It’s essential that women check in on how much fiber they are eating. Fiber-containing foods have so many benefits. They make meals feel more satisfying and take longer to digest, which can be very helpful for maintaining a healthy weight. They also feed our healthy gut bacteria, which means improved digestion, boosted immunity and even brain health. Foods that naturally contain fiber are plant-based, which means that they also provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This powerful combination leads to reduced inflammation, healthy cholesterol and overall heart health.
Simply put, the more you increase foods that come from plants in your day, the more likely it is that you will get your recommended fiber amount. Plant-based foods go beyond just fruits and vegetables. Beans and legumes, whole grains, avocados, nuts and seeds are also great sources. I generally recommend that women aim to get twenty-five to thirty grams of fiber each day. Spread through the day, this could look like: ½ cup of berries stirred into 1 cup of cooked oats at breakfast, ½ cup of chickpeas sprinkled onto a mixed veggie salad at lunch, a handful of mixed nuts for a snack and ½ cup of cooked quinoa with dinner.
If you think you aren’t getting close to the recommended amount of fiber right now, that’s OK! To make sure that you don’t cause gastrointestinal distress, try gradually increasing some fiber-containing foods over days and weeks. For example, you could aim to add one serving of fruit to your lunch each day or experiment with adding ¼ cup of beans to a salad or soup, building on this as you feel comfortable.
