8 Tips for Increasing Your Fiber During American Heart Month

The proverb, “The tree that bends does not break,” highlights the importance of adaptability in the face of adversity. But if we think in a more literal sense: what is it that allows the tree to stand strong and tall and… flexible? The answer is also one of the most important nutrients for heart health and overall wellbeing: fiber.

Dietary fiber derives from a starchy yet strong material found in the cell walls of plants. It is indigestible and not absorbable by the human digestive system, which is a net positive: because the substance cannot be taken in, it helps push everything else out. As a result, fiber has gotten a notorious reputation: eat more of it, and you might end up in the bathroom a few extra times during the day (but hey, who said that’s a bad thing?) At the same time, fiber has also gotten a reputation as a star nutrient: eat more of it, and you might just make strides in your digestive health, heart health, brain health, and more.

As we enter American Heart Month – a celebration of heart healthy practices each February – we have compiled eight ways to increase your fiber intake in today’s blog. However, before we get to the tips, let’s cover the basics of fiber recommendations and benefits. 

How Much Fiber Do I Need?

How much fiber do you really need, particularly to reap its benefits? The USDA estimates that Americans average approximately 8 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories; based on a 2,000 calorie diet, that’s about 16 grams of fiber a day. This is only 57% of the USDA’s recommended fiber intake of 28 grams per day for people following a 2,000 calorie diet. Importantly, however, 2,000 calories is NOT sufficient for many people (for example, if you are more active, 2,000 calories likely will not provide enough energy), so you may actually need more fiber for optimal health.

In short? If you’re eating about 2,000 calories per day, then you should aim for about 30 grams of fiber; if you eat more than that, then your fiber intake should increase as well. When you reach that benchmark and eat enough fiber, there are downstream effects on short- and long-term health.

Benefits of Fiber Intake

In the short term, eating enough fiber has a number of positive effects. It helps regulate your digestive system, promoting regular bowel movements and the gut microbiome. In addition, it controls your blood sugar, helping prevent and minimize blood sugar spikes that can lead to fatigue and brain fog. With inadequate fiber intake, you see the reverse of these effects: constipation, blood sugar spikes, dysregulation in the gut microbiome. When you get enough fiber in your diet, you’ll feel better and digest foods more easily.

The benefits of a fiber rich diet don’t stop there. In the long term, fiber provides a wealth of health benefits. Perhaps most pronounced are its effects on heart health. Foods containing high levels of soluble fiber like beans, veggies and whole grains will decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. In the digestive tract, soluble fiber binds to LDL cholesterol (the one you want to watch) and excretes it through waste, keeping it from mucking up your cardiovascular system.

There are a myriad of other long-term benefits as well. Fiber is thought to decrease inflammation throughout the body, helping with mobility, chronic disease, pain, and more. As fiber also manages blood sugar, it can support weight loss or maintenance while increasing feelings of satiation (letting you know when you feel full). Finally, increased fiber intake has also been connected to a decrease in likelihood of developing various types of cancer, particularly colorectal, breast, and gastric cancer.

Talk to Your Doctor First If…

Despite these positives, more fiber isn’t for everyone. Talk with your doctor about increasing fiber intake if you suffer from Irritable Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, or other digestive tract ailments. In some cases, the digestive system is too sensitive to take on additional fiber, which could intensify uncomfortable symptoms.

However, if you don’t have additional considerations for your digestive tract, then there is an extremely high likelihood that increasing your fiber intake will do wonders for your health in the long term.

8 Ways to Increase Your Fiber

Now, how can you increase your daily fiber intake so you hit that 30 gram recommendation (or even surpass it)? We’ve shared 8 ways you can boost your fiber intake with relative ease.

Simple Meal Changes

1. Opt for a fiber-full breakfast: Why not start your day by knocking out at least a third of your recommended fiber requirements? There are a few ways you can do this. If you already have toast or cereal for breakfast, switch to oats (dress them up with almonds, flaxseed, and berries to make them even more fiber rich), or a whole grain cereal or bread.

2. Add at least one vegetable serving to all of your meals. When you’re planning each meal (or just checking out what you have in the fridge), ensure you have at least one serving of vegetables with each meal. You could bake carrots for 10 minutes, dress up a side of chickpeas with herbs and spices, or make a small side salad. Get into the habit of prioritizing veggies so your fiber intake naturally increases.

Snack on Fiber

3. Try making fiber-full snacks. When you go for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, try opting for things like hummus and carrots, a handful of nuts and berries, or a bean salad. These will help keep you full until your next meal time while also getting more fiber into your diet.

Grocery Shopping

4. Learn the labels. At the grocery store, it’s important to know what to look for. Under the carbohydrate section of a food label, you’ll see a dietary fiber subheading. Foods with more than three grams of fiber pack a punch – those are great to add to your diet!

5. Stock up on frozen veggies. There are some accessibility issues with eating more fiber: vegetables can be expensive, particularly if you buy organic, and they can go bad quickly. Frozen vegetables maintain the vegetable’s fiber content while giving you a cheaper option to stock up on, so that fiber-full options are always available at home. Frozen peas, broccoli, and even cauliflower rice are great options to try!

Food Swaps & Hacks

6. Sprinkle nutritional yeast, flaxseed, and chia seeds into meals. You can easily add a few more grams of fiber with simple additions to your meals. Nutritional yeast has a cheese-like flavor; it’s great in pasta dishes or with veggies and has about 2 grams of fiber per tablespoon. Ground flaxseeds (6 grams in 2 tbsp) and chia seeds (10 grams in 1 oz) also add a significant amount of fiber while providing more flavor and texture to foods. They are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which further support heart and brain health.

7. beans to stews, soups, and more. Beans and legumes are a cheap, easy source of fiber as well! If you’re making a stew, soup, or salad, see if you can add beans to the recipe to increase the fiber content.

8. Don’t peel your potatoes. Finally, if you’re a spud-lover, make sure to keep the skins! The majority of fiber content from potatoes comes from the skin (about 2 grams per medium sized potato) as well as other nutrients. That said, make sure you wash your potatoes well and/or buy organic, as there can be pesticide residue on potatoes.

As we move through American Heart Month, choose 1-3 of these tips and start implementing them daily. See if you notice any differences in how you feel and in your health.

Happy Heart Month!