Benefits of Fiber for Your Health and Weight Loss:
Fiber is basically calorie-free because the body doesn’t absorb the calories from fiber when you eat it. Fiber also helps slow down blood sugar and stabilizes insulin which is another key part of healthy weight loss and even disease prevention. The best sources of fiber are whole foods, however, not powdered fiber drinks and gels that can sometimes cause discomfort. Think of fiber as part of a bigger picture: whole foods contain not just fiber but also enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and natural sugars that help energize and nourish your body.
The Best Places to Get Your Fiber From:
The best sources of fiber are vegetables, greens, fruits, and whole grains. After that you can choose to add in fiber-rich foods such as nuts and seeds. Fiber is also only found in plant foods, not animal foods, which is one reason diets high in plants are so healthy.
Delicious Fiber-Rich Recipes to Help You Lose Weight:
Here are 10 delicious ways to increase your fiber intake to lose weight more easily, all straight from whole food sources. Eat up, your waistline will thank you!
1. Peanut Butter Cup Chia Seed Pudding
Source: Emilie Eats Chia seeds aren’t just a superfood and packed with omega-3 fats, they’re also a great source of fiber and help keep you hydrated since they absorb water in the body. Make this chia seed pudding and enjoy it for a snack or even as a replacement for your morning cereal once in awhile!
2. Pineapple Coconut Green Protein Smoothie
Source: The Soulful Spoon This protein smoothie isn’t just filled with tropical flavor, it’s also packed with plant-based fiber too! Greens, coconut, pineapple, and plant-based protein powders are all great sources of fiber. Here in this smoothie recipe, they’re paired together for a delicious shake you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, a snack, or even dessert!
3. Oats and Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Source: Food, Pleasure, and Health Oats and pumpkin are two of the best sources of fiber you can eat because they’re low in calories and high in nutrition. Oats are also one of the best foods you can eat for your cholesterol levels, and oats and pumpkin are both good sources of iron along with soluble fiber which is easier on the body to digest than insoluble fiber. Try them together in these tasty breakfast cookies, and start your mornings off with a sweet treat that’s actually good for you!
4. Zucchini Bread Overnight Oatmeal
Source: Be Whole, Be You Everyone knows how to make overnight oats by now, that’s old news! Let’s make something creamier, fluffier, and more nutrient-dense with our oats, what do ya say? Try this zucchini-based oatmeal which tastes just like zucchini bread but without all the sugar and eggs. Plus, by adding zucchini to oatmeal, you get to eat a higher volume meal which helps you stay satisfied longer without taking in too many calories from fat or sugar. You’ll never taste the green, promise!
5. Vegan Breakfast Bowl
Source: Contentedness Cooking Not only does this breakfast bowl have heart-healthy and fiber-rich oats, but it also includes a variety of berries that are some of the best sources of fiber you can eat. Pair this with your favorite non-dairy milk, and you’ve got a vegan, plant-based, and fiber-rich breakfast of champions! 6.
6. Toasted Coconut Chia Seed Pudding
Source: The Almond Eater This grain-free breakfast by The Almond Eater is packed with healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants thanks to the use of shredded coconut and chia seeds. Just be sure you use unsweetened coconut to avoid excessive sugar found in regular shredded coconut. Pair this with some caramelized bananas like she did, and you can have breakfast for dessert and get a nice dose of fiber for the day too!
7. Low-Carb Grain-Free Apple Crumb Muffins
Source: Sugar-Free Mom Did you know you can replace flour with ground flax? It not only eliminates the need for flour, but also eggs and oil too. Flax also makes for a delicious way to eat more fiber each day since it has a nutty, grainy texture even though it is a seed. Plus, it’s a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and potassium. Just be sure you choose ground flax since whole flax can’t be absorbed by the body, and always store your flax in the fridge since the natural oils found in it can go rancid more quickly than regular nuts and seeds. Try ground flax in these tasty grain-free muffins and you might never want white flour again!
8. Paleo Chocolate Pudding
Source: The Wicked Spatula Cocoa and avocados are packed with fiber, and they’re also rich in antioxidants, potassium and magnesium too. Pair them together in a delicious pudding where you’ll never taste the avocado. This Paleo pudding has no dairy, refined sugar, or even added fats from oil. Just four ingredients and you have a delicious dessert that’s so healthy, you could even eat it for breakfast if you wanted to!
8. Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites
Source: Chef Savvy Oats, cocoa, and peanut butter also contain fiber and antioxidants, and peanut butter and oats are both good sources of plant-based protein too. Pair them all together in a healthy energy bite that’s low in sugar, dairy-free, and perfect for an afternoon treat or even dessert!
9. Banana Zucchini Oatmeal Cups
Source: The Hummusapien Here we have zucchini again because it’s a delicious way to bake and reduce the calorie content while improving the fiber and moisture content of a recipe at the same time. Try Hummusapien’s delicious banana-filled oatmeal cups that sneak in some zucchini and even fiber-rich flax seeds too!
10. Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup
Source: Oh She Glows Lentils are one of the most heart-healthy, waist-friendly, and easy-to-digest beans you can eat. They’re also loaded with antioxidants and potassium to help you stay energized and reduce inflammation. Here in this soup recipe, lentils are paired with sweet and savory tomatoes, a variety of veggies, and some herbs and spices without lots of sodium. You can enjoy this for lunch or dinner, and it makes a great fiber-rich dish you can enjoy all year round! Eating more fiber is the easiest approach to not only take in more fiber but also improve your heart health and digestion too! Just be careful of one thing: you never want to overload on fiber if your body isn’t used to it; start by adding a little more than you normally do and increase it from there. Fiber is a healthy nutrient you need for weight loss, but overwhelming your system at once can cause discomfort and bloating. The bottom line? A little fiber goes a long way! Featured photo credit: Contentedness Cooking via contentednesscooking.com
