According to the German Nutrition Society, adults should 30 grams of fiber per day through their diet*. However, the average adult consumes just 20 grams per day. Many people struggle to get enough fiber through their diet. To meet their fiber needs, you would need to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, such as six apples, 15 bananas, or a kilogram of broccoli.
However, there are easy 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 happens if I don't eat enough fiber?
Inadequate fiber intake can be due to a high proportion of processed foods, fast and unhealthy eating habits, or a lack of awareness of high-fiber foods. If you're not getting enough fiber, you may experience the following symptoms:
• Digestive problems: 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 fiber can therefore lead to chronic constipation, which in turn can lead to further complications such as hemorrhoids.
• Blood sugar fluctuations: Fiber, especially soluble fiber, helps regulate blood sugar levels. It slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, leading to more stable blood sugar levels. With stable blood sugar levels, you can prevent cravings.
• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease: Fiber contributes to lowering cholesterol levels by reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestines. 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
Eating more fiber doesn't have to be complicated. Here are three simple ways to increase your daily intake:
1. Start your day right: Why fiber should be integrated directly into breakfast
It's super easy and delicious to include fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and seeds in your breakfast. Fiber in the morning helps you promote digestion, control your blood sugar, and prevent cravings.
For example, start your day with carrot cake overnight oats. These already contain over 20 g of fiber, so you'll already have a third of your daily fiber needs covered in the morning:
• Mix 40 g of oat flakes, 5 g of chia seeds, 5 g of flax seeds and 5 g of psyllium husks.
• Finely grate 1 carrot, mash 1 banana, and add it 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.
• Top your carrot cake overnight oats the next day with 100g raspberries and 10g almond butter.
2. Simple tricks for wholesome smoothies and salads
Salads and smoothies don't fill you up for long? By adding fiber, you'll not only stay full longer but also get all the nutrients you need. Whether spinach, kale, nuts or berries – all these ingredients are a great addition to smoothies and salads. To make your salad not only rich in fiber but also in protein, you can easily Legumes like lentils or beans. For smoothies, Flaxseed and oatmeal Great for increasing fiber content while keeping you fuller for longer.
A protein and fiber-rich salad For example, it can consist of tomatoes, leaf spinach, cucumbers, avocado, artichokes, broad beans, and white beans. It can be rounded off with a delicious balsamic dressing. A delicious Fiber smoothie contains z.B. Banana, raspberries, blueberries, protein powder, oat flakes, nuts and flaxseed and, thanks to its variety, covers all important micro- and macronutrients.
3. Even dessert can be fiber-licious!
There are also numerous ways to incorporate fiber into desserts. You can easily enhance your dessert with fruit, 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 full of fiber-rich food.
One high-fiber chocolate mousse It consists of 70g black beans, 80g banana, 10g ground almonds, ½ teaspoon cocoa powder, 10g almond butter, and 10g dates. Then, add it to a high-performance blender and enjoy your delicious dessert with 12g of fiber.
Alternatively, prepare a Baked apple with cinnamon and almonds To make it, take an apple and hollow it out. Mix together 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 10 g of oat flakes, 10 g of slivered almonds, 10 g of raisins, 10 g of almond butter, and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and fill the mixture into the hollowed-out apple. After it's been in the oven, you have a healthy dessert containing 8.5 g of fiber.
A fruity change is offered by a Chia pudding with mango and passion fruit, For this, simply mix 30 g of chia seeds with 200 ml of coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Top with 100 g of mango and 25 g of passion fruit. You get a dessert in a glass with 13.6 g of fiber.
How do I fill my fiber gap?
You don't have to eat disproportionate amounts of fruits and vegetables to fill your fiber needs. With a few simple tricks, you can easily meet your recommended fiber needs. Start your day with a high-fiber meal, incorporate small amounts of fruits 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
