Eat More Fiber — Here’s How!

Breakfast

• Throw some frozen raspberries or strawberries and a handful of greens (spinach or mixed salad greens), along with half a banana, into your smoothie.
• Instead of pairing your eggs with hash browns and toast, try adding a side of black beans and salsa.
• Cook up a big batch of steel-cut oats over the weekend and reheat some each morning with a little chopped-up apple and toasted pecans.

Lunch

• Look for healthy prepared salads at the grocery store that use whole grains and layer them over a base of mixed greens.
• Opt for legume-based soups at the grocery-story hot bar.
• Eat at ethnic restaurants, such as Indian and Mexican locales, which tend to give legumes more of a starring role.

Dinner

• Start out dinner with a bountiful raw vegetable salad.
• Replace starchy side dishes with legumes.
• Sautéing some veggies? Start out with a little garlic and onion.

Snacks

• Pack a small bag of nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, or walnuts, or seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, in your bag or car.
• Whip up a big batch of black-bean dip to have on hand for tortilla chips and raw veggies.
• Keep it simple: Eat a piece of fruit, like an apple, orange, or banana.

This article was adapted from “Fiber: Why It Matters More Than You Think” in the 2010 issue of Experience Life magazine.