Are we getting enough fiber in our daily diet (Lowering cholesterol and controlling blood sugar)?

Why we need more fiber in our diet?

Fiber is an important nutrient that has many health benefits when eaten in the quantities you need.

Why we need more fiber?

Fiber is a carbohydrate that passes through the digestive system without being digested. Research shows that fiber may also help you maintain a healthy body weight and lower your risk of heart disease and some cancers like colon cancer. To get the health benefits of fiber, slowly increase the amount you eat. Remember to be physically active and drink plenty of fluids. This will help you avoid gas and bloating as you increase the fiber in your diet.

They can also help to:

•Keep you regular

•Lower your cholesterol and

•Control your blood sugar

How much fiber do I need?

The amount of fiber you need depends on how old you are and whether you are male or female. Many people only get half the amount of fiber they need. The amount you need depends on how old you are and whether you are male or female. The chart below shows the recommended amount of fiber for children and adults.

Recommended amount of fiber

 

Age group	Recommended amount per day
Children 1-3 years old	19 grams
Children 4-8 years old	25 grams
Boys 9-13 years old	31 grams
Boys 14-18 years old	38 grams
Girls 9-13 years old	26 grams
Girls 14-18 years old	26 grams
Men 19-50 years old	38 grams
Men 51 and over	30 grams
Women 19-50 years old	25 grams
Women 51 and over	21 grams
Pregnant women	28 grams
Breastfeeding women	29 grams

 

How to get more fiber in my diet?

 

Below are examples of fiber-rich foods and the amount of fiber they have. Choose a variety of these foods every day to get the fiber you need.

Best Vegetables

 

Each serving below has at least 2 grams of fiber.

•Artichoke (1 medium)

•Broccoli (1/2 cup cooked)

•Carrots (1/2 cup cooked)

•Collard greens (1/2 cup cooked)

•Kohlrabi (1 cup)

 •Parsnips (1/2 cup cooked)

•Pumpkin (1/2 cup canned)

•Spinach (1/2 cup cooked)

•Sweet potato (1 medium with skin)

•Taro (1/2 cup cooked)

Best Fruit

 

 Each serving below has at least 2 grams of fiber.

•Apple (1 fruit with skin)

•Banana (1 medium)

•Dried apricots, raisins, figs or prunes (1/4 cup)

•Guava (1 fruit)

•Kiwi (1 large fruit)

 •Nectarine (1 medium)

•Orange (1 fruit)

•Passion fruit (2 fruits)

•Pear (1 fruit with skin)

•Raspberries (1/2 cup)

•Star fruit (1 medium)

 How to get more fiber with vegetables and fruit?

•Choose whole vegetables and fruits instead of juice.

•Wash the skins of fruits and vegetables instead of peeling them when you can. The peel often contains fiber.

•Add fresh or frozen berries to cereal and yogurt.

•Add dried fruits to yogurt, salads and homemade muffins.

•Use frozen vegetables in a stir-fry or a casserole.

Try other new vegetables and fruit like breadfruit, kumquats, sapodilla, tinda, bitter melon, fenugreek, soursop, dragon fruit, palm hearts, nopales, bhindi, baingain, karela and gobi.

Top Grains with Fiber

Each serving below has at least 2 grams of fiber.

•Barley cooked (1/2 cup)

•Bran cereals (30g)

•Multigrain cereal (3/4 cup cooked)

•Oatmeal (3/4 cup cooked)

•Rye bread (1 slice)

 •Whole wheat bread (1 slice)

•Whole wheat pita (1/2 pita)

•Whole wheat English muffin (1/2 muffin)

•Whole wheat pasta (1/2 cup)

How to get more fiber with grains?

•Choose whole grain breads that have at least 2 grams of fiber per slice.

•Start your day with a high fiber cereal that has 4 grams of fiber per serving.

•Crush bran cereal and add it to pancakes, cookies, muffins and breads.

•Substitute whole grain wheat, teff or sorghum flour in place of white flour when baking bread, chapattis, naan or rotis.

•Use whole wheat pasta or brown rice instead of white pasta or white rice for dinner.

•Use millet flours such as ragi (kurakkan), samai, thenai or red rice to make roti, dosa, puttu and idiyappam.

When reading food labels, look for breads, bagels, cereals, pitas, tortillas and wraps with 2 to 4 grams of fiber per serving on the Nutrition Label.

Top Legumes

Each serving of canned legumes below has at least 5 grams of fibre.

•Black beans (3/4 cup)

•Chickpeas (3/4 cup)

•Hummus (1/4 cup)

•Kidney beans (3/4 cup)

•Lentils (3/4 cup)

 •Peas (3/4 cup)

•Pinto beans (3/4 cup)

•Soybeans (3/4 cup)

•White beans (3/4 cup)

How to get more fiber with legumes?

 •Boost the fiber in your chili by adding chickpeas and kidney beans.

•Add lentils or beans to soups, casseroles and salads.

•When making rice and peas, use more peas than rice.

•Spread hummus on whole grain flat bread, naan or roti.

•Serve dahl, Sāmbhar, rasam and sundal with lentils and beans.

•Add soybeans to soups, stir-fry dishes and casseroles.

Top Nuts and Seeds

 Each serving below has at least 2 grams of fiber.

•Almonds (1/4 cup)

•Coconut (1/2 cup fresh or dried)

•Flaxseeds (1/4 cup ground)

•Hazelnuts (1/4 cup)

•Macadamia nuts (1/4 cup)

 •Peanut butter (2 Tbsp)

•Pine nuts (1/4 cup)

•Pistachio nuts (1/4 cup)

•Soy nuts (1/4 cup)

•Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup)

How to get more fiber with nuts and seeds?

•Add ground flaxseeds to cereal, porridge, roti or tortilla dough or Dahl.

•Mix almonds, sunflower seeds and pine nuts and have a small handful as a snack.

•Add hazelnuts or dried coconut to baked muffins.

Sample one day menu guide

Getting the amount of fiber you need every day can be easier than you think! Below is a sample one day menu that provides 30 grams of fiber. This menu is only a guide. You may need more or less fiber.

Choosing a variety of fiber-rich foods throughout the day will help you meet your fiber needs and get all the benefits fiber has to offer.

Meal or Snack	Suggestion	Approximate Amount of Fibre
Breakfast	30 grams of bran flakes	4 grams
	1 cup of skim milk	0 grams
	1 banana	2 grams
Morning Snack	½ a whole wheat pita	2 grams
	1 ½ oz of cheese	0 grams
	1 cup of water	0 grams
Lunch	2 slices of whole wheat bread	4 grams
	2 ½ oz of tuna	0 grams
	½ cup carrot sticks	2 grams
	Low fat dip	0 grams
	1 cup of skim milk	0 grams
Afternoon Snack	¼ cup of raisins	3 grams
	¾ cup of low fat yogurt	0 grams
Dinner	1 cup whole wheat pasta	5 grams
	½ cup spinach	3 grams
	1 cup garden salad	1 gram
	Low fat salad dressing	0 grams
	5 oz lean chicken	0 grams
	½ cup of raspberries	4 grams
	1 cup 100% apple juice	0 grams
Total		30 grams

(Source-Dietitians of Canada)