It’s important to get enough fiber in your diet.
The month of May can be a tough time to eat healthy. We’re on the go with little time to meal plan. It’s easy to neglect an important part of a healthy diet! Research shows that fiber could help to reduce the risk of certain conditions, including heart disease and cancer. But, national surveys find that most women don’t consume enough of it.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Liz Weiss shared ways to pack in the fiber so you can fuel up on the busiest of days!
Fiber: Your Secret Weapon to Better Health and Longevity
By Liz Weiss, MS, RDN
A fiber-rich diet can keep our bodies healthy and help to alleviate everything from heart disease and certain cancers to oh-so-unpleasant constipation. On average, American adults eat just 10 to 15 grams of fiber per day, but the dietary guidelines for Americans recommend we eat a lot more: 25 grams daily for women and 38 grams for men.
Dietary fiber is also known as roughage or bulk, and it includes the parts of fruits, veggies, nuts, beans and other plant foods your body can’t digest or absorb. Fiber provides multiple health benefits. Research shows it can play an important role in regulating body weight(it fills us up!), lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, supporting healthy digestion(it keeps things moving through the GI track, so it’s good for regularity), and feeding the trillions of beneficial bacteria that live in our gut. When your microbiome is well fed and thriving, everything from your immune system to the level of inflammation in your body benefits.
If you’re a woman, for example, and trying to meet the recommended goal of 25grams a day, you may want to add more fiber-filled foods to your diet, including beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and fruits and veggies. Here’s a list of some of my favorite food options and the fiber they provide:
Fiber-Filled Shopping List
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds: 6 grams
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds: 5 grams’
- 1 cup raspberries: 8 grams
- 1 cup blueberries: 4 grams
- 1 medium apple: 4.5 grams
- ½ cup cooked lentils: 8 grams
- 1 cup edamame (aka, immature green soybeans): 8 grams
- ½ cup canned cannellini beans: 8 grams
- 1 cup green peas: 7 grams
- 1 cup walnuts: 5 grams
- 1/3 medium avocado: 4 grams
- 1 cup collard greens: 4 grams
- 1 cup cauliflower: 2.2 grams
- 1 cup Raisin Bran: 7 grams
When adding more fiber to your diet, take it slow so your body and your microbiome have a chance to adjust.
Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad
Serves 4–6 (total yield: 8 cups)
Serve as a main-meal salad on its own or top with grilled fish, shrimp, chicken, beef, hard-boiled eggs, or feta cheese!
INGREDIENTS
Salad
- 1 medium cauliflower (about 2 pounds), but into 2-inch florets (about 7 cups)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Generous ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups arugula
- One 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup thinly sliced celery
- ½ cup pitted green olives (about 10), sliced in half
- 2 to 3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
- Basil leaves
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 small garlic clove
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
METHOD
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- For the salad, place cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over florets and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning halfway through, until golden and tender, 20 to 24 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is roasting and before assembling the salad, prepare the dressing. Place the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, Dijon mustard, honey, and garlic in a Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to combine. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the salad, arrange the arugula, beans, celery, and olives in a large, shallow bowl. Pour half the dressing over the mixture and toss gently to combine. Top with the cooked cauliflower; add remaining dressing. Toss to combine. Top with sliced almonds and garnish with basil.
Each serving provides 6 grams of fiber.
Find more from Liz on Instagram, @lizweiss, or on her website, lizshealthytable.com.