Simple ways to increase fiber in your diet and why it's so important

Fox News

15-05-2025

"Eat more fiber" might be a common recommendation from your doctor or healthcare provider.
But getting the recommended amount can actually be a simple task, according to Robin DeCicco, a New York-based certified holistic nutritionist.
DeCicco told Fox News Digital that fiber can help with disease prevention, weight loss, lowering cholesterol and digestion issues such as constipation. (See the video at the top of this article.)
Harvard Medical School data has found that people who ate more fiber from fruit, vegetables and whole grains were able to prevent dying from heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes by 16% to 24%.
The "huge" percentage stems from eating about 25 to 29 grams of fiber per day, which the nutritionist said is "not complicated."
For breakfast, DeCicco recommended adding some berries and ground flaxseed to yogurt for a fiber boost.
For lunch, packing a sandwich with extra lettuce and tomatoes can have the same effect, she said.
Eating vegetables with hummus or a handful of nuts like almonds and pistachios, she said, can also serve as high-fiber snacks.
For dinner, DeCicco suggested having a side of high-fiber vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, zucchini or salad.
"Just think about how to add a little bit of fiber to each part of your day, and you'll get to those 29 grams instantly," she said.
While there are many ways to get in more fiber, DeCicco shared creative ways to incorporate ground flaxseed into various meals.
This can include mixing it into soups, sauces, chilis and stews, as well as yogurt, smoothies or oatmeal.
Meats such as chicken and turkey can be breaded with ground flax, while it can also be added to a ground-beef mixture for meatballs, meatloaf or burgers.
Ground flax can also be used as breading on fish or eggplant as a healthier option.
"When you're roasting or baking all of those other foods, the proteins and the vegetables, it can actually get crispy from using the flax," DeCicco said.
The nutritionist recommended a daily serving of one to two tablespoons of ground flax, which is best for digestion and absorption.
Flax contains properties such as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 fatty acids and lignans, which are responsible for anti-aging, reducing inflammation, preventing disease and protecting overall brain and heart health, according to DeCicco.
Although there are incredible benefits to consuming flax, DiCicco said, it's best to start out slow with a half-teaspoon to help the body to get used to it.
She also recommended drinking lots of water as fiber intake increases.
"It helps to reduce how fiber can bulk in your stomach," she said. "And your body uses it more readily and then is able to excrete the fiber as opposed to it bulking in your colon."
DeCicco shared a fiber-filled energy ball recipe as a great dessert alternative.
Servings: About 12 energy balls
1 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free oats if needed)
2 cups natural organic peanut butter (or any all-natural nut/seed butter with no added sugar or oil)
3 tablespoons cacao nibs (with no added sugar)
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½ cup ground flaxseed
A few handfuls of dried no sugar added cranberries or dried blueberries
3 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds (chop up)
2 to 3 teaspoons wild honey
(Optional: Can add more nuts/dried fruit to mixture; can change nuts/seeds/fruit options.)
(Note: Have all ingredients on hand and more than the amount listed above, as this type of recipe calls for adding in more than the above-mentioned measurements depending on how easily or not the dough sticks together.)
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until it looks like an evenly distributed uniformed dough.
2. Refrigerate the bites for 30 minutes.
3. Once the dough is hard, roll into balls.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for several months.
This recipe is owned by Robin DeCicco and has been shared with Fox News Digital.