Filling Up With Fiber

Fiber may not be sexy as far as nutrients go.

In fact, technically fiber isn't even considered a nutrient, since your body can't digest it -- but it's important for several reasons.

It slows digestion and keeps blood sugar from rising quickly after a meal. This effect is so powerful that it can lower your overall blood sugar levels. Because it slows digestion, fiber also keeps you feeling full longer.

It adds bulk to your food, so it makes you feel full without adding a lot of calories. One study found that over the course of 10 years, people who ate a lot of high-fiber foods weighed an average of 10 pounds less than people who ate little fiber.

Soluble fiber, found in foods such as beans, barley, and oatmeal, can cut your cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease.

A high-fiber diet keeps you "regular," making problems such as constipation, spastic colon, and hemorrhoids less likely. It may also cut your risk of colon cancer.

Ways to Increase Your Fiber

Experts recommend that a healthy adult eat 20 to 35 grams of dietary fiber per day. You can meet this goal by eating a well-balanced diet containing a variety of foods such as two servings of fruits, three servings of vegetables, and three or more servings of whole-grain breads or cereals. Here are some ways you can work more fiber into your diet:

Eat fresh fruit for snacks or desserts, such as berries, oranges, prunes or apricots.

Eat fruits and vegetables with their peels, such as pears, apples, peaches, potatoes, and squash.

Add cooked or canned beans, split peas, or lentils to your favorite soup, stews, salads, meatloaf or casseroles.

Choose whole-grain breakfast cereal, such as oatmeal, bran flakes, raisin bran, or wheat flakes. Look for a cereal with 2 or more grams of dietary fiber per serving.

Choose baked goods made using whole-grains, such as whole-wheat bread, oatmeal bread or muffins, multigrain bread, graham crackers, and whole-wheat bagels. Make sure the whole-grain ingredient is the first or second on the label.

You'll find fiber amounts listed at the bottom of ChangeOne meals and recipes. If you want to look up the fiber in other foods, you can consult the USDA's food database.