According to the German Nutrition Society, adults should 30 grams of fiber per day through their diet*. However, the average adult only consumes about 20 grams per day. Many people struggle to get enough fiber through their diet. To meet your fiber needs, you would have to eat a fair amount of fruit and vegetables, for example, six apples, 15 bananas, or one kilogram of broccoli.
However, there are simple ways to incorporate more fiber into your daily routine without having to completely overhaul your diet. Here are three practical tips for a high-fiber diet.
What actually happens if I consume too little fiber?
Insufficient fiber intake can be due to a high proportion of processed foods, fast and unhealthy eating habits, or a lack of awareness of fiber-rich foods. If you consume too little fiber, you might experience the following symptoms:
• Digestive problems: Dietary fiber plays a crucial role in promoting healthy digestion. It increases stool volume and supports regular bowel movements, thus preventing constipation and irregular bowel movements. A lack of dietary fiber can therefore lead to chronic constipation, which in turn can cause further complications such as hemorrhoids.
• Blood sugar fluctuations: Dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, helps regulate your blood sugar levels. It slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, leading to more stable blood sugar levels. Stable blood sugar levels can help prevent cravings.
• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease: Dietary fiber helps lower cholesterol levels by reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestines. A low fiber intake can therefore lead to elevated cholesterol levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
3 tips for more fiber in everyday life
Getting more fiber doesn't have to be complicated. Here are three easy ways to increase your fiber intake in everyday life:
1. Start your day right: Why fiber should be integrated directly into breakfast
It's super easy and delicious to incorporate both fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and seeds into your breakfast. Fiber in the morning helps promote your digestion, control your blood sugar and prevent cravings.
Start your day, for example, with Carrot Cake Overnight Oats. These already contain over 20g of fiber, so you've already covered a third of your daily fiber requirement in the morning.
• Mix 40g of rolled oats, 5g of chia seeds, 5g of flax seeds and 5g of psyllium husks.
• Finely grate 1 carrot, mash 1 banana and add them to the dry mixture. Add 100-200 ml of water or milk of your choice.
• Place everything in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours.
• The next day, top your Carrot Cake Overnight Oats with 100g of raspberries and 10g of almond butter.
2. Simple tricks for wholesome smoothies and salads
Do salads and smoothies not keep you feeling full for long? By adding fiber to them, you'll not only stay full longer, but also cover all your essential nutrients. Whether it's spinach, kale, nuts or berries – all these ingredients are a great addition to smoothies and salads. To make your salad not only higher in fiber but also higher in protein, you can simply Legumes such as adding lentils or beans. Suitable for smoothies. Flaxseed and rolled oats Excellent for increasing fiber intake and keeping you feeling full for longer.
A protein- and fiber-rich salad It can consist of, for example, tomatoes, spinach, cucumbers, avocado, artichokes, green beans, and white beans. It can be finished with a delicious balsamic dressing. A delicious Fiber smoothie contains z.B. Bananas, raspberries, blueberries, protein powder, oatmeal, nuts and flaxseeds, and due to its diversity, it covers all important micro- and macronutrients.
3. Even a dessert can be fibre-licious!
There are also numerous ways to incorporate fiber into desserts. You can easily enhance your dessert with fruits, vegetables, or legumes. Below you'll find three delicious recipes that will not only satisfy your sweet tooth but also perfectly round off a day filled with fiber-rich food.
One high-fiber chocolate mousse It consists of 70g black beans, 80g banana, 10g ground almonds, ½ tsp cocoa powder, 10g almond butter, and 10g dates. Then you put it all in a high-speed blender and can enjoy your delicious dessert with 12g of fiber.
Alternatively, you can prepare a Baked apple with cinnamon and almonds To make this, take an apple and hollow it out. Mix together 1 tsp cinnamon, 10 g rolled oats, 10 g slivered almonds, 10 g raisins, 10 g almond butter, and 1 tbsp maple syrup, then fill the hollowed-out apple with the mixture. After baking, you'll have a healthy dessert containing 8.5 g of fiber.
A fruity alternative is offered by a Chia pudding with mango and passion fruit, Simply mix 30g of chia seeds with 200ml of coconut milk and 1 tbsp of maple syrup, then refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Top with 100g of mango and 25g of passion fruit. This dessert in a glass contains 13.6g of fiber.
How do I fill my fiber gap?
You don't need to eat excessive amounts of fruit and vegetables to meet your fiber needs. With a few simple tricks, you can easily meet your recommended daily fiber intake. Start your day with a high-fiber meal, incorporate small amounts of fruit and vegetables into your diet, and replace chocolate with a high-fiber dessert.
*https://www.dge-sh.de/ballaststoffgehalt.html#:~:text=Als%20Richtwert%20f%C3%BCr%20die%20Zufuhr,sowie%20Gem%C3%BCse%20und%20Obst%20erreichen
