Did you know that the average American adult gains one to two pounds each year? If this doesn’t sound like that much to you, think about how you’d feel if you gained 20 lbs over the next 10 years! No, thank you.
Luckily, you can prevent this weight gain and perhaps even lose weight, all without dieting. The secret: eat more fiber.
Fiber has long been a helpful weight loss tool; it slows digestion, keeps you full, and is naturally present in many low calorie foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains). But recently, researchers at BYU in Utah found that boosting fiber intake by 8 grams for every 1,000 calories you eat may really be the key to keeping your weight in check. It’s worth a try anyway, since the worst that can happen is the quality of your diet improves. Just be sure to choose natural sources of fiber, rather than foods that are fortified with synthetic fiber (like Light English muffins, Fiber One bars, “whole grain” white bread, etc).
Here are some high-fiber foods that’ll help you win the battle of the bulge:
- 100% whole grain bread. 1 slice = 4-5 grams fiber (replacing sandwich above with whole wheat bread = 8-10 extra grams of fiber)
- Raspberries or Blackberries. 1 cup = 8 grams fiber
- Apples. 1 large = 5 grams fiber
- Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes (with skin). 1 medium = 5 grams fiber
- Black Beans. 1/2 cup = 8 grams fiber
- Oat Bran hot cereal. 1/2 cup dry = 7 grams fiber
- Kiwi Fruit. 2 medium = 5 grams fiber
Remember: adding these foods to your diet is not enough. You’ll have to replace current low-fiber foods you eat with these high-fiber ones in order to see results.
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