How do I get more fiber in my diet?

Question

And can I do it inexpensively?

Answer 1

Start taking Metamucil. It's all fiber. To do it cheaply, just buy the store-brand. At Kroger, the Metamucil and the store-brand are right next to each other.

Answer 2

I adopted a high fiber diet about a year and a half ago and I also had concerns about the costs. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. It does get expensive but I try to eat the kinds that happen to be on sale that week, and I also have a garden and grow what I can myself. Also make sure that you don't peel things like apples and potatoes, since they have a lot of fiber in their skins.

I eat a lot of oatmeal and other high fiber/low sugar cereals. I've switched from regular pasta to the whole wheat kinds. You really have to read labels when you are looking for things like breads, cereals, tortillas, etc. When looking at the ingredients list look for "100% whole grain" as the first ingredient and stay away from products that list "enriched flour". Check the fiber content on the label also, some breads have none and others have 5 or more grams per serving. Avoid white rice and opt for brown instead. White rice has the fiber stripped from it in processing. Beans are also a great source of fiber.

You can find recipes for things like whole-wheat pizza crust and whole-wheat pancakes that are affordable to make, taste great, and are high in fiber.

It takes a little work but it is possible to eat a high fiber diet without killing your checkbook. It's amazing how much better you will feel after eating this way for a while. Make sure you make the changes gradually, if you suddenly add a lot of fiber to your diet all at once you it can cause a lot of gas and a stomach ache. Once your body gets used to it that won't be a problem.

Good luck!!!

Answer 3

One of the best ways to get fiber into your diet is to eat dried fruit like dried plums (prunes), apricots, figs, dates, apples, etc. Beans and legumes are also high in fiber, as are whole grain breads/cereals/pasta -- the best cereals being good old fashioned oatmeal, Fiber One, All-Bran, and Kashi Go-Lean. Metamucil makes fiber bars that are actually pretty good, but they're like $5.00 a box. Other than that, you're looking at fiber supplements.

Answer 4

You are probably thinking that you need to add some food or supplement to your diet. That is not true. What you need to do is change your diet completely. If you aren't getting the fiber you need, you aren't eating right. Don't eat wood chips. A nutritious died (see link) is one with plenty of whole foods. Whole foods are better for you than processed foods and contain the fiber you are lacking. It is so common today that people do something wrong and try to correct it by adding something else that is wrong instead of doing something right. Ask for brown rice when you go out for Chinese. Try to cook at home more. Get whole wheat breads, thick rolled outs, etc. Eat a few prunes (cherry flavored) once a day. It is never too late to change your lifestyle to be healthy.

Answer 5

Fibers in food can make you loose weight because they are not digested in the stomach and they are excreted out of the body system carrying with them all the fats from the bloodstream all the way to the anus as waste material or stool and thus preventing us to get heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating Fibers makes us fill full right away because of its bulkiness, thus making us to lose appetite and delaying hunger thus preventing us to eat more calories that makes us fat.
Fibers are found mostly in fruits and vegetables, beans, whole wheat bread, oatbran bread, oatmeals, legumes (beans and peas) and these are very inexpensive food and within easy reach. There are two kinds of fibers. Soluble fibers are easily dissovled in water such as oats, vegs. fruits. It traps the fat and cholestrol from the bloodstream and carried out by the fiber out to be excreted as stool. Insoluble fibers are not easily dissolved in water. Whole wheat bread and legumes (beans and peas) are best examples. It is good for maintaining daily bowel movement thus prevents constipation, thus avoiding diverticulosis and rectal cancer.

Answer 6

There are vitamins at the grocery store that you can get that are inexpensive. Also, there are brands of cereal packed full of fiber that you can eat on a daily basis - A fast, easy, and somewhat tasty way to get the job done. =)

Answer 7

try those powders that you mix into your drinks, they have lots of fiber! and most of the time, you can't taste anything extra.

there is also a powder out that you can put into your food (as it's cooking or you sprinkle it on top) or water, and it is also supposed to be tasteless.

i think these are pretty inexpensive.

Answer 8

There is an amazing cereal in the supermarket called Sam's cereal it has 9 grams of fiber per serving and also has flax seed.

Answer 9

Fruits

Papaya, pineapple, do a search of which fruits contain a high value of fiber

Another one is more comercial but is also full of fiber, something like Special K from kelloggs or a nice Granola

Answer 10

Eat beans. Lotus roots are really famous in India...you can stir-fry them with salt and w/e spice you like....excellent source of fiber. Most vegetables are good sources of fiber....and wheat-based products.

Also....think about fiber supplements. They come in some tasty flavors now. :-)