Are you getting enough fiber?

Most of us need 20-25+ grams per day as a minimum.

We need fiber in order to feel full and satisfied. That is only a small part of the picture, though as we need adaquate fiber to prevent cancers, feel "regular" and improve heart health.

Do you have questions to post about fiber intake?

Do you need to check out you intake? You can use www.fitday.com

Do you have some hints to pass on?

My hint: eating my fruits and veggies makes all the difference. I also go for mostly whole grains. My latest breakfast cereal is Back To Nature Hi Fiber multibran with 140 cal per cup and 16g fiber.

Articles from the Mayo Clinic:

Dietary fiber: An essential part of a healthy diet

Whole grains: High in nutrition and fiber, yet low in fat

I have plain Cheerios (whole grain oats) with (IQF frozen) raspberries/blackberries a lot.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sheltieguy,

I don't know if anyone on here is in the Indianpolis area, but there is a bakery at 86th and Township Line Road that has flax seed in all of their breads.

I think it is called Bread of Life.

Dawn

GNC stores carry them whole and ground. Dd makes a pretty good no bake "cookie" using ground flax seed and granny smith apples. Sounds weird but they are good. I will get the instructions and post it if anyone wants to try them.
Another standby that I have used in the past is to take dates & prunes and chop them in small pieces and cover them with apple juice and simmer till they are very, very soft (I'm talking mush here) and then puree them if necessary. I usually start with 1/2 cup of each fruit and however much juice it takes to cover, sometimes I have to add more juice while it is simmering to get them soft enough. It ends up looking sort of like Apple Butter but a little thicker consistancy (although I guess you could thin it with more juice).
Eat 1 teaspoon every morning (could put it on toast) and you should have no problems.
Just don't eat too much at one time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BrenauMom,

quote:

Originally posted by moviegirl:
Where do you get ground flax seed?

I only use them on rare occassion, but when I do, I grind them in an electric coffee grinder. My guess is that some store carry them pre-ground.

I'm good on my fiber too thanks to whole grains, loads of veggies, fruits and high fiber cereals that I eat as a snack.

Fiber is one of the key elements I look at when reading labels as there is a huge difference in fiber content between brands.

quote:

Originally posted by moviegirl:
Where do you get ground flax seed? I've tried sneaking in whole wheat pasta to dbf as much as I can. He balked at the idea but eats it anyways..lol. He's like a child, don't tell him it's good for him and he'll eat it..lol. I have upped our fresh veggie and fruit intake and have switched to old fashioned oats rather than the minute ones.

This is how I get fiber in my dd-she doesn't even know it.
I bought a container of flax seed at a natural foods store. Check with the people that work there, they recommended one kind over another but can't remember why.

I put this in hamburgers, chicken dishes, rice, etc.-she has no clue it is in there because she would say "eew, gross, what is that stuff?", I think the recommended intake per day is like 2-4 Tbsps, it should say on the container.
Jill

I went looking back at my fitday logs and I noticed that I have not been getting enough fiber in my diet. I actually have flax seeds in my fridge I might want to start using them. I have a coffee grinder that I uses to grind my spices, it was suggested to me by my nutritionist to use that to grind a days worth of flax seed in there and then start sprinkling it on everything.

Now I just have to dig out the grinder and I should be eating flax with my afternoon snack.

Thank you fo this chance to focus on this. I did not realize my fiber intake was so low.

Where do you get ground flax seed? I've tried sneaking in whole wheat pasta to dbf as much as I can. He balked at the idea but eats it anyways..lol. He's like a child, don't tell him it's good for him and he'll eat it..lol. I have upped our fresh veggie and fruit intake and have switched to old fashioned oats rather than the minute ones.

I haven't been as good about fiber since going wheat-free. I eat a lot of dried fruit, and some fresh, so I get some, but not as much as I used to.

I eat a lot of high fiber foods including oatmeal, whole grain breads, fruit/veg(not as many as I should though).

A tip for getting fiber into foods that don't have much, I use ground Flax Seed. I add to many things, including cereal, most meals I make for dinner, fruit smoothies, etc. It is a great way to get fiber in, and believe me it will keep you "regular". It is supposed to be great for lowering cholesterol as well.
Jill

Fiber intake is usually not a problem for me. I buy high fiber cereal, although, I sometimes mix it with a not as high fiber cereal so that it will taste better. Or I eat oatmeal.

I buy all whole grain breads. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies.(I only peel fruit such as citrus and bananas.) I buy high fiber cereal bars when I do buy those.

One hint is that while I don't do "Low Carb", I do buy several "low carb" products because the fiber is so much higher.

Most of the time I use whole wheat pasta, but not all the time. If I make a pasta dish that has a lot of veggies in it,then I'm more likely to use regular pasta. For one, I really like whole wheat spaghetti and linguini, but it seems like once the pasta is thicker than linguini I don't particularly like the whole wheat variety as much. Also, if I eat too much fiber at one meal, then I get really bloated and uncomfortable. I can eat a lot throughout the day, just not all in one sitting.

Dawn

I think I do really well with fiber. I eat whole grain cereal, whole grain bread, fresh fruit & veggies, wheat germ, etc.

My favorite cereal for a few years has been Kellogg's Complete Wheat Bran Flakes but, unfortunately, either the product has been discontinued or my store stopped carrying it about a month ago. I haven't had a chance to check around other stores or the Kellogg's website yet to find out which. So I'll be in the market for a new wholegrain cereal!

Fiber is a tough one for me. I know I don't get enough. I don't eat enough fruits and veggies that are high in fiber. I peel my apples, etc. I try to eat a Fiber one bar every day. They aren't too bad. I also keep a can of prunes in the fridge and eat one or two every now and then.

I'm pretty good here. I don't eat any bread that isn't whole wheat, I get plenty of fruit & veggies, etc. My biggest struggle is when I don't feel good, so I don't feel like eating or cooking.