Fiber in Your Diet What is fiber and where is it found?

Dietary fiber is the material that remains after plant foods pass through the intestinal tract. It is not a single substance but is a complex mixture of substances. Total dietary fiber is made up of two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and insoluble fiber (sometimes referred to as bulking fiber) does not dissolve in water. These types of fiber have different roles in the body. Fiber is found only in plant foods and is present in most foods containing complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain cereals and breads, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

Why is fiber important in my diet?

Fiber has important benefits for health, particularly through its effect on the digestive system. It is important to include both types of fiber in your diet. Soluble fiber Soluble fiber is important in the digestion and absorption of food and may help lower blood cholesterol levels when combined with a low fat diet. It has also shown promising effects to help control blood glucose levels. Good sources include whole grain foods made from oats and barley, oat bran, citrus fruits, dried beans and other legumes. Insoluble fiber Insoluble fiber is important because it helps satisfy the appetite and promotes regularity. It may also help protect against cancer by diluting cancer causing substances found in the large intestine and stool. Good sources include vegetables, whole grain foods made from wheat, corn and rice, dried beans and peas, and nuts.

How much fiber should I eat?

Individuals should have a total dietary fiber intake of 20 to 35 grams per day. Eat five or more servings of vegetables/fruits, especially greens and yellow vegetables and citrus fruits, and six or more servings of breads, cereals and legumes daily. How can I change my diet to increase fiber? Learning to eat a healthful diet with more fiber is easier than you think. Start by adding an additional five grams of dietary fiber each day, slowly building up to the recommended level of 35 grams. Simultaneously, you should be drinking more water and other fluids, at least 8-12 cups daily. When you first add additional fiber to your diet, you may experience intestinal gas. This is normal and will soon subside. The gradual increase of fiber gives your body time to adapt to the change in your diet and promotes regular digestion. You will also notice that when you are up to 30-35 grams of fiber daily, you will have several loosely formed stools per day. Here are some easy ways to increase your fiber intake: Start your day off with a breakfast cereal that contains fiber. Look for one that provides 5 grams of fiber per serving. Use the food label to choose breads and grain products that contain fiber. Carry fiber rich foods such as fruits and vegetables as snacks.
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Fiber Content of Selected Foods Dietary Fiber Grams 2.0 1.9 4.4 2.0 2.0 3.2 to 7.3 2.0 2.7 1.5 9.7 2.0 2.3 2.0 2.0 13.4 2.0 Dietary Fiber Grams 2.0 3.5 2.0 0.2 0.8 3.3 2.6

Food Group FRUITS: Apple, raw, whole Applesauce Apricots, dried, raw Avocado Banana Berries Cherries Currents, red, raw Dates, dried Figs, stewed with sugar Orange Peach Pear Plums Prunes, dried Strawberries VEGETABLES: Asparagus, tips only Beans, baked Beans, snap, wax Beets (2" diameter) Broccoli, cooked Brussels sprouts Cabbage, raw Carrots, raw Carrots, cooked Cauliflower Celery Corn on the cob Eggplant Leeks, cooked (5" long) Lentils, cooked Lettuce Mushrooms, raw Mustard greens, cooked Okra Onions, raw (2 1/4" diameter) Parsnips, cooked Peas, green Peas, split, dried (cooked) Potato, white (baked, flesh only)( 2" diam) Squash, summer, cooked Squash, winter, baked Spinach, cooked Tomato, raw Tomato, canned

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Food Group BREADS: Buckwheat pancakes Bran muffin Cracked wheat Doughnut, cake W hite bread W hole meal bread W hole wheat bread Rye, pumpernickel CEREALS: All Bran Barley, boiled Cornflakes Cornmeal Farina, cooked Grape Nuts Muffets, Shredded W heat Oatmeal, cooked Oatmeal, dry Puffed W heat Rice Krispies Raisin Bran Special K CEREAL PRODUCTS & FLOURS: Miller's Bran Rice bran W heat bran W hite flour W hole wheat flour CRACKERS: Rye Krisp

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1.5 2.0 3.4 2.5 4.1 2.9 3.1 2.9 2.0 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.5 3.9 3.7 2.0 2.5 3.7 3.2 1.3 2.5 5.2 1.5

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RICE AND PASTA: W hite rice, cooked Brown rice, cooked Spaghetti, cooked

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M ISCELLANEOUS: Peanuts, roasted with skin Peanut butter Pickle Strawberry jam Sunflower seeds Filberts Brazil nuts W alnuts

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