Pump up your oatmeal.
Nutritionist (and Body by Glamour dietitian) Rachel Beller, R.D., recommends getting 30 to 35 grams of fiber per day if you’re looking to lose weight, and by getting a big chunk of it (at least eight grams) at breakfast, you’ll be more likely to succeed. She suggests mixing a serving of steel-cut oatmeal with four tablespoons of wheat bran and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Top it off with half a small banana, and at 12.5 grams of fiber, you’re already a third of the way there.
Mix up your yogurt.
Add 3/4 of a cup of fiber-rich cereal, like Fiber One, to a
six-ounce cup of nonfat yogurt. Choose the thicker Greek yogurt and
drizzle the top with honey or agave syrup, for a snack that tastes
more like a treat than a health food. Trust us, it’ll fill you up
for hours.
Check out these 16 things you can do with yogurt!
Grab a Gnu Bar.
These snack bars are a Beller favorite—and with 12 grams of fiber
and only 130 to 140 calories per bar, it’s easy to see why. Beller
recommends putting one in the freezer for a refreshing summer
snack. Oh, and did we mention they’re delicious?
See our tips: 6 “Healthy” Summer Foods That Really Aren’t
Make the most of your afternoon snack.
“Dried fruit in moderation can work wonders,” says Marissa Lippert,
R.D. Pair two or three dried figs or apricots with an ounce of
(preferably light) cheese or a Laughing Cow wedge for a quick,
energizing and fiber-rich snack, she suggests. There are four grams
of fiber in five dried figs alone.
Make your salad even healthier.
Renee Melton, M.S., R.D., L.D., nutritionist for Weight Loss for
Sensei, has come up with a game plan to add up to 12
grams of fiber to your leafy greens: “Have a vegetable salad with
broccoli, carrots and peppers, throw in half a handful of garbanzo
beans, a tablespoon or two of nuts, like unsalted salad-ready
almonds, and if you want extra crunch, get some whole-grain
crackers,” she says.
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Replace your white grains with whole grains.Swap any kind of white grains with either brown or whole ones, suggests Melton. For instance, buying whole-wheat pasta instead of the regular stuff can practically triple the amount of fiber you get. The same goes for bread—choose whole-grain buns for your next barbecue and fiber-rich bread for sandwiches. Lippert also recommends trading your white rice for the brown or wild version or even whole-wheat couscous.
Potato skins are in.
When it comes to your baked potato, it’s what’s on the outside that
counts. Skip the mashed potatoes, and keep the skin on your spud
for a 3.8-gram boost of fiber, says Lippert. Just don’t go
overboard by stuffing those skins with sour cream, bacon and
cheddar, and skip the butter and salt for the biggest health
benefits.
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Sweeten your ice cream.
We’re not suggesting you order a banana split (though if you’re
craving one,
try this healthy recipe), but topping your ice cream
with fresh fruit, like strawberries or blueberries, can help you
reach your daily fiber goals, says Melton.
Add a fiber supplement to just about
anything.
You always want to get the majority of your fiber from whole foods,
but if you’re struggling to reach your daily goal, try sprinkling
two teaspoons of a supplement like Benefiber or Fiber Sure into
almost any food or drink for an additional three grams of the good
stuff. “It melts away into yogurt or ice cream and even dissolves
into coffee—plus it helps to curb hunger by making you feel full,”
says Beller.
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[photo credit: Getty Images]