters, like peanut butter or almond butter.
11. For a quick snack or dessert, make cinnamon poached apples.
12. Artichokes - One medium cooked artichoke has 5-7 grams of fiber, depending on the cooking time. They also contain inulin, a prebiotic fiber that supports digestion and may reduce IBS symptoms.
13. Steam, grill, or boil whole artichokes and serve with a healthy dip.
14. Serve stuffed artichokes as an attractive side dish.
15. Try artichokes on top of pizza or salad.
16. For convenience, try marinated artichoke hearts, which can be added to pasta dishes, antipasti platters, or enjoyed straight from the jar.
17. Berries - One cup of berries, like raspberries or blackberries, contains approximately 8 grams of fiber. They're packed with antioxidants, which protect healthy cells and lower the risk of disease.
18. Berries make a great topping for various foods like cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, or salads.
19. Blend berries into smoothies or ice pops for a cold treat.
20. Use berries to top desserts, like cheesecake or ice cream.

8 Amazing Vegetables for Fiber:

1. Chia Seeds - In 2-3 tablespoons, you'll find an impressive 10 grams of fiber. Most of it is soluble fiber, which can alleviate constipation, stabilize blood sugar, and reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
2. Combine chia seeds with milk or water to make a creamy chia seed pudding.
3. Toss chia seeds into your morning oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothie.
4. Use chia seeds to thicken soups or stews.
5. Avocado - One large avocado contains up to 13 grams of fiber, key for digestion, blood sugar management, and heart health.
6. Thanks to its mild flavor, avocado is a versatile addition to salads, dressings, and soups.
7. Use avocado to enhance the creaminess of your favorite dips.
8. Enjoy avocado toast as a breakfast, lunch, or snack.
9. Black Beans - Offering 15 grams of fiber per cup, black beans are a fantastic source of fiber, satiating protein, and essential nutrients like folate and vitamin B6. Both canned and dried beans are fiber-packed, making them great pantry staples.
10. Make black bean burgers for a fiber-rich alternative to traditional beef burgers.
11. Swap the usual rice and beans for vegetable and black-bean fried rice.
12. Bulk up salads, stews, or chilis with black beans.
13. Edamame - One cup of shelled edamame contains about 18 grams of fiber, along with plant-based protein and phytoestrogens.
14. Serve crackers or sliced vegetables with creamy edamame dip.
15. Toss edamame into salads, bowls, or soups.
16. Elevate your next stir-fry with edamame.

Adding these fiber-rich foods to your diet can help improve your overall health and wellness. Don't forget to explore other fiber-packed options like bananas, apricots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, sweet potatoes, quinoa, whole grains, lentil pasta, kidney beans, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and popcorn. Incorporating a variety of high-fiber foods will ensure you're meeting your fiber needs daily!

1. Martha Stewart shares an Almond-Crusted Chicken recipe, utilizing fiber-rich almonds for a crunchy protein coating, contributing to a well-balanced diet for health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise enthusiasts.
2. Embracing a fiber-focused lifestyle, consider making overnight oats or baked oats for a quick breakfast to boost your fiber intake, as recommended by nutrition experts.
3. Apples, rich in pectin fiber and antioxidants, can decrease the risk of certain diseases, making them an ideal snack or ingredient for meals, like sausage and autumn squash skillets.
4. Artichokes, providing prebiotic fiber, can help reduce symptoms related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), offering a unique addition to your wellness diet for living and health.
5. Blackberries, packed with antioxidants and fiber, can be used to make a fiber-rich smoothie, contributing to digestion and the lowering of disease risk in your science-backed health and wellness routine.
6. Edamame, with its high fiber content, can be incorporated into various meals, like stir-fries, adding nutritional value to your fitness-and-exercise regime for a balanced health-and-wellness lifestyle.

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