Give Your Meals a Fiber Lift
By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., Best Life lead nutritionist
Increasing your fiber intake doesn't require overhauling your whole diet. Instead, you can make slight adjustments to the meals and snacks you eat everyday to get more of the nutrient that helps you feel full. (For more information on how fiber can help your weight-loss efforts, check out Hitting Your Daily Fiber Goal.) Take a look at the meal makeovers below to see how easy it is to get your fiber fix; remember, women should be aiming for at least 25 grams of fiber each, men should shoot for at least 38 grams daily.
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BREAKFAST: Eggs and Toast
(407 calories, 1 g fiber)
• 1/2 cup liquid eggs, such as Better'n Eggs, scrambled with
2 tablespoons grated reduced-fat Swiss cheese in 2 teaspoons healthy spread that contains no partially hydrogenated oil, such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread
• 1 slice white bread, toasted, with 2 teaspoons healthy spread
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 cup fat-free milk
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BREAKFAST: Eggs and Toast
(409 calories, 11 g fiber)
• 1/2 cup liquid eggs, such as Better'n Eggs, scrambled with 2 tablespoons grated reduced-fat Swiss cheese in 2 teaspoons healthy spread that contains no partially hydrogenated oil, such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread
• Roll eggs into 1 warmed Multi-Grain Flatout Flatbread (100 calories, 9 g fiber) or other high-fiber, 100-calorie tortilla with 1 teaspoon healthy spread
• 1 orange
• 1 cup fat-free milk
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DINNER: Pasta and Salad
(500 calories, 5 g fiber)
• 1 cup cooked regular pasta topped with 1/2 cup marinara sauce, 1/2 cup cooked skinless white-meat chicken strips and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
• Salad: 2 cups greens topped with 80 calories dressing
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DINNER: Pasta and Salad
(503 calories, 12 g fiber)
• 1 cup cooked Barilla Plus pasta topped with 1/2 cup marinara sauce, 1/4 cup cooked skinless white-meat chicken strips, 1/3 cup garbanzo beans and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
• Salad: 2 cups greens topped with 60 calories dressing
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