Harvest Health at Home
Eating for the Second 50 years

FIBER and Your Health: It does make a difference!

HE-459, July 1990

Karen Heller, Ph.D., L.R.D.* Food and Nutrition Specialist
Susan J. Crockett, Ph.D., L.R.D.* Chairman, Food and Nutrition Department
Joyce Merkel, M.S., L.R.D.* Project Coordinator, Nutrition Ed. for Rural Seniors
*Licensed Registered Dietitian

Click here for an Adobe Acrobat pdf file suitable for printing. (81KB)

Rate Your Fiber Fitness

Now, answer truthfully...
Which best describes your eating habits? (Answer "most of the time", "some of the time" or "never".)

1. I eat breads and crackers made with whole grains.
2. I eat whole, fresh or frozen fruits with skins.
3. I eat starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and peas.
4. I eat fiber-rich cereals.
5. I use dry beans, peas or legumes as side dishes or instead of meat in hotdishes.
6. I include pasta or brown rice in meals.
7. I eat whole, fresh or frozen vegetables with skins.
8. I eat popcorn or fresh fruit for a snack instead of chips or pretzels.

How Did You Do?
Add the number times you answered "most of the time," "some of the time" or "never" to rate your fiber fitness.

Science and Research FIBER News

The importance of fiber in the diet con-tinues to make news! The importance of dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates has been stressed by several health organizations and the Federal Govern-ment. The National Cancer Institute sug-gests that foods high in fiber may be protective against some cancers, particularly colon cancer. Although the National Cancer Institute recommends getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day, Americans, on the average, are eating only about 10 grams of fiber per day.

Fiber isn't a "miracle food," but adding fiber-rich foods to your diet can have health benefits. Soluble fiber (found in oats, dried beans, barley and fruits) helps lower blood cholesterol and thus helps reduce the risk of heart disease. Insoluble fibers (found in wheat bran, whole wheat products and vegetables) help prevent ulcers, constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.

While scientists and doctors need to learn more about the relationship between what we eat and development of diseases, evi-dence suggests that including fiber-rich foods in the diet makes good sense. High-fiber foods are also usually low in calories and inexpensive. As a consumer, you are also seeing many new high-fiber foods (especially cereals) in grocery stores and hearing information about fiber and its relationship to health presented in the media. Keep your eyes and ears open to fiber.

If you want more information about fiber in your diet, simply contact a registered dietitian (RD) or your county extension office.

The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by NDSU Extension Service is implied.

FAST FIBER FACTS

• You find dietary fiber only in plant foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes). No animal food has dietary fiber.
• It's best to get your fiber from fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes because they also contain many important nutrients for your health. You can skip the fiber supplements.
• You get less fiber from orange juice than from an orange. In general, less processing equals more fiber.
• Soluble fiber is best for lowering blood cholesterol. Insoluble fiber helps the intestine to function well. So, it's best to eat a variety of fiber fo
• Fiber content may be listed on labels either as dietary fiber or as crude fiber. Crude fiber figures actually underestimate the amount of fiber in most foods.

RULE OF THUMB: 2 to 4 times the amount of crude fiber=dietary fiber.

FIBER Simple! Easy! Delicious!

Simple steps to increase fiber:

1. Choose whole-grain and bran breads. ("Whole grain" should be the first listed ingredient.)
2. Choose a high-fiber breakfast cereal every day. (Look for one with more than 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving. There are many in the store and many new ones appearing all the time. So be sure to read the labels.)
3. Serve whole fruits and vegetables, and eat the skins and membranes.
4. Experiment with dried beans and peas, such as pinto beans and lentils.
5. Snack on popcorn and dried fruits, such as figs, raisins and prunes. (Be careful, though: dried fruits are high in calories. 1/4 cup is considered 1 serving.)

Simple Substitutions

LOW FIBER		HIGH FIBER
------------------------------------------------
White bread		Whole-grain bread 
Instant or white rice	Brown rice 
Canned fruit or juice	Fresh fruit with skins 
Canned vegetables	Fresh vegetables 
Potato chips		Popcorn 
Chocolate chips		Raisins 
Cream of tomato soup	Lentil or split pea soup 
Low fiber cereal	Bran cereal 
Sugar cookies		Oatmeal raisin cookies 
White flour		Whole wheat flour 
------------------------------------------------

Boost Your Daily Fiber
(with some added hints for low-fat eating)

The National Cancer Institute recommends 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily.

Oat Bran Banana Bread

Stir together flour, soda, oat bran, and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix sugar and oil. Add eggs, milk and vanilla, beat until smooth. Mix in mashed banana. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture. Pour into loaf pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or lightly greased. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove and cool. Makes 1 loaf.

Nutrition information per 1/16 slice serving:
121 calories, 2.3 grams fiber, 4.8 grams fat

Lentil or Split Pea Soup

1/2 cup uncooked lentils or split peas
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 small stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cups water

Wash the lentils or peas. Put all ingredients in a kettle. Heat to boiling, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils or peas are tender. Makes 2 cups.

Nutrition information per cup:
199 calories, 6.4 grams fiber, 0.7 grams fat

DEAR DOCTOR DIET

Advice for those Diet Dilemmas
Today readers ask about FIBER OVERLOAD AND WEIGHT LOSS....

DEAR DR. DIET,
I know I should eat more fiber for my health but I am afraid it will upset my stomach or give me gas.
Signed,
Greta Gaseous

DEAR GRETA,
Yes, eating lots of fiber can cause gas or diarrhea. But if you are like most Americans who do not eat enough fiber, you should add fiber to your diet, but do add it gradually. This will give your system time to adjust. It is also important to drink plenty of liquids when you increase your fiber intake. Good luck!
Signed,
Dr. Diet

DEAR DR. DIET,
Can high fiber foods help me lose weight?
Signed,
Wally Weight-Watcher

DEAR WALLY,
Yes, they can. Fiber foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can make you feel full and are low in calories. (And taste great!)
Signed,
Dr. Diet

DEAR DR. DIET,
I want to tell you how easy it has been for me to add fiber to my diet. It has also been delicious! Fruits are so naturally sweet and the vegetables add such nice color and variety to my meals. It has been fun to experiment with beans and lentils. I think lentils are my favorite because they are so cute. I'll not go back to white bread after experiencing the heartiness of whole grain breads. Thanks for your good advice.
Signed,
Frieda, Fan of Fiber

Your Fiber-Food Hit Parade

FRUITS
(2 grams or more fiber per serving)

Apple w/skin
Blueberries
Banana
Prunes
Strawberries
Orange
Pear
Raspberries
Raisins

VEGETABLES
(2 grams or more fiber per serving, cooked)

Broccoli
Peas
Carrots
Brussel sprouts
Corn
Potato with skin
Spinach

LEGUMES
(4 grams or more fiber per 1/2 cup)

Lentils
Pinto beans
Kidney beans
Dried peas
Lima beans
Navy beans
Baked beans
Peanuts

BREAD/CEREAL & GRAINS
(Breads: 1 gram or more fiber per serving)

Whole wheat
Rye
Pumpernickel
Cracked wheat
Bran muffins
Brown rice
Spaghetti/macaroni

(Cereal: 3 grams or more fiber per serving)

All-Bran
Bran Flakes
Bran Buds
Bran Chex
Corn Bran
100% Bran
Raisin Bran
Wheat Germ
Nutri-Grain
Fruitful Bran
Fiber One
Shredded Wheat
LIFE
Instant Oatmeal

*Note: this is just a partial list of the many good fiber cereals. New ones are appearing all the time. Be sure to read the label.

Harvest Health Every Day!

More fiber in your diet helps lower blood cholesterol and prevents constipation, and may help prevent cancer.

BELIEVE! that FIBER is important for your health.
DECIDE! to add more FIBER to your diet, every day!

Make it your GOAL:

• To eat 4 to 5 servings of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables every day.
• To eat 2 or more servings of whole-grain breads and cereals every day.

Circle the foods that are fiber-rich...then put a star by the foods you will add to your diet.

whole wheat bread
sugar cookies
sugar
oatmeal
broccoli
fresh vegetables
pinto beans
apple juice
ice cream
peas and corn
fresh orange
potato chips
bran cereal
raisins
lentil soup
fresh fruits
sausage
brown rice
fried eggs
bran muffins

KEY: You should not have circled sugar, ice cream, sausage, fried eggs, sugar cookies, apple juice or potato chips.

TACK THIS UP TO YOUR CUPBOARD OR REFRIGERATOR

HE-459, July 1990