How Do I Add More Fiber to Everyday Meals?

The recommended daily fiber intake is 25 to 38 grams. Most people eat about half that. The easiest way to close the gap is not a supplement or a special product. It is adding more legumes, whole grains, and vegetables to the meals you are already making.

Add legumes to everything

A half-cup of cooked lentils adds 8 grams of fiber. A half-cup of chickpeas adds 6 grams. These are the most efficient fiber additions available. Stir them into soups, add them to salads, use them as the base of bowls, or blend them into dips. The Lentil Spinach Stew and the Marry Me Chickpea Soup both deliver well over 10 grams of fiber per serving.

Switch to whole grains

Brown rice has 3.5 grams of fiber per cooked cup versus 0.6 for white rice. Farro has 3.5 grams per half cup dry. Quinoa has 5 grams per cooked cup. Barley has 6 grams. Switching the grain in a bowl or soup from white rice to brown rice, farro, or barley adds several grams of fiber without changing the dish.

Leave the skin on vegetables

Most of the fiber in a potato, sweet potato, zucchini, or cucumber is in the skin. Peeling removes it. When the recipe allows, leave the skin on.

Add nuts and seeds

A tablespoon of chia seeds adds 5 grams of fiber. A small handful of almonds adds 3.5 grams. These are easy additions to yogurt, grain bowls, and salads.

The Protein Flip method naturally produces high-fiber meals because it centers plants, legumes, and whole grains. Browse the full recipe catalog for dishes built around these principles. Sous can help you build meals around specific fiber targets. Available in the Kitchen membership at chefhealthyhenry.com.