Adding more fiber to your diet can benefit your health in so many ways, including improving your digestive and detoxification health, reducing your risk of colon cancer, balancing your blood sugar, minimizing cravings, achieving healthy weight loss, and lowering your cholesterol levels. And most Americans are only eating about half the recommended fiber intake on a daily basis!
Here are my top 5 ways to increase the amount of fiber in your diet:
1) Add a green side salad to one meal a day
This was actually one of my 2024 resolutions, as leafy greens are so beneficial for your detox and skin health. I love to include bitter leafy greens in my side salads as they are so wonderful for your liver function (think arugula, endive, radicchio), and dress them simply with some EVOO and Himalayan salt.
2) Boost your normal meals
It’s pretty easy to add more veggies into your everyday meals. I add baby spinach and zucchini into my Breakfast Smoothies, chopped zucchini into my Yoghurt Bowls (and grated zucchini into my Protein Muffins), and add handfuls of spinach or kale into pasta sauces, chilis or curry.
3) Veggie snacks
Basing your healthy snacks around veggies is a great way to add more fiber and micronutrients to your diet. I’m currently obsessed with air frying canned artichokes (grab one can of quartered artichokes in water and one jar of marinated artichokes, drain, combine, spray with a little avocado oil, and air fry for 15 minutes at 400 degrees), or you can check out this post and this post for more delicious veggie snack ideas.
4) Swap carbs for lentils/beans
This is such a great tip if you want to balance your body and switch on fat-burning mode (our Lean & Clean methodology) but miss having starch with your meal. Simply swap your usual rice/pasta/potatoes for a side of beans or lentils for more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein but fewer carbs.
5) Add chia/flax/psyllium husk
I always add at least one type of fiber to my smoothies, yoghurt bowls, or baked goods, and different fiber types confer different health benefits. Chia seeds are a great source of plant-based omega 3’s, flaxseed helps with estrogen detoxification, and psyllium husk has been shown to help lower harmful cholesterol levels.