Yes, protein has certainly been having a (persistent!) moment, but there’s another just-as-important nutrient that tends to fall by the wayside: fiber. This often overlooked type of carbohydrate does a ton of essential jobs in your body – from promoting gut health to maintaining regular digestion – but the hard truth is that most of us are only eating a fraction of the amount we should each day.
According to a 2021 study in Current Developments in Nutrition, only 7% of folks in the US meet the daily recommended amount of it, which is about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories in your diet. There are a bunch of reasons for this, but a biggie has to do with the fact that lots of us don’t really know how to make fiber-rich foods palatable and appetizing—or have the free time to experiment ways to make it happen, Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, of Street Smart Nutrition shares.
We’re here to tell you: Getting your fiber fix absolutely can be delicious, and it doesn’t have to be complicated either. There are actually a bunch of low-effort ways that’ll help you start eating more of the nutrient. (No cardboard-y cereal or bland bars necessary, we promise.) We’ve got you covered with some practical ways to fill up on fibre below. Just remember to take it slow: Try a couple tips at a time rather than going right to full-on fiber mode – that’ll help prevent GI symptoms, like bloating, cramping or gas, or even diarrhoea, that can come when you increase your intake suddenly, says Harbstreet. So shoot for just a couple more grams from your baseline each day to keep your belly happy.
1. Leave the skin on fruits and vegetables
If you’re not sure how to begin eating more fibre, start by doing less: Give up peeling. Leaving the skins on produce like apples, potatoes, carrots, or cucumbers – whether you’re throwing them in a salad or soup or snacking on them whole – is a win-win because it reduces your cooking workload and, in some cases, can double your intake…
