Meet your needs with bigger intake of fiber
- Laurie Sidle, OSU Extension Wayne Co.
- April 19, 2024
- 260
In case you haven’t heard, 2024 is the year of fiber.
2023 seemed to be the year of protein. This year it’s all about fiber, according to nutrition experts.
And when it comes to our fiber intake, it looks like we’re not quite meeting our needs.
Wooster Community Hospital registered dietitian Kirsten Kurtz said in a video for the hospital that national consumption surveys indicate only 5% of the population meets estimated fiber needs.
She said, “Women 50 and younger require 25 grams of fiber a day, and those 50 and older, 21 grams. Men need a little bit more. The recommended daily intake for men 50 and younger is 38 grams of fiber, and those 50 and older, 30 grams a day.”
Kurtz said fiber is the part of plants people don’t fully digest and probably think, “Why are we going to eat that?”
Because it is important to our health. Fiber can help lower cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation and help prevent diabetes. It also improves blood sugar levels for people with diabetes.
Fiber is found in fruits and vegetables and whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts — “things that have that outer shell,” Kurtz said. “They are harder for your body to digest and break down, which is good because it slows down digestion. It slows down the absorption of carbohydrates, which is good for those with diabetes.”
Fiber also is good for weight loss because it helps keep you fuller longer and promotes healthy digestion.
Choosing foods with whole grain or whole wheat ensures it contains all the naturally occurring fiber. Many processed foods and refined grains do not have much fiber due to processing and manufacturing. Fruits and vegetables have more fiber when eaten in their natural form rather than as juices.
Nutritionists caution that it’s important to add fiber to your diet slowly. If you increase your fiber slowly and steadily, as well as drink lots of fluids, your body will be better able to adjust.
Before changing your diet, Kurtz said it’s important to talk to your doctor first. “Because there are certain diagnoses that require less fiber while others require more,” she said. “I also like to encourage more fiber because it’s a way that we can add more to our diet versus focusing on what we have to get rid of or we shouldn’t have. That’s no fun. Let’s talk about what we can do more with and what we can be creative with and add those foods to our diet.”
Here’s a way to add a high-fiber salad to your diet with a recipe from Ohio State University’s Celebrate Your Plate:
GREAT GRAIN SALAD
2 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1 lemon
1 clove garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan or crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1 cup whole grain pasta, couscous or barley, cooked and cooled (about ½ cup uncooked pasta or couscous or 1/3 cup dried barley)
1 bunch leafy greens (kale, chard, spinach, et cetera)
1 15-ounce can sliced pickled beets
1 medium apple
½ cup unsalted nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts), chopped
For the dressing
Cut lemon in half. Squeeze both halves into small bowl. Remove and discard seeds. Peel and mince garlic. Add apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and garlic lemon juice. Whisk ingredients together. While whisking, drizzle in oil. Add salt and pepper.
Preparing the salad
If using kale or other hearty greens with a large center rib, remove the leaves from rib, tear into bite-size pieces and add to a large bowl. Cut the apple into 1/2-inch chunks and add to the bowl. Drain beets in a colander. Cut into ½-inch chunks and add to the bowl with greens. Add cooked whole grain pasta, couscous or barley to the bowl. Add nuts to the bowl. Toss dressing with salad ingredients in the large bowl.
Laurie Sidle is an Ohio State University Extension family and consumer sciences and 4-H program assistant and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or sidle.31@osu.edu.