If you are trying to follow a high fiber plan and are getting tired of eating high fiber cereal you may want to try some high fiber muffins for breakfast instead. Fiber One has a new product on the market now - Fiber One Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix. Each low fat high fiber muffin provides 20% of your recommended daily fiber intake and they are a great tasting muffin.  You can find Fiber One’s high fiber muffin mix at your grocery store where the cake mixes and other muffin mixes are located.  I prefer eating these high fiber muffins instead of plain bran muffins. My kids also enjoy eating these high fiber muffins.  The apple cinnamon flavor makes these healthy muffins a kid favorite while providing kids with a good source of dietary fiber.  Most bran muffins are also an excellent source of fiber. If you like to bake there are many high fiber muffin recipes online that incorporate high fiber cereals into the mix.  Just type high fiber muffins recipes into google and you will have a lot to choose from.

Splenda has a new item on the market…Splenda no calorie sweetener with Fiber.  The splenda company recognizes that most people do not get their recommended daily amount of fiber which is essential in keeping our bodies and colon healthy.  Each packet of Splenda with fiber has one gram of dietary fiber.   If you are a splenda user you can quickly and easily increase your fiber intake.  Consider adding two packets of splenda with fiber to your favorite morning coffee and sprinkle another packet on your whole grain cereal or oatmeal.  This gives you an additional 3 grams of fiber to your breakfast and gets you closer to getting 25-32 grams of fiber a day.

If you are trying to get healthy/regular then you should be trying to find foods that are the highest in fiber.  Fiber One is dominating the high fiber market.  They have several types of high fiber cereals, toaster pastries, high fiber pancake and muffin mix, a high fiber drink mix, and new to their product line are Fiber One Fulfill bars that aim to keep you full and healthy.  Most of the Fiber One products can be found in you local grocery stores or you can buy them from Amazon.  The prices are great and they come in bulk so you are not running to the grocery store all of the time.

According to Christine Rosenbloom, Ph.D., a nutritionist at Georgia State University, a great thing about nuts is that they are a great source of fiber. She states… “The soluble fiber in peanuts helps control blood glucose and prevents dietary fat and cholesterol from entering the bloodstream, while insoluble fiber helps speed food through your digestive track, keeping you regular.” (www.aarpmagazine.org)

Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and sunflower seeds provide a good source of fiber. These nuts provide us with approximately 2.5g per one-ounce serving.

Planters has a new line of nut mixes under the label Planters NUT-rition. Under this title they have a fiber-filled Digestive Health Mix. It is a delicious mixture of pistachios, almonds, tart cranberries, crunchy granola clusters, and sweet cherries which helps promote digestive health.

If your digestive system needs a little help moving things along or if you are just looking for a healthy snack, definitely give this high fiber nut mix a try.  It is a fantastic high fiber snack.

A great and easy way to add more fiber to your diet!

Quaker Oats has recently introduced Quaker Instant Oatmeal High Fiber to the store shelves.  This high fiber oatmeal provides you with 40% of the recommended daily value of fiber and makes a terrific addition to any healthy diet.  It’s available in two delicious flavors, Cinnamon Swirl and Maple & Brown Sugar.  Definitely give it a try if you are looking to get healthier and add fiber to your diet.  It is also a great alternative to a high fiber cereal.

With summer approaching, it is time to pull out your blenders and start creating some cool summer treats. If you are trying to increase you fiber intake or are already on a high fiber diet, then you might want to make some fiber smoothies.

Fiber Smoothie Recipe

Banana Fiber Smoothie – 1 banana, 1/4 cup high fiber cereal, 1/4 cup milk. Blend in your mixer and enjoy! This is also great with strawberries added. Get creative!

A fiber smoothie is a great way to get extra fiber and vitamins into your diet.

How much fiber does a child need a day? It is recommended that children get their age plus 5 grams of fiber a day. If you are looking to increase the amount of fiber in your child’s diet there are many high fiber kid friendly foods to choose from.

Fiber Foods for Kids

• Fruit - Fruits can be a great source of fiber for kids. Pears have 4-5 grams of fiber. Bananas have approx. 3 grams of fiber. Fruits are always a healthy snack for kids!
• Cereal - It is best to limit your child’s consumption of sugary cereals. Look for low sugar cereals made with whole grains. In order for a cereal to be considered high fiber look for cereals that have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. You can also buy cheerios and add some of your own high fiber cereal. For example, All Bran’s new Strawberry Medley is great but may contain more fiber than your child really needs. Therefore, just mix a handful in with your child’s cheerios or cereal of choice.
• Mott’s Apple Sauce with added fiber - Mott’s now sells an applesauce that has added fiber. This applesauce is definitely a high fiber kid friendly food!
• Oatmeal
• Hannover’s now has a bunch of whole grain snacks. My boys love there whole grain cheese puffs and they have 3 grams of fiber per serving. Look in the chip section in your grocery store.

Be sure to check our list of high fiber foods for more suggestions.

Although there is no identifiable deficiency disease caused by lack of fiber in the diet, research does indicate that a low intake of dietary fiber, or a dietary fiber deficiency, over one’s life can be associated with numerous health problems. These health problems include constipation, bowel irregularities, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, raised cholesterol levels, and obesity. In order to avoid these health concerns associated with a dietary fiber deficiency one should definitely consume 25-35 grams of fiber per day.

If you are looking for an organic drink with fiber you may want to try drinking Silk’s new product Silk Plus Fiber. It is an organic soy milk and provides 5 grams of fiber per serving. Silk Plus Fiber offers a delicious and convenient way to boost your fiber intake and help you meet your daily fiber needs. I love Silk’s soy milk and definitely recommend this product. It would be a great addition to a high fiber cereal.

Like I have mentioned in earlier posts, if you are increasing the amount of fiber in your diet, make sure that you increase your water intake too. Water will help fiber do its job and help prevent constipation and gas pains.

While I was grocery shopping today I came across 100% whole grain Thomas English Muffins that have 8 grams of fiber and only 100 calories. These English Muffins would be a great addition to a high fiber diet. You could take a break from your high fiber cereal and toast an English muffin with your favorite jelly. The 8 grams of fiber would provide you with a high fiber breakfast. You could also make pizzas on the muffins for lunch or dinner. The fact that they only have 100 calories also makes them a great meal if you are trying to lose weight.

Add these Thomas English Muffins to your grocery list and be on your way to meeting your daily fiber needs!