The dietitian Emily Leeming is on a mission to get people eating more fiber, and she has plenty of low-effort tips and tricks.
Fiber is found in plant foods like leafy greens, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds, and Americans are advised to eat 28 grams per day, but over 90% of women and 97% of men don’t, according to US government data.
The nutrient plays a crucial role in gut, heart, and metabolic health, Leeming, a gut microbiome scientist at King’s College London, told Business Insider. Different types boost health in different ways. Some help to slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream by “acting a bit like an obstacle course,” Leeming, the author of “Fiber Power,” said. Others feed the “good” bugs in the gut microbiome, the trillions of microbes that live in the colon and impact overall health.
Leeming shared three tips to eat more fiber while barely lifting a finger.
Keep the skin on
Keeping the skin on fruits and vegetables is a great way to add a little extra fiber to your meal, Leeming said.
For example, a potato with the skin on contains around 3 to 4 grams of fiber, which is double that of a peeled potato. Likewise, a kiwi with the skin on has around 3.5 grams of fiber, while a peeled kiwi has around 2 grams.
“It’s less hassle and less washing up,” Leeming said.
Snack on dried fruit
Dried fruit is higher in fiber per ounce than fresh fruit because of the dehydrating process. For example, 100 grams of raisins contain 3.7 grams of fiber, while the same quantity of grapes contains 0.9 grams.
It’s important to note that dried fruit is also higher in sugar and calories than fresh fruit because when the water is removed the sugar content is concentrated.
It can be a great high-fiber snack, Leeming said, but just be conscious of portion size.
Eat more dessert
High-fiber ingredients like dark chocolate, desiccated coconut, ground almonds, and chia seeds all work well in sweet dishes, she said, and ground flaxseeds can easily be added to any bakes.
Or for a fiber-packed breakfast, try mixing berries, dried fruit, nuts, and nut butter into Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or overnight oats.
“You can absolutely make having a sweet tooth work for you when it comes to fiber,” Leeming said.
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