The Surprisingly Easy Way to Get Your Daily Fiber*

Pop quiz: Can you name all the macronutrients? There are the big three (fat, protein and carbohydrates) but there are two more. Water and fiber are also macros. Proper hydration is another topic for another day. This article is all about dietary fiber and how to boost your daily fiber intake! Did you know that so many adults struggle to get enough fiber that the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans labeled it as a “nutrient of concern” – and not for the first time. With a whopping 95% of us not getting enough each day, experts call this the “fiber gap.”

Keep reading to learn why you need to hit your daily fiber intake, why you might not get enough – and why the foods you eat might need a little boost!*

The Fiber Gap: Why Most of Us Fall Short on Fiber

Why does the fiber gap exist? Fiber is only found in plants, from blueberries and oats to spinach and lentils. Nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes are all plants and all provide fiber – along with its many benefits.* This essential nutrient helps promote regularity, satisfy hunger and beat belly bloat.* And that’s just the beginning. When we skimp on our daily fiber intake, we’re leaving all those perks on the table!

Let’s talk about why we need to mind that fiber gap in the first place. Depending on gender and age, your needs will vary from 19 grams to 38 grams of fiber a day. As a reference, a cup of cooked brown rice delivers 3.5 grams and a cup of spinach doesn’t even hit one gram!

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines say that women need 28 grams from ages 19 to 50, while men need 38 grams during that stage of life. (Nutritional needs changes slightly after age 50.) The benefits of hitting your daily fiber intake goals? You’ll help support gut health, mood, heart health and more.*

Knowing all that, why would we ever consider falling short of our daily fiber intake?* Plenty of reasons! Researchers cite our unwillingness to talk about going #2, as well as confusion about how and where to get fiber, misconceptions about how much we’re actually getting – and even trends in how we eat (like gluten-free, Paleo and keto diets).  

Those diets are all lower in carbs but that also makes them lower in fiber. In whole food form, fiber is found in foods that also deliver carbohydrates. Fiber is a carb you don’t digest, and it delivers its benefits throughout the trip through your GI tract.  

The foods and diets that are rich in fiber include plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) and Mediterranean-style diets focused on whole, unprocessed foods. And that brings us to the #1 reason many people aren’t getting enough fiber: Eating a whole foods diet takes time, energy and know-how. It’s more work to prep a salad or three-bean veggie chili from scratch than to microwave a frozen meal that’s pre-portioned. When you don’t have time to sit down and eat a balanced meal, it’s hard to hit those fiber goals! Then, when we try to catch up and overdo it, our digestive system pays the price (paging VeggieGest).*

No shaming or blaming here. We get it! Keep reading for easy tips on how to get enough fiber, even when you are short on time.

What Is Fiber—and How Do We Get It?

Fiber comes in different forms. When it comes to soluble vs. insoluble fiber, they each have their own benefits. For example, in the battle of psyllium husk vs. pea fiber, the former is mostly soluble fiber (aka the one that gels) while the latter is mostly insoluble (the bulking kind). Both have their own benefits! Plus, there’s another type that offers special benefits for the gut microbiome and more.*

The best high-fiber plant foods for gut health are divided into three categories below.

Soluble Fiber: Heart-Health Hero

• Dissolves in water and forms a gel-like barrier in the lining of the gut.
• Helps the body absorb nutrients.*
• Supports heart health and healthy cholesterol levels within normal ranges.*
• Found in: psyllium husk, oats, legumes (lentils and beans), green vegetables and some fruits. 

Insoluble Fiber: Your Digestive Bulk Builder

·    Helps bulk up your stool, to speed up digestion (also called “roughage”).*

• Found in: nuts and seeds, leafy greens, whole grains, wheat bran and vegetables.

Fermentable Fiber: Prebiotic Powerhouse

• Indigestible carbohydrate easily metabolized by the microflora in the gut.
• Prebiotics are fermentable fiber that feed our beneficial gut bacteria. Prebiotics help maintain digestive health and regularity by feeding probiotics.*
• Found in: Solnul® fiber, chicory root, pea fiber, green bananas, cooked and cooled rice and pasta, onions, garlic and supplements.

 

Most insoluble fiber is not fermentable, while most soluble fiber is fermentable. The fiber we use in Let’s Go Fiber+, Solnul®, is both insoluble and fermentable. FODMAP-friendly and made from potatoes, it really stands out as a resistant starch! It’s also Certified Upcycled, meaning it’s made from perfectly good food that would have otherwise gone to waste.

Dietary Fiber Benefits

Like all nutrients, fiber has its own special skills and benefits. Here are three of the top dietary fiber benefits.

1. Supports regularity.*

This is the benefit of fiber that most people know: Fiber can help promote normal, healthy and comfortable bowel movements.* We get it. Bathroom visits are private matters – but insoluble fiber adds volume and bulk, which can make it easier to go. Diets rich in certain fibers promote GI health, including bowel regularity.*

2. Helps satisfy your hunger.*

Since fiber doesn’t provide calories but is filling, eating foods that contain fiber can make you feel satiated or full. This can help support your overall diet and manage hunger throughout the day.* When a meal contains fiber, it helps slow down your digestion so you feel full for longer.

According to research, fiber can help boost satiety hormones including cholecystokinin and lower levels of hunger hormones like ghrelin.

3. Helps out probiotics.*

Probiotics are the good bacteria in your gut; prebiotics are their food. Consuming prebiotic fiber helps maintain a healthy balance of beneficial flora in the gut and gives your digestion a boost.*

How Let’s Go Fiber+ Makes It Effortless

We want to make it easier – and tastier – to hit those fiber goals. Each scoop of Let’s Go Fiber+ gives you 5 grams of fiber, plus prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics for daily regularity & gut health.* Naturally sweetened with stevia, Let’s Go Fiber+ tastes great and blends easily in water. Available in both Tropical and Strawberry Kiwi flavors. Simply mix 1 scoop with 12 ounces of cool water once per day. You can also stir it into any iced or cool drink – try it with herbal tea, blending into a smoothie or shaken with coconut water.

 

We hope this blog helps you mind your fiber gap and encourages you to reach for more fiber-rich foods at every meal!