A high-fiber diet has numerous health benefits, including supporting good digestion, maintaining a healthy weight, and helping with regular bowel movements.
The US Department of Agriculture advises a recommended daily amount (RDA) of 28g of fiber each day (although that will vary from person to person). However, the American Society for Nutrition reports that only 5% of men and 9% of women are getting the RDA of fiber.
Any small tweaks you can make to your regular meals to add fiber can help you reach this goal.
I was already eating oatmeal for breakfast but decided to pack more fiber into the meal to hit my RDA for the day by adding a tablespoon of coarse-ground wheat bran and a tablespoon of whole flaxseed. Here's the recipe I used, along with my results.
Ingredients
- Half a cup of oats
- Tbsp flaxseed
- Tbsp wheat bran
- Half a cup of frozen blueberries
- 200ml oat milk
- Tsp honey
Method
My cooking method for the breakfast was pretty basic: I simply threw all the ingredients into a pan and cooked on a medium flame on the stove, which took around five minutes.
Nutritional content
Overall, there were 78g of carbs, 17g of fat, and 17g of protein in the meal, which clocked in at 550 calories total.
The extra 4.8g of fiber from the bran and flax brought the total fiber content of the meal to just over 10g. Flaxseeds are also a great vegan source of Omega-3.
What I found when I upped my fiber intake
Adding these two ingredients to my breakfast helped me feel fuller for longer and alleviated some of the symptoms of my IBS-C (constipation). Struggling to go in the mornings has always been a bit of a problem for me, but a high-fiber breakfast has helped to keep me regular, and I’m certain the prebiotic fibers have been promoting good gut health.
Eating a variety of prebiotic fibers can promote good gut health, as they "feed" gut bacteria, helping them to extract nutrients from your food. "Certain fibers act as prebiotics as they pass through the small intestine undigested and are fermented on route to the large colon," explained Rob Hobson, sports nutritionist at Healthspan, when speaking with Fit&Well.
Overall, I feel better as a result of making these two small changes to my breakfast, and it hasn't been too expensive to do, as you can bulk-buy both bran and flaxseeds from any good health food store. They didn't significantly alter the flavor of the oatmeal either, but they did add a little crunchy texture.
Rob Hobson is a registered nutritionist who has worked with some of the UK’s largest food and health companies. He's head of nutrition at Healthspan, has provided training to the public health sector on best practice and has a monthly column in Women’s Health magazine.
-
This dietitian's mini pizza recipe is under 400 calories a serving and only takes 15 minutes to make —Healthy eating Want a quick, healthy comfort meal? Try these veggie-packed mini pizzas with a naan bread base
-
An expert coach says every runner should be using this routine to improve form and avoid injuryfitness, running I felt weak and lacked power when I ran, until I started adding these three core-strengthening exercises to my weekly routine
-
This dietitian's delicious veggie breakfast delivers 24g of protein and is only 210 caloriesNutrition Try this crustless quiche for a tasty, high-protein start to the day
-
I was weighing all my food to track my calories, but stopped after I spoke to a nutritionistNutrition I thought I was making healthy choices, but a conversation with a nutritionist made me realize I may be doing more harm than good
-
A sports dietitian says that this is the one thing you should prioritize eating after your workout—and it's not proteinNutrition Restore your depleted energy stores with a healthy dose of carbohydrates
-
This fiber-rich vegan meal packs in 20g of protein and only takes 20 minutes to cookNutrition Warm yourself up for World Vegan Month with these delicious falafels
-
Four dietitian-approved tips for volume eating that could help you lose weightWeight loss Add interest and nutritional value to your meals, without adding lots of empty calories
-
A dietitian recommends using this simple trick to make your frozen pizza healthierWorkout There's room for all foods in a balanced diet—even frozen pizza
-
Eight foods with hidden sugarWellness Trying to cut down on the sweet stuff? Here are eight foods with hidden sugar that you should avoid
