Up Your Fiber For Nutrition and Weight Loss

Posted by Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., C.D.N. on Mon, Mar 05, 2007, 2:11 am PST

Fiber can reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, plus it helps fill you up, so you eat less and lose weight!

If your daily diet falls short on the recommended 25-35 grams, boost your intake with high fiber cereals, whole wheat bread, brown and wild rice, whole wheat pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables. Also, take advantage of your local salad bar - build a power salad using the following fiber guide:

Food Fiber in Grams:

Romaine lettuce (2 cups): 2
Spinach leaves (2 cup): 5.5
Artichoke hearts (1/2 cup): 4.5
Onions (1/2 cup): 1
Carrots (1/2 cup): 2
Mushrooms (1/2 cup): 1.5
Corn (1/2 cup): 2
Peppers (1/2 cup): 1
Beets (1/2 cup): 2
Broccoli (1/2 cup): 1.5
Black beans (1/2 cup): 7
Navy beans (1/2 cup): 9
Chickpeas (1/2 cup): 6
Tomatoes (1/2): 1
Green peas (1/2 cup): 3.5
Chopped walnuts (2 tablespoons): 1
Slivered almonds (2 tablespoons): 1.5
Sunflower seeds (2 tablespoons): 1.5

For more information on healthy eating, check out my new book, Joy Bauer's Food Cures and my website at www.joybauernutrition.com