Why is a high-fiber diet so good for us?: a list for your diet with Fiber-rich foods
Fiber is simply part of a balanced diet. Even if the part of the name “ballast” sounds negative at first, fiber is extremely important for our digestion . However, the question now arises as to which foods contain fiber and which foods are best suited for a high-fiber diet. That's why we've put together a list of fiber-rich foods in this article and also give you a few delicious recipe ideas.
Why fiber is so important for your body
A brief summary: Fiber is a food component that is indigestible to humans, which occurs primarily in plant-based foods and is usually a carbohydrate. Fiber cannot be broken down by our digestive system due to its chemical composition and yet it is extremely important for our digestion. After all, they not only ensure a longer-lasting feeling of satiety, but also ensure that the food stays in the digestive tract longer and can therefore be better utilized. Due to the ability of fiber to bind water, numerous toxins can also be transported out of the intestine with the fiber.
Sufficient consumption of fiber is extremely important for regular and healthy digestion, stable blood sugar levels and balanced cholesterol levels. In the worst case, an insufficient supply of fiber over a longer period of time can even lead to a variety of gastrointestinal complaints and serious illnesses such as constipation, hemorrhoids, obesity, intestinal obstruction, colon cancer and type 2 diabetes. Because regular and sufficient consumption of fiber has a positive effect on cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels, a diet rich in fiber has an enormously positive influence on the health of the cardiovascular system and is therefore ideal for preventing some common diseases - because of the connection The connection between fiber and diabetes can no longer be dismissed out of hand. Now, of course, it is interesting to know which foods exactly contain fiber so that you can include these useful substances in your meal planning.
Find fiber in everyday life – and eat it!
Now it's all well and good to know that we should consume at least 30 grams of fiber per day and that fiber can be found in virtually every plant-based food. What would be useful to know, by the way, is exactly which foods contain fiber. That's why here is a table of foods rich in fiber. Foods rich in fiber are part of a balanced diet. The food table helps you optimize your diet so that you too can benefit from the positive effect of fiber on your body.
#1 Vegetables
Foods rich in fiber from the vegetable category: artichoke, eggplant , leaf lettuce, leaf spinach , cauliflower, broccoli , mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, chicory, iceberg lettuce, peas, lamb's lettuce, fennel , cucumber, kale, kohlrabi , chickpeas, kidney beans, celeriac, potatoes, leeks, lentils , corn, carrots, peppers , beetroot, red cabbage, radishes, radishes, Brussels sprouts, asparagus , salsify, tomatoes, savoy cabbage, white cabbage, onions and zucchini
#2 Fruit
Foods that contain a lot of fiber from the fruit category : pineapple, avocado , apple, dried apple, dried apricot, banana, pear, dried pear, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, honeydew melons, currants, kiwi, cherries, mango, orange, Papaya, plum, peach, dried peach, dried plum, passion fruit and grapes
#3 Nuts and seeds
The fiber suppliers among nuts and seeds are: chia seeds , cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts, coconuts, flaxseeds, almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds and walnuts
#4 Grain products
Grain products: amaranth, oatmeal (whole grain), whole grain pasta and wild rice
What could I eat instead of cornflakes?
Do you love cornflakes – which, by the way, contain only a small amount of fiber – for breakfast? And you can't imagine life without bread, pasta and rice? You do not have to! This food table tells you what you could enrich your meals with instead:
Of course, these are just a few suggestions, but the principle behind these examples should be clear.
Where is the most fiber?
In order to meet your daily fiber needs, it is recommended to have some foods with a high fiber content on your daily menu. So that you can optimize your shopping list accordingly and find enough fiber, here are some fiber-rich inspirations for you:
Legumes – The soluble fiber content in legumes is high. For peas it is around 16g, for chickpeas 15g and for white beans even 23g per 100g.
In the seed category, chia seeds and linseeds are the clear winners with a fiber content of 34-35g per 100g.
While whole grain oat flakes and amaranth have around 10g of fiber per 100g, bran flakes have as much as 18g and wheat bran has a whopping 45g of fiber per 100g.
If you like dried fruit, you can eat a lot of dried apples, peaches, pears, apricots and plums, as these have a fiber content of 10-18g per 100g.
Among the fresh fruits, avocados and currants are particularly impressive, with an average fiber content of 6-7g per 100g. An orange and a banana each contain around 3g of fiber.
When it comes to vegetables, sweet corn, Brussels sprouts and kale are in the middle with an average of 4-5g fiber per 100g. The artichoke provides around 10g of fiber per 100g, Jerusalem artichoke even 12g of fiber per 100g and the salsify is the front runner with its average fiber content of 18g per 100g.
Pistachios are the flagship fiber nuts with around 9g of fiber per 100g.
For everyone who loves grains, barley pearls and whole grain oat flakes with a fiber content of 9g per 100g are ideal for covering your daily requirements.
A tip for your morning muesli: One tablespoon of cocoa already contains 2g of fiber.
Fiber is less likely to be found in animal foods, so when it comes to meeting your daily fiber needs, focus on fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts.
Low-fat recipes with lots of fiber
And so that you can get started with your high-fiber diet straight away, you can now look forward to some recipes with foods with a high fiber content. For further culinary inspiration, you can look to clean eating or a low-carb diet. Both diets provide your body with plenty of fiber.
#1 The fiber-rich breakfast
Overnight muesli with cherries
Ingredients for two servings with 10g of fiber each:
150ml rice milk
100g natural soy yogurt
5 tbsp whole grain oat flakes
5 tbsp frozen sour cherries
1 tbsp raisins
This is how it works: Mix the rice milk with the soy yoghurt, the oat flakes and the frozen sour cherries and put it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, mix in the raisins and enjoy the whole thing.
And if you're in a hurry, then a portion of yoghurt with whole grain oat flakes, nuts and a portion of red fruit jelly is ideal.
#2 The fiber-rich lunch
Broccoli stir-fry
Ingredients for two servings with 8.5g fiber each:
1 broccoli
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
4 tbsp walnuts
250g chicken breast fillet or vegan versions
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp vegetable broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tablespoons oil
A pinch of pepper
Sambal olek as desired
And this is how it works: Divide the broccoli into small florets, dice the stem and pre-cook everything in boiling salted water for about two minutes. Now rinse the broccoli in cold water and set aside. If you add meat, wash the meat, pat dry and cut into bite-sized pieces. Then mix with the soy sauce and cornstarch in a bowl. Peel the onion and garlic and dice finely. Now fry the meat in the oil in a pan, after about two minutes add the broccoli, the onion cubes and the garlic cubes and fry everything for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Then deglaze with the vegetable broth, divide between two plates and serve garnished with chopped walnuts!
#3 The fiber-rich dinner
This quinoa salad recipe with cucumber, pepper and tomato, for example, is suitable as a fiber-rich dinner . This delicious salad not only contains a lot of fiber, but also plenty of protein.
#4 Fiber-rich snacks
Green, homemade smoothies are particularly good as fiber-rich snacks. That's why some smoothie recipes await you now .
Variant 1: 100g broccoli, 100g baby spinach, 1 carrot and 150ml water
Variant 2: 2 dried figs, 2 tablespoons ground linseed, 1 apple, 100g kale and 150ml water
Variant 3: 1 pear, 1 tbsp walnuts, 100g pineapple and 200ml water
Variant 4: ½ papaya, 1 tbsp superfood chia seeds and 200ml water
Variant 5: 100g cucumber, 1 tbsp parsley, 100g pineapple and 150ml water
Put the ingredients together in a high-performance blender, process on high for about two minutes to create a delicious smoothie and then enjoy. These smoothies are also great to take with you, making them the perfect high-fiber snack on the go.
FIBER-RICH SNACKS FOR EVERYONE
Why is a high-fiber diet so important for our health and how can we ensure we have enough fiber integrated into our diet?
Why is a high-fiber diet so good for us?
A diet high in fiber is important and has been linked to a long list of health benefits . Studies* have shown that a healthy intake of fiber significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and certain gastrointestinal diseases. The recommended daily fiber intake for adults is at least 30g .
However, research also shows that the gap between recommended and actual fiber intake is quite large in many countries - even if people regularly consume fruits, vegetables and fruit. But why is this the case?
Lifestyles are changing
The main reason is the changes in consumers' lifestyles. Most people are busy, on the go all day, and have little time to prepare full meals. They also have access to a large selection of ready-to-eat foods, meaning fewer and fewer people are forced to cook for themselves.
Snacks as a source of fiber
As a result of these changes, snacks are becoming an increasingly important part of our diet. Since ready meals are often quite unhealthy and provide fewer nutrients, snacks are now an important source of nutrients and fiber. That's why consumers today are looking for healthy snacks that meet their requirements for no sugar, fiber content and low salt.
Conclusion
As you can see, it can be easy to add fiber to our everyday meals. Finally, we also have a tip for you: A diet rich in fiber should always be combined with sufficient fluid intake. Fiber binds water and it is therefore important to drink plenty of water so that digestion works well. The combination of a fiber-rich diet and sufficient fluid intake is the ideal prerequisite for keeping the body fit - good luck!
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