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Increase Fiber in Your Fall Recipes

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Whole wheat bread

It’s getting cooler outside and now is the perfect time to start preparing your favorite fall recipes. Whether it’s a creamy butternut squash soup or a delicious bean stew, try incorporating more high-fiber foods into your meals.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate our bodies can’t digest. However, evidence shows it provides great health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, improving intestinal health and helping with weight management.

Daily Recommended Amounts of Fiber

  • Women, ages 19-49: 25 g
  • Women, ages 50+: 21 g
  • Men, ages 19-49: 38 g
  • Men, ages 50+: 30 g

The reality is most Americans only get about 15 grams of fiber a day. In order to increase your fiber intake it’s important to know which foods are high in fiber. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, but most foods contain both.

Soluble Fiber

  • Dissolved in water
  • Found in foods such as oats, nuts, beans, lentils, berries, pears and oranges 
  • Lowers cholesterol by binding to LDL and decreasing it in the blood
  • Lowers blood glucose by slowing digestion and releasing sugar more slowly to the bloodstream

Insoluble Fiber

  • Makes up the bulk of fiber in foods
  • Found in whole grain products and cereals, wheat bran, vegetables, seeds and nuts
  • Helps prevent constipation by decreasing waste transit time
  • Helps with weight management by creating a feeling of fullness

Now that you know which foods contain fiber, try preparing your favorite fall dishes with the following in mind:

  • Legumes are bursting with fiber; try adding them to soups, stews and salads. A black bean sweet potato chili tastes great on a cold evening.
  • Choose whole grains over refined grains. A toasted pecan wild rice makes a great side dish for your fall menus.
  • Avoid cooking vegetables for long periods of time. The longer a vegetable is cooked, the more fiber is lost. A roasted vegetable medley with carrots, beets and potatoes could be a delicious option that adds fiber to your Thanksgiving dinner.
  • Include whole fruits with their skins in your repertoire of fall recipes. Most of the fiber is in the skin. Fruits, such as pears and apples, can be added to many desserts to naturally sweeten them.
  • Substitute quick oats for up to one-third of the white flour called for in recipes to supply flavor and extra fiber to your fall desserts.

Adding high-fiber foods will not only produce flavorful recipes, but also bring great benefits to your health. Reaching your fiber goal will be easy if you try incorporating these foods with every meal and snack throughout the day. 

For more information about Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services, visit cooperclinicnutrition.com or call 972.560.2655. 

Article provided by Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services.