Fiber
Fill Up on 40 Grams of Fiber a Day
Fill Up on 40 Grams of Fiber a Day
Fill your plate with whole, plant-based foods to give your body the fiber it needs to stay healthy.
Fiber in vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains helps with digestion, weight loss, heart health, and cancer prevention. It can even increase your lifespan. Meat and dairy products contain no fiber—it’s found only in plant foods.
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol. How? Soluble fiber acts like a sponge, soaking up waste cholesterol in your digestive tract and then whisking it out of the body. You’ll find soluble fiber in oats, beans, lentils, vegetables, and some fruits.
Insoluble fiber—found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and bran—acts like a broom, cleaning your digestive tract.
While most people get only 10 to 15 grams of fiber a day, we recommend 40 grams per day for healthy people.
The fiber in whole plant foods helps you feel fuller for longer. Fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans can even lower your cholesterol and keep you 'regular.'
Lee Crosby, RD, Staff Dietitian, Physicians Committee
Below are just a few delicious recipes that can help your body get the fiber it needs to stay healthy.
The Quick Fiber Check is a handy little tool. Using its simple scoring concept, which takes only a minute or two to learn, you’ll automatically be able to estimate the fiber content of virtually everything in the grocery store.
DID YOU KNOW?
Beans and other high-fiber foods satisfy hunger more than meat.
Get Healthy With Good Nutrition
Food for Life classes teach you how to improve your health with a plant-based diet.