Let's face it: Probably not! The USDA recommendation for fiber is a lot more than most of us get in the course of a day.  Unless you take a product like Metamucil (the results of which can be… undesirably dramatic) it can seem like it's not easy to bulk up your diet.  But it really is!

There are a lot of reasons to get enough fiber.  There's the "regularity issue," of course.  Both constipation and diarrhea can be relieved by adding fiber to your diet.  The constipation cure is obvious - fiber helps everything move through a little more quickly.  But added fiber can also help chronically loose stools, which can often be caused by a diet rich in processed foods, and lacking in any kind of bulk.

Fiber also helps to keep your digestive system working properly.  Insoluble fiber can help prevent colon cancer, regulate blood sugar levels, and prevent gallstones, diverticulitis, and kidney stones.  

Best of all, dietary fiber basically adds volume without adding calories!  

How to count the fiber in my diet?  

When you read the black and white Nutritional Info grid, look for "dietary fiber."  This is the insoluble fiber that we're talking about in this context.  Soluble fiber is also important, but that's a topic for a different day!

How much fiber do I need?  

The specific number tends to vary depending on who you're talking to (and what they're trying to sell you).  But according to the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine, quoted by the Mayo Clinic's website, adult women need between 21 and 25 grams per day.  Adult men need between 30 and 38 grams per day.

How do I add fiber to my diet?

Pick something you like off a high-fiber list, and eat more of it!  I used to think that the only way to add fiber was to eat bran muffins.  Which is a problem, because I loathe bran muffins.  Seriously, I wish they would all die.

But it turns out that a wide variety of beans, fruits, and vegetables are high in fiber, too!  A single average banana has 5 grams of dietary fiber.  A cup of fresh strawberries has 3 grams of fiber.  A cup of blackberries has a whopping 8 grams!  

If you make a smoothie in the morning with nonfat yogurt, a banana, and a cup of berries, that's about a third of your dietary fiber right there.  And it's a lot more palatable than a bowl of dusty old bran cereal, if you ask me!

As for vegetables, avocados are surprisingly high in fiber, with 16 grams of fiber per cup!  Broccoli, carrots, eggplant, mushrooms, and potatoes with the skin on are other very palatable vegetables on the high fiber list.

Many nuts are a good source of fiber, too.  Almonds have 16 grams of fiber per cup - but be careful not to go overboard with the salt and fat.  Nevertheless, if you crave a salty crunchy snack, almonds are a lot better for you than potato chips!

Adding fiber to your diet doesn't have to be a chore.  Ditch that bran muffin and find something yummy instead!

Creative Commons-licensed image courtesy of Flickr user haleysuzanne