How to Eat a High Fiber Diet Without Really Trying

High fiber doesn't have to be hard.

The average American eats only 14 grams of fiber a day. Doctors recommend about twice that. If you could have a high fiber diet without really changing the way you eat, would you try it? The following steps will show you how to easily add 15-30 grams of fiber to your diet. And you might even lose some weight and become healthier in the process.

Things You'll Need

• One trip to the grocery store.
• One week to gradually increase your fiber.

Instructions

1. 

   Increase the amount of water you drink. There is no one set amount of water you should be drinking because there are too many factors involved (environment, exercise, diet, medical conditions, etc). What you should look for is that your urine is ALWAYS close to colorless. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. Always have water close at hand. Drink at each meal and between meals.

2. 

   Now, gradually increase your fiber intake. To see where you currently are, keep track of your normal amount of fiber for a day or two. Most Americans only consume about 15 grams a day. Doctors usually recommend 25-30 grams. Wherever you are, you can probably double the amount with the following steps. But your body can't take an immediate drastic change in the amount of fiber you eat. I would recommend increasing your intake by 5 grams per day until you reach your goal.

3. 

   The easiest way to get fiber in your diet immediately is to start eating a high fiber cereal for breakfast. I prefer the several varieties made by FiberOne. You can get 9-14 grams in one cup of cereal, and they taste good too. Optimum Power is also tasty. Secondly, try Fiber-sure powder (or another brand like it) in anything liquid and warm you eat or drink. I like to add it to soup, pasta sauce, and especially hot herbal tea. Each serving gives you an extra 5 grams of fiber, and you cannot taste any difference in your food or drink. With those two suggestions, you should be able to up your fiber intake by 20-30 grams a day.

4. 

   To get your fiber intake another 10-20 grams, you need to eat a few raw or lightly cooked vegetables and fruits and whole grain breads. There are delicious whole grain wheat breads out there that have 5 grams of fiber per slice. 1 slice of toast in the morning, or 2 slices for a sandwich at lunch, maybe a slice with your dinner, and you have 10-20 grams right there. Add a piece or two of any raw fruit (2-5 grams each) and a snack of nuts, carrot sticks, or some hummus and you're there. Put some berries (fresh or frozen) on your dessert or have a steamed vegetable with your dinner and you're past your goal.

Tips & Warnings

• Add the fiber slowly.

• Stay hydrated.

• Doing this one thing will improve your digestive health more than any other change you could make to your diet.

• Another great source of fiber - beans! Any serving of legumes will give you at least 5 grams of fiber. Add those in too!

• If you add the fiber, but not the water, you will get constipated.