.

Snacks
6
:
1 whole medium apple with peel has 3.3 grams of fiber
1 cup raspberries has 8.0 grams of fiber
1 cup of cooked, instant oatmeal has 4.0 grams of fiber
1 cup of canned, cooked black beans has 10.4 grams of fiber
1 cup Cheerios has 2.5 grams of fiber
Home Recipe
7
:
Spicy Black Beans (makes 2 cups, or 4 servings
2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
one 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup prepared hot salsa or picante sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Saut the garlic
until tender, about 2minutes. Add the beans, salsa and
lime juice. Simmer until heated, about 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
2. Stir in the tomato, sprinkle with cilantro. Serve hot or
cold as a main dish or spooned over brown rice.
Nutrition Facts per cup serving:
Calories: 138 Fiber: 7 g. Protein: 7 g. Fat Calories: 25
Restaurant Options:
McDonalds Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken
8

Calories: 280 Fat Calories: 70 Fiber: 7 g
Subway 6 Meatball Marinara
9

Calories: 480 Fat Calories: 160 Fiber: 8 g

1. Lattimer JM, Haub MD. Effects of dietary fiber and its components on metabolic health. Nutrients. 2010;2:1266-1289. doi; 10.3390/nu2121266.
2. Yikyung P, Subar AF, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A. Dietary fiber intake and mortality in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(12):1061-1068. doi; 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.18.
3. Davis JN, Alexander KE, Ventura EE, Toledo-Corral CM, Goran MI. Inverse relation between dietary fiber intake and visceral adiposity in overweight Latino youth. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90:1160-1166. doi; 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28133.
4. Turner ND, Lupton JR. Dietary fiber. Adv Nutr. 2011;2:151-152. doi; 10.3945/an.110.000281.
5. Ramos et al. The role of soluble fiber intake in patients under effective lipid-lowering therapy. Nutr J. 2011;10(80):1-8. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-10-80.
6. Mayo Clinic. Chart of high-fiber foods. 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582
7. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2011 National nutrition month recipes. 2012. http://www.eatright.org/search.aspx?search=fiber%20recipe
8. McDonalds. McDonalds USA nutrition facts for popular menu items. 2013. http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/nutrition_choices.html
9. Subway. Nutrition information. 2013. http://www.subway.com/nutrition/nutritionlist.aspx


Did you know that daily, adequate
consumption of fiber could help you maintain,
and even lose, weight?
1,2
Its true!
Research has shown that women and men
who consume the recommended adequate
intake (AI) for fiber are less likely to be
overweight and even tend to live longer.
3

Hooray!




.
What is Fiber?
Plants are a common fiber source because they use its rigid
chemical composition to help support their own physical
structure. Chemically, fiber is made of complex carbohydrates
that are not digestible by humans. It is this indigestibility that
makes fiber good for us.
4
Where does it come from?
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and peas are
great sources of natural fiber. This type of naturally occurring
fiber is called dietary fiber. Functional fiber is a second type of
fiber that has been commercially extracted or synthesized.
Functional fiber is often added to foods, such as breakfast
cereals, or can be found as a dietary supplement.
4
Although
functional fiber is an acceptable source of fiber, the experts
recommend that the majority of daily fiber come from natural
sources.
5
How much do I need?
Intake of fiber varies slightly between men and women. The
current recommended adequate intake (AI) for fiber is 38
grams per day for 14-50 year old males and 26 grams per day
for 14-50 year old females
4
. It has been proven that consuming
the AI for fiber increases your ability to enhance weight loss
and maintain a healthier body weight.
1
How does it work?
Fiber is a bulking agent in the body. It cannot be completely
broken down, so it cannot be completely digested. As a result,
it moves through the body absorbing water and binding various
waste materials. An easy way to see fiber at work is to inspect
your poo, or stool. A well-formed stool indicates quality fiber
intake. Soupy stools indicate the need for a fiber increase.
5

.
How does fiber fight fat?
Scientific studies have determined that fibers role as a
bulking agent physically inhibits the break down of fat after it
has been eaten. An important step to fat digestion is the
process of breaking down large fat globules into smaller
pieces. However, when a diet high in fiber is consumed the
large fat globules cannot be formed into smaller pieces
because the presence of the indigestible fiber interferes.
Consequently, weight loss is promoted because the fat is not
absorbed nor stored by the body.
1

Moreover, a study consisting of 252 middle-aged women
found that increasing the womens fiber intake by 8 grams per
1000 calories resulted in an average weight loss of 4.4 pounds.
By simply increasing their fiber intake these women were able
to reduce their overall body fat and still eat nutritious,
fulfilling meals.
1

Similarly, a high fiber diet has also been proven to
reduce body weight by reducing the general consumption of
calories. When you consciously consume fiber, fat intake
tends to decrease as a consequence of fibers inherent, high
nutritional quality; foods that are good sources of fiber are
typically low in fat and soon. Also, fiber keeps you feeling
fuller for longer. The sense of a full stomach decreases overall
calorie consumption, correlating to a decrease in fat
consumption.
3

How can I eat more fiber?
The first step towards adequate fiber consumption is to
follow the fibers AI, 38 g/day for 14-50 year old males and 26
g/d for 14-50 year old females
4
. The best way to meet these
guidelines is to eat fiber rich foods on a daily basis. Many
recipes are available to help increase fiber intake. Even meals
from restaurants can be an adequate fiber source. See the
backside for fiber rich snacks, a recipe and restaurant options!