February 2016 Issue Fiber: Creative Ideas to Boost Intake By Marsha McCulloch, MS, RD, LD, LN Today's Dietitian Vol. 18 No. 2 P. 16 Dietitians may feel as though they have a bit of a sales job to do when it comes to persuading clients to eat more dietary fiber.
"Clients often think fiber is dry and tasteless or envision slimy prunes—what a misconception," says Catherin RD, at FFactor Nutrition, a private nutrition counseling practice in New York City. "Fiber is found in so many d like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. These foods easily and deliciously can be inc the diet."
Consumers clearly need a bit of help increasing their fiber intake. The average daily fiber intake in the United per day, with only 5% of the population meeting the Adequate Intake (AI) level of 25 g for adult women and 3 (or 14 g fiber per 1,000 kcal), according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' (the Academy) 2015 dietary fiber.1
The AI for fiber is based on the amount that's protective against coronary heart disease.1 A highfiber diet als against type 2 diabetes, some cancers, weight gain, and digestive problems.1 And there's no upper limit advi intake.1
"Encouraging clients to add an extra 10 g of fiber each day will help them get closer to the recommended inta Wendy J. Dahl, PhD, RD, an associate professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville and coauthor of th recent position paper on fiber. To help dietitians better counsel clients and patients on how to boost fiber intak Dietitian asks the experts for flavorfilled ideas for meeting daily requirements.
Fruits Most whole fruits supply at least 1 or 2 g of fiber per serving, especially if they have edible skin or seeds. Drie figs and prunes, are more concentrated in fiber, but the calories can add up quickly, Dahl says. The following fruit standouts:
• Go for berries. Raspberries have one of the highest fiber contents of commonly eaten fruits, packing 8 g of serving, and blackberries are close behind, with 7.5 g fiber per cup.2,3 Blueberries and strawberries are good with 3.5 g and 3 g fiber per cup, respectively.4,5 Hauser suggests clients use raspberries to make a sauce to cooked chicken or pork. Use a 1:2 ratio of balsamic vinegar to muddled (mashed) raspberries, warm for five medium heat, and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Pick up some pears. A mediumsized pear with the skin has 5.5 g fiber.1 "Try pears sliced on arugula sala alongside ricotta cheese with honey and cinnamon for a sweet treat," Hauser suggests.
• Get creative with kiwifruit. "Try replacing the jelly in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with slices of skino says Eric Stein, MS, RD, CCE, certified culinary educator and chef at wellnesschef.com. A serving of two gre (without the skin) provides 4 g fiber.6 According to The Kiwi Administrative Committee, eating kiwifruit with th the fiber.7
• Swap in avocados. Just 1/4 cup of pureed avocado has 4 g fiber and can be used to replace onehalf of th muffins, cakes, and other baked goods, and it provides healthful monounsaturated fat and less saturated fat.8