5 Healthy Fiber-Rich Foods To Include In Your Diet

By Nathan Young on September 16, 2021

There is nothing better than a hearty, fiber-rich meal to get you through the day. Fiber helps keep your digestive system running smoothly and can even help lower cholesterol levels sometimes. It also provides long-lasting energy and makes you feel satiated after eating it. Fiber is essential for a healthy diet. If you need to cut back on calories or lose weight, fiber can help by making you feel full and satisfied. Thus, the temptation of eating another snack will go away more easily.

It also helps lower blood cholesterol levels, reduces constipation frequency, treats people living with diabetes with high glucose levels. More so, it slows down the absorption of sugar in your bloodstream (which makes it easier to maintain stable energy levels). Plus, fiber doesn’t have any fat and no carbohydrates at all! This article will explore five healthy food sources of fiber that are easy to find and incorporate into your diet.

IMAGE CREDIT: https://unsplash.com/photos/s285sDw5Ikc

Legumes

Beans and legumes are fantastic sources of fiber, with chickpeas being the most popular choice. One cup provides 39% of your daily allowance. They also contain protein and other nutrients, making them an excellent way to get more plant-based foods into your diet! Add some kidney beans in chili or some lentils on top of a salad for instant fiber intake!

Fruits

Fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, pears are all packed full of dietary fiber. Also, they are packed with vitamins like vitamin C that can help keep you healthy during the cold season. Berries are exceptionally high in fiber content, while stone fruits such as peaches have a lower but still substantial amount per serving size. All these options provide very little sugar (if any) and are very rich in fiber, which means they can be a significant part of your diet.

Vegetables

Vegetables like broccoli, celery, or carrots also provide fantastic sources of fibers. They’re simple to make as well, so eating them doesn’t have to take up much time at all. Just throw some into a green salad for added health benefits without sacrificing taste. Mixing vegetables with fruits is another way to get both nutrients together for an optimum effect on your body’s digestive system!

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are great options if you can’t eat beans or legumes. They’re also easy to incorporate into your diet, as they go great in baked goods such as cookies and desserts! Almonds are a popular choice, but peanuts give you the most fiber per serving size (17% of daily allowance). These additions will provide more health benefits for you than all the other nutrients it has going for it (protein, healthy fats). But it’s also low calorie, which is perfect when trying to shed pounds while staying full; at mealtime!

Oats

Oats are an excellent food source that provides hearty crackers and bread with added fiber content, and you can buy chia oatmeal online. Steel-cut oats often have upwards of nine grams per cup, while old-fashioned rolled oats come in around five, depending on the brand you choose. They’re low in calories and high in soluble fiber, which helps keep your blood sugar levels from dipping too much while providing a fast-acting energy boost.

Now for more tips! Dietary fiber is bulkier and heavier than other nutrients, which helps slow digestion. Slower digestion improves blood sugar control because it gives your body more time to break down the food you eat into smaller particles before absorbing them. This means that instead of spiking your blood glucose levels shortly after a meal, dietary fibers help keep these levels “stable” over many hours (which also curbs hunger).

Furthermore, eating plenty of fiber-rich foods can aid weight loss by helping curb overeating—eating enough! You may not feel as hungry or have cravings for unhealthy snacks when following a diet high in soluble and insoluble fibers (e.g., oats, beans).

Final Thoughts

The foods mentioned are all healthy options that you can add to your diet. They give you the nutrients and fiber needed for a well-balanced diet while not being too high in calories or sugar content. Suppose one of these is something that you enjoy eating on its own. It’s always best to include them as part of your meal plan, so they have time to do their work throughout the day.

Liked it? Take a second to support Geek Alabama on Patreon!