Fiber, Fiber Everywhere, But What Are the Best to Eat?

BY: By Colleen Cooke, Registered Dietitian

Diet trends are always coming in and out of popularity; yet, amidst all of the changes, one nutrient seems to consistently shine—fiber.

For good reasons, too. The list below outlines a few benefits of a fiber-rich diet. Give it a read and you’ll understand why dietitians keep encouraging us to increase our fiber intake.

Without further ado, fiber…

• may reduce appetite, helping with weight management
• stablizes blood sugar, reducing our risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes
• lowers total and LDL cholesterol, reducing our risk of heart disease
• facilitates regularity and alleviates constipation
• may reduce our risk of colorectal cancer

But what is fiber?

Simply stated “dietary fiber” is the non-digestible carbohydrates found in whole grains (like oats), fruits, vegetables, and legumes and is typically found as soluble or insoluble. Oats contain predominantly soluble fiber and help with cholesterol control while legumes are predominantly insoluble fiber and help prevent constipation.

The American Dietetic Association recommends that Americans consume 25-30 grams of fiber per day (or 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories). Newsflash: the average American only eats 12-15 grams per day. So how can you make sure you get the recommended daily amount? Become familiar with what 25 grams of fiber looks like as part of a daily meal plan. Here’s an example:

• ½ cup beans (8 grams fiber)
• 1 whole wheat English muffin (4 grams fiber)
• ½ cup cooked vegetables (4 grams fiber)
• 1 apple (3 grams fiber)
• 1 oz almonds (3 grams fiber)
• 1 Luna bar (3 grams fiber)

Though animal and dairy products typically do not contain fiber, you may notice on grocery store shelves that some dairy products (and even bottled waters!) are now fortified with fiber. As tempting as it might be to reach for the fortified options to help meet your daily dietary fiber needs, a better choice would be to choose from the list above.

Eating fiber found in whole foods encourages your body to reap the nutritional benefits of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals—all of which are important to keeping us healthy. Then again, sometimes it just isn’t easy to get fiber (which is why we’re in the dilemma we’re in, right?). If that’s the case, just try to stick with natural, whole-food sources as often as possible. LUNA bars are made with organic toasted oats and provide many of the benefits listed above—all in one tasty, yummy bar. Plus, they provide calcium, vitamin D, iron, and folic acid—nutrients women unintentionally skimp on because of busy daily schedules.

Next time you reach for that LUNA bar, let your taste buds enjoy the tasty texture, while you enjoy knowing that it’s a nutritious source of dietary fiber: doing your body a whole bunch of good.

Happy snacking!