Five days of fiber: simple meal ideas to reach your daily goals

Fiber plays a crucial role not only in our digestive health but also in overall well-being. It improves heart health, helps manage glucose levels, supports the body's natural detox process, and offers many other benefits. But how do you actually get the recommended amount of 25-30 grams of fiber each day?

Imagine a colorful array of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, each contributing to your daily fiber intake. Incorporating fiber-rich foods into your meals isn’t as hard as you might think. Let's look at 5 days’ worth of meals to see how you can easily achieve this daily goal. Here is a great resource to start exploring high fiber foods.

Check out this 5-day meal plan to help you hit that 25-30 gram daily fiber goal! #saslife
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(I’ve listed just the main components of the meals, check the recipes for full details. I used Cronometer for dietary analysis.)

As you start to increase your fiber intake there are two very important things to keep in mind.

You must get adequate fluid intake. Aim for about ½ your body weight in ounces for water (if are 160 pounds aim for 80oz daily). If you increase fiber, but aren’t adequately hydrated, this can cause constipation.

Slowly increase your fiber intake. Don’t try to add too much too soon – your digestive system won’t be ready for it. If you try to increase your fiber intake too quickly you might have some bloating, excess gas, etc. For most of us, our body will adjust. If you continue to struggle with bloating and gas as you increase your fiber intake, you might consider a digestive enzyme like Beano or a more well-rounded one like Digest Basic; otherwise please contact a registered dietitian for help.

It might also be wise to track your food intake in an app like Cronometer to see how much fiber you are getting now, then try increasing by 5-10g per week.

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Makes 8 cups
Recipe adapted from: Feasting at Home
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Ingredients
1 cup uncooked French, black or brown lentils (2 ½ cups cooked)
4 cups water
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half (about 2 cups)
1 English or Turkish cucumber, diced (about 2 cups)
1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
¼ cup red onion, very finely diced
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup fresh mint, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 tsp salt, more to taste
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
½ tsp sumac

Optional additions: feta cheese, kalamata olives, cooked chicken, splash of red wine vinegar

Instructions

Place lentils in a medium pot with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cover. Check after 15 minutes, then check every few minutes, cooking until al dente. When done, drain and soak in cold water.

While the lentils are cooking, prep the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, mint and parsley and place in a large bowl.

Once cool, drained the lentils and add to the large bowl. Add the drained, cooled lentils to the bowl.

Grate garlic over the bowl, add the lemon zest, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, sumac and fresh lemon juice. Stir it well and adjust salt and lemon to taste. As the salad sits, the lentils may soak up the salt and lemon, so add more as necessary, especially if making this ahead. Always taste before serving.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Serve as is or over a bed of dressed baby arugula; top with feta cheese if you like. Enjoy!