How to Get More Fiber at Breakfast

Fiber is an essential part of a balanced diet. It will improve your digestion, can boost your immune system, and help lower bad cholesterol, which is good for your heart. The recommended intake for dietary fiber is 25 grams per day for women, and 38 grams per day for men, yet only 5% of Americans meet this recommendation.^[1] A high-fiber breakfast is a good way to start your day, as it can help you meet this recommendation and will make you feel full longer, giving you more energy on fewer calories. You should try to get at least one third of your daily fiber at breakfast (around 8 grams for women, and 12 grams for men). To get more fiber at breakfast, include whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables.^[2]

EditSteps

EditGoing for Grains

1. Focus on whole grains. Whole grains provide greater fiber than refined carbohydrates such as white bread, and also are generally more healthy for you. Whole wheat, bran, barley, oats, and buckwheat have some of the highest fiber content.^[3]
   
   • Simply switching your morning toast or bagel from white bread to a rich whole grain variety will enable you to get more fiber at breakfast.
2. Choose a high-fiber breakfast cereal. If you normally start your day with a bowl of dry cereal, switching to a high-fiber brand is a good way to get more fiber at breakfast. There are many cereal brands, such as All-Bran and Fiber-One, that focus primarily on being a healthy source of fiber.^[4]
   
   • If you normally eat Corn Flakes, for example, you can switch to Bran Flakes and add 6 grams of fiber to your breakfast.
   • Aim for a cereal with high bran content, or stick with your favorite cereal and simply mix in a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran with it each morning.
3. Add flaxseed to cereals and shakes. 1 ounce of flaxseed has 8 f of fiber. You can grind flaxseed in a coffee grinder or food processor so that the small seeds become like dust. Then you can sprinkle them on your favorite cereal or mix them into yogurt or smoothies to get more fiber at breakfast.^[5]
   
4. Have a bowl of oatmeal. Particularly when the weather outside turns cold, a bowl of oatmeal can be a warm and satisfying way to start your day, and also provides as many as 8 to 10 grams of fiber per serving.^[6]
   
   • If you don't care for the taste of oatmeal, sweeten it with maple syrup or honey.
   • Add berries and nuts, or other sliced fruit, to further increase the amount of fiber you're getting at breakfast.
5. Make breakfast burritos in advance. Breakfast burritos made with a whole-grain or high-fiber tortilla wrap can provide between 10 and 15 grams of fiber per serving, depending on the fillings you use.^[7]
   
   • You can make a breakfast burrito from scratch in a few minutes, but if your mornings are particularly busy you can also make a batch in advance and freeze them.
   • Include salsa and leafy greens to up the fiber content. You also might include avocado, which is particularly high in fiber.

EditLoading Up on Fruits and Vegetables

1. Mix figs into your oatmeal. Figs are not a significant part of many Western diets, particularly in North America. If you want to get more fiber at breakfast, consider looking towards the Mediterranean and adding figs to your breakfast cereal or oatmeal.^[8]
   
   • For example, just a couple of figs sliced on your oatmeal can provide you up to 15 grams of fiber per serving, as well as giving you an antioxidant, calcium, and potassium boost.
2. Make a breakfast parfait with fruit and yogurt. Particularly if you pre-slice your fruit, a parfait can be made in just a few minutes so it won't interrupt your busy schedule but will still fill you up and give you an extra boost of fiber.^[9]
   
   • Use berries or slices of unpeeled apple or pear. Bananas also are high in fiber.
   • To increase the fiber boost further, mix in ground flaxseed or chia seeds.
3. Spread avocado on toast. Avocado is a high-fiber fruit, and avocado toast is a simple recipe that has found its way to the brunch menu of many trendy restaurants. To make your own at home, spread avocado on whole-grain toast.^[10]
   
   • You can experiment with spices or add roasted chickpeas or lentils on top for even more fiber.
4. Have a handful of berries. Berries are high in fiber, particularly because you usually eat them whole with the peel intact. Just a handful of berries with your normal breakfast can drastically increase the fiber you have at breakfast.^[11]
   
   • Fresh blueberries and strawberries also work well on top of your cereal or oatmeal, or mixed into yogurt.
   • You also might blend berries into a morning smoothie.
5. Leave the skin on your potatoes. If you regularly have potatoes, such as hash browns, with your breakfast, you can get more fiber if you don't peel your potatoes before you slice and dice them. Just make sure you wash them carefully.^[12]
   
   • Like fruits, the peel of a potato contains more fiber than the potato itself.
6. Eat more whole fruits than juice. The juice of a fruit doesn't have the fiber that the whole fruit does. You'll get more fiber at breakfast if you eat the whole fruit, including the peel if it is edible, such as on an apple or a pear.^[13]
   
   • Fruit peels contain the bulk of the fiber in most fruits. You can add unpeeled slices of apple or pear to your breakfast cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt for a fiber boost.

EditAccommodating Special Diets

1. Make a sweet potato hash. Just because your diet doesn't allow potatoes doesn't mean you have to give up hash browns. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of fiber and can be sliced or diced into a hash with eggs and ham or sausage.^[14]
   
   • If you're vegan, add leafy greens, legumes, and tofu to your hash for even more fiber.
2. Eat legumes. If you're on a grain-free or gluten-free diet, legumes are an excellent way to get more fiber at breakfast. American diets in particular often overlook beans at breakfast, but in other cultures beans are a breakfast staple.^[15]
   
   • For example, you might mix beans, along with tomatoes, onions, and peppers, into an omelette.
   • You also might try beans or lentils on toast. Sprinkle with garlic and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Look for low-carb bread. If you are on a low-carb diet, such as the Atkins diet, you probably don't eat very many grains. However, there are plenty of companies that make special low-carb bread that you can still use for your morning toast and get plenty of fiber.^[16]
   
   • Oats are naturally low-carb, so you might want to look for an oat bread, or a multi-grain bread that includes oats.
4. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables. Particularly if you're on a grain-free Paleo diet, getting enough fiber may at first seem difficult. However, there are plenty of fruits and vegetables that can easily provide the fiber you need for a healthy, balanced diet.^[17]
   
   • Getting fiber from fruits and vegetables also is essential if you are on a gluten-free diet, since many grains are going to be off limits for you.

EditTips

• Make sure you drink plenty of water. Increasing your fiber intake also increases the amount of water pulled into your intestines. If you aren't adequately hydrated, you could get constipated.^[18]

EditSources and Citations

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