Friday Drop: Fiber Forward
Some super simple options to add more fiber to your life.
Why is fiber the new protein?
Adding fiber to your diet doesn’t have to mean forcing down more leaves! (Does anyone else remember the dinosaur trend?)
From 2022 (ish?) to recently it feels like everything was about protein. More protein. More protein. MORE PROTEIN. Add protein to EVERYTHING. Can you sense the winds shifting, too? In the social media zeitgeist, protein is on the decline and fiber is EVERYWHERE.
Here’s the deal. Both are important and dietitians have known this for ages, but now that it seems like the rest of the world is on board with increasing protein, it’s time for us to suit up for a new battle: get you all on board with fiber.
Want to be regular? Fiber. Want great gut health? Fiber. Want help controlling hunger and cravings? Fiber. Want to reduce risk of colon cancer?! Fiber!!
The goal is 25-35g per day, but I don’t actually need you to track this. If you’re getting fruits and veg in at every meal, snacking on nuts and seeds, and reaching for beans, legumes, and whole grains, you’re likely doing better than 99% of the population.
Breakfast Ideas
High fiber cereals like Kashi or Raisin Bran
Oatmeal
Add granola and berries to your yogurt
Southwest egg scramble with salsa, spinach, and beans.
Or the sweet potato and black bean hash from this drop.
Lunch Ideas
The curry chickpeas & carrots recipe from this drop.
Choose a higher fiber bread for your sandwiches, like Dave’s Killer or a whole grain with nuts and seeds.
Add coleslaw greens to sandwiches if regular greens aren’t your thing.
Choose fruits or veggies and dip as a side, like carrots and ranch or hummus, celery and pb, apples, bananas, etc. Apple chips and banana chips also count!
Pretzels and popcorn are great sides, too!
Dinner Ideas
Do not forget about the magic of potatoes and sweet potatoes. They store in your pantry forever, are easy to cook, and it’s also easy to find whole food forward frozen potatoes and fries. (See the burger & fries drop here.)
Beans!! BEANS!!! Beans are SO good for you in SO many ways. Fiber. Magnesium. Carbs. They’re cheap! We love beans. I like the look of this Tuscan White Bean Pasta from Budget Bytes (add more protein, though).
Chickpeas and lentils are also great, I’m just not as passionate about them as beans. It’s also easy to find flavorful microwave lentils (like below).
And, of course, don’t forget salad kits, especially the ones with nuts, seeds, or dried fruit included.
Breakfast:
Chocolate peanut butter banana oatmeal
Grab your favorite microwave oatmeal packet. Microwave with a little extra water. Stir in a scoop of chocolate protein power and a spoonful or two of peanut butter. Top with banana slices and walnuts.
Depending on your portions, this breakfast should have ~8-12g of fiber.
Lunch:
Pulled buffalo chicken sandwiches with slaw + carrots and greek yogurt ranch
This is an old go-to staple that I couldn’t stop eating for months and months until the day came I never wanted to look at it again. I think it’s time to bring it back.
Grab a can of chickpeas, chopped carrots, butter chicken simmer sauce, and mix it all together. That’s it. Add chicken for a higher protein option, or cook in greek yogurt with indian spices. Make a big batch and portion it out for your week. This recipe rolls into a burrito and freezes well, too. Don’t forget the naan and rice when you’re ready to eat.
The easiest way to cook chicken you want to shred is to boil it or throw it in your crock pot. You can follow the recipe above or just add sauce to the chicken you make! Add toppings like pickles, lettuce, tomato, and/or cole slaw greens to your sandwich.
To make greek yogurt ranch dip for your carrots, simply add a packet of ranch seasoning to a large container of plain greek yogurt.
Dinner:
A spruced up salad.
People don’t like salads because they are boring. It doesn’t have to be this way! Add carbs, fats, and variety in textures to bring something together that you truly ENJOY. I also love to make salads as an excuse to eat chicken nuggets :)
Snack Spotlight:
I mentioned it above, but I fear we are losing respect for popcorn, and I’m on a mission to raise it’s reputation. Popcorn is an AWESOME snack, and full of great fiber.
Your grocery link:
From Kroger this week, but feel free to drop your grocery preference in the comments, and I’ll link that one next week!
Last but not least, your prompt for this week:
What is a food rule you think you have based on a current or recent trend? (I.e. I need to have 20g of protein at every meal. I should eat 3 hours before bed. etc.)
