Fiberlicous Tips

What is the big deal about fiber anyway? Did you know that fiber will keep you feeling full longer which can prevent you from over eating throughout the day? Fiber also plays a huge role in reducing cholesterol levels as well as reducing the risk of many diseases. They have linked fiber intake to lower levels of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more. Pretty crazy right? So how do you add fiber to your diet without feeling like all your eating is squirrel food?

Easy tips to add fiber to your diet

• Add oatmeal. If your not eating raw oatmeal for breakfast already, you can start by adding it to your yogurt for some added fiber as well as texture. It may sound funny, but it actually taste a lot like granola without the crunch.
• Skip the chips and eat popcorn instead. Popcorn has 1.5 grams of fiber per cup popped. Dont go crazy on the butter and salt and you will have a healthy snack alternative to chips and crackers.
• Flax. Flax is virtually tasteless so its an easy one to add to almost anything you eat. Mix it in your cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, toast and any baked item. This is an easy one to sneak in with your kids too. Mix it with brown sugar and put it on their oatmeal, they will never know.
• Yams are a favorite here at our house. They make an excellent side item with dinner. One medium yam has 6.8 grams of fiber! Try having one for lunch just like you would a regular potato, minus the sour cream and cheese.
• An apple a day! 1 medium apple has about 3-4 grams of fiber.
• Dried figs are another excellent source of fiber. They make for a great snack on the go with kids too, because they are sweet and delicious. They add 10 grams of fiber per serving!

There are so many other ways to add fiber, like substituting all your pasta for whole wheat pasta, as well as your white bread for whole wheat. I hope this helps you find new ways to include fiber in your diet.