Fiber is an essential body intake that you should never skip. A healthy diet with the right amount of fiber is important whether you are trying to gain weight or lose weight. You may tend to overeat fibers, a mistake that can hit back badly. So, we bring you information on the correct amount of fiber to consume in a day.
A few interesting fiber facts
Numerous dietary fiber benefits might improve one’s health and well-being. If you cut on fiber, you miss the following benefits:
- It contributes to feeling satisfied after meals, which supports maintaining a healthy weight.
- Consuming enough fiber can lower cholesterol.
- It aids in avoiding diverticulosis and constipation.
- Getting enough fiber from food is important for maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels.
- Healthy fiber intake is good for the digestive system and helps have good energy.
Thus, a healthy diet for losing weight must include high-fiber foods.
A diet high in fiber also greatly reduces the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in individuals. Your suggested calorie intake determines your unique dietary requirements.
All these facts take us to a burning question, “How much fiber do I need daily?”
How much fiber should I consume daily? Correct amount of fiber daily
The American Heart Association Eating Plan[1]advises consuming a range of foods that are high in fiber. Without supplementation, 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber should be consumed daily in total.
Depending on their age, adult men need about 34 grams (g), and adult women need about 28 g.
Given that different life stages demand varying amounts of energy, specific populations’ fiber intakes are altered.
For instance, it is advised that kids drink less than adults, with the appropriate range of consumption for girls and males, respectively, being as follows:
- 14 to 18-year-old teenagers: 25.2-28.0 g.
- 9 to 13-year-old adolescents: 22.4 to 25.2 g.
- 4 to 8-year-old children: 16.8 to 19.6 g.
It is worth noticing that consuming too much fiber can result in gas, bloating, and constipation. These negative consequences can start to impact after consuming 70 g of fiber in a day.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration classifies inadequate fiber intake as a “public health concern,” whereas excessive fiber consumption is unusual in the country (FDA).
Let’s learn about Natural Fiber Sources
Plant foods contain fiber. Consuming the skin or peel of fruits and vegetables increases the amount of fiber that is naturally present in these foods.
Along with whole grains, nuts, and seeds, beans and lentils are other sources of fiber.
Generally speaking, a food’s fiber content decreases with increased refinement or processing.
For instance,
- A medium apple with a peel has 4.4 grams of fiber, compared to 1.4 grams in a half-cup of applesauce and 0 grams in 4 ounces of apple juice.
- Steel-cut oats with nuts and berries for breakfast are rich source of fiber than crushed ones
Here is how you can include fiber in your daily diet
As mentioned above, you may use steel-cut oats with nuts and berries for breakfast to replace the one comprising refined, low-fiber cereal. Also:
- Have a sandwich or wrap for lunch on whole-wheat bread or a whole-wheat tortilla with lettuce and tomato as toppings or serve with vegetable soup.
- Snack on whole-grain crackers or fresh vegetables with hummus. Try whole-grain noodles or brown rice for dinner instead of white rice or pasta prepared with white flour.
Fruits that are high in fiber
Here is the list of common foods to include in diet and circulate those in daily food items
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Pears
- Avocado
- Raspberries
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Carrots
- Beets
- Brocolli
Fiber for weight loss – Yes, it is true!
Fibers tend to be high in nutrients, low in calories, and make a person feel fuller for longer. It is why fiber-rich foods are frequently recommended to people who wish to lose weight.
Fiber reduces cravings and curbs hunger by adding bulk and slowing digestion, which is helpful when attempting to lose weight.
Only 5 percent of people, according to estimates, consume the recommended amount of fiber[2]each day.
Maintaining a healthy weight becomes possible by increasing dietary fiber intake, which includes foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
A quick tip: Do not depend entirely on fibers to reduce weight; workouts and other diet elements are important too! In addition to simply increasing fiber, it is imperative to have active lifestyle to promote weight loss.
The fiber in your diet each day
The amount of fiber in a few representative meals is listed below.
- At breakfast
About 9.2g of fiber can come from – two large slices of toasted whole wheat bread (6.6g of fiber), one sliced banana (1.4g), and a small glass (150ml) of fruit juice (1.2g).
- During lunch
You may receive about 15.7g of fiber with – a baked jacket potato with the skin on (4.7g), half a can (or roughly a 200g serving) of baked beans in tomato sauce with reduced sugar and salt (9.8g), and an apple (1.2g).
- Dinner
A diet composition for 9.7g of fiber looks like – a mixed vegetable tomato-based curry cooked with onion and spices (6.6g), boiled wholegrain rice (2.7g), and low-fat fruit yogurt (0.4g).
Remember: Fruit yogurts occasionally include large levels of added sugars, so read the label and try to select lower-sugar varieties.
- Fiber as a treat.
A tiny handful (30g) of nuts, like almonds, may contain as much as 3.8g of fiber. Make careful to select unsalted, sugar-free nuts.
About 38g of fiber in total.
Labels for fiber on food – know your food item before purchasing
The aforementioned scenario is merely meant to serve as an example because the amount of fiber in any given item might vary depending on how it is produced or prepared and how much of it is consumed.
On the side or back of the container, the majority of pre-packaged goods include a nutrition label that may include information about the amount of dietary fiber the food contains.
Takeaway
The right amount of fiber must be consumed. You must exercise caution, even though it could be preferable to have too much than not enough.
Avoid making any abrupt, significant adjustments to your fiber consumption.
Just a few grams of fiber from a range of foods should be added to your diet each week.
Always make sure you’re getting enough water to prevent indigestion or constipation.
Reference
[1] American Heart Association Eating Plan- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating
[2] US Department of Agriculture, Ask USDA – How much (dietary) fiber should I eat? (usda.gov)
