Dietary fiber may not be the most exciting nutrient, but it’s a key part of any healthy eating plan. It’s also vital for helping keep your digestive system functioning…er, regularly.

And most of us aren’t getting enough of it.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the general recommendation for daily fiber intake is 25 grams for adult women and 38 grams for adult men.

But one survey found that only 5 percent of us are meeting those fiber goals.

Here’s what you need to know about the different kinds of fiber, why your body needs it, and how to get more fiber in your daily diet.

What Is Dietary Fiber?

So what exactly is fiber? Dietary fiber — a.k.a. roughage, bulk, or just plain fiber — is a plant-based carbohydrate that your body can’t break down.

While your body digests and uses nutrients like fats, protein, and minerals, most fiber is not metabolized in your gastrointestinal system.

Instead, fiber “acts as a broom to help remove waste products from the body,” explains Mindy Haar, Ph.D., R.D.N., C.D.N., Clinical Associate Professor and Department Chair of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at New York Tech.

Soluble Fiber vs. Insoluble Fiber

There are two types of fiber — soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.

“Both types of fiber are equally as important, and should be included in the diet regularly,” says Patricia Bannan, M.S., R.D.N., a nutritionist and healthy cooking expert.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance in the body, slowing the digestive process, she explains.

This can help you feel fuller longer and may help with maintaining healthy blood glucose levels.

Soluble fiber is found in oats, beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits like apples and citrus.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and adds bulk in order to help facilitate movement through the digestive system.

This can help to support regularity and address temporary bowel movement issues, Bannan adds.

Sources of insoluble fiber include whole grains, wheat bran, and vegetables like potatoes and cauliflower.

If you’re considering fiber supplements, be sure to choose one that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber.

The Benefits of Dietary Fiber

So why is dietary fiber important? Here are a few of the key benefits:

Weight management

Dietary fiber can help you feel more satiated, which can help prevent overeating.

Heart health

Fiber can help to support heart health by helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels within normal ranges.

Gut health

Fiber can be beneficial for digestion and overall gut health.

“Fiber acts as a prebiotic, boosting the proliferation of probiotics in the intestine,” Haar explains. “There are many kinds of probiotics that [support] good health, so consuming a variety of high-fiber foods optimizes the gut environment.”

What Are Easy Ways to Eat More Fiber?

Whether you’re meal planning for the week or cooking a virtual dinner with friends, there are plenty of ways to add more fiber to your meals.

“Adding more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains to your diet is one of the easiest ways to increase fiber intake,” Bannan says. “Find a way to add a serving of vegetables to each meal.”

Haar recommends these easy food swaps to boost your daily fiber intake:

• Switch from white bread to whole grain bread. (Check the nutrition label and make sure each slice has at least 3 grams of fiber.)
• Look for high-fiber breakfast cereals, or make homemade oatmeal.
• Substitute whole grain or bean-based pasta for regular pasta.
• Substitute brown rice for white rice.
• Try whole-grain cooked wheat in the form of wheat berries, couscous, bulghur, or kasha.
• Quinoa is a grain-like food that provides fiber and protein.
• Replace meat with beans or chickpeas in a few meals each week. (Black bean chili, anyone?)

Just be aware that dramatic increases in dietary fiber can lead to increased flatulence, bloating, loose stools, or constipation.

So if you’re trying to increase your fiber intake, slow and steady wins the race.

Gradually increase the amount of fiber you consume, and give your body time to adjust.

Be sure to increase your water intake as well, since fiber relies on water to efficiently pass through your system.

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Many diseases are due to heredity and so, no matter how we try, we cannot escape the identity of our genes. However, proper nutrition and good health can benefit us and make us face any difficulty.

If you are looking for ways to equip yourself against diseases and the unluckiness of inheritance, focus on increased iron and fiber intake. Iron and fiber can shield us and help us significantly improve our health. It is worth the effort and you will find that it is quite easy to get more iron daily. Let’s see how:

First, we can replace white carbohydrates with whole grains. Although in the beginning this may not serve our usual taste, we will slowly begin to appreciate the natural, full flavor of whole meal products. Choose whole wheat bread instead of white, whole grain and brown rice or spaghetti on the table. Even better, experiment with flaxseed, chia seeds and quinoa, oats and bran. Surprisingly, many of these flavors are delicious!

Then we can adopt the habit of eating an apple a day. The well-known proverb is not very far from the actual truth, since apple contains a great amount of fiber and helps in the proper functioning of our body. Many other fruits, such as pears and figs, contain an equal amount of iron and fiber. Therefore, it is worth trying fruit salads and discovering the most delicious fruits that satisfy your taste buds.

Legumes are an excellent solution for our daily dishes. High in protein and iron, they do not cost much and benefit our body in a variety of ways. If you’re only used to lentils or beans, experiment: try chickpeas and fava beans, make them into a hearty salad instead of soup, and generally try many combinations of legumes mixed with vegetables and grains. You will be amazed by their taste and ability to fill us quickly!

As a snack, we can choose whole meal crackers, seeds or nuts. Another weapon in our hands is popcorn, which supplies us with the a small amount of iron and fiber. At the same time, there are also so many seeds in the market – and these are great as snacks, full of fiber and iron (among other minerals)!

Finally, if we see that we might need more iron in our diet, we can take a natural dietary supplement. Ideally, we should be advised by our physician or dietitian who owns the right knowledge and information about our medical history and specific needs. However, supplement intake is not objectionable. Sometimes it is the best solution to our problem.

Furthermore, if you want to increase the amount of iron and fiber within the day, you now know how to do it! With a few simple secrets and just the right mood, you can easily change your established eating habits over time, and you will definitely be pleased with the result. Enjoy a new, upgraded diet and give your body the weapon it needs in order to cope with every nutritional problem in the best way!

Best of Health,

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