20+ years ago Bubba Sparxxx called his poops “grumpies.” If Bubba had more fiber in his diet maybe he would’ve called them “Bubba’s budies.” Fiber matters: it helps you feel fuller for longer, lowers cholesterol, it feeds the good bacteria in your gut, and that in turn seems to be central in preventing and/or mitigating digestive issues and many autoimmune diseases. Also, being regular is nice.
FYI –> 25 Makes You Feel Alive!
As a woman you want to hit 25 grams of fiber per day. For 3 meals per day that’s about 8 grams per meal, and it’s also fine if it is not perfectly spread out. Just get it in over the day, it will work itself out. Also, it is ok to have more. Your stool is the one place where bulking up can help slim down.
So, without further doodoo, here’s a list to help you out:
1. ½ serving Kashi: Just ½ serving will get you 5.5 grams of fiber and 6.5 grams of protein for 105 calories. That’s a good deal.
a. My two cents: the original flavor is gross, the cinnamon is awesome, and the rest are decent. A great, low calorie way to add some crunch to things like yogurt or cottage cheese.
b. Also, Target generally has the lowest consistent price.
2. 1 medium Apple: 1 medium apple will give you 4.5 grams of fiber for under 100 calories. They’re also convenient to carry, low in calories, high in water (being hydrated is also essential for smooth moves), and take up lots of room in your stomach.
3. 2 cups strawberries: 2 cups sounds like it would be too many calories, but 90 total, it’s not. Those 2 cups of strawberries (fresh and frozen are the same) also yield 6 grams of fiber. Super filling, high fiber, low calorie and high water content.
4. 2 cups green beans: like with the strawberries, this may seem like too many calories, but the total calories are just 62. This will also yield 7 grams of fiber.
a. Tip: Great when simmered with chopped onion, and if you are feeling fancy add some better than bouillon chicken base which is low calorie an high in flavor.
b. Salt, pepper and garlic powder have essentially zero calories.
c. They keep well, so you can make a large batch for the week.
5. 1 cup Lentil soup: The easiest route is to get the pre-made cartons (look like little juice boxes) or canned. 1 cup will usually yield 9 grams of fiber for about 130 calories, and beans are very filling.
a. Most places do a decent job, and all brands will be equally bland.
b. A sprinkle of tamari is one of the easiest bland fixes as it adds umami and saltiness, which is usually lacking. Adding a few spices to pre-made soup is way easier than starting from scratch.
6. 2 tablespoons Chia: One serving has 10 grams of fiber, but it also has 140 calories, so you’ve got to watch your serving sizes. It’s almost as high calorie as peanut butter.
7. Wilted greens: Something like kale has only 1 g of fiber per cup, and when eaten raw it usually needs an excessive number of calories of dressing to be palatable. However, just a minute with chef mic (full name is microwave), or a few minutes on the stove top will shrink 5 cups raw into just 1 cups cooked. It releases plenty of water as it is cooked, so you don’t need to add any fat (calories), but I would definitely recommend salt, pepper, and whatever other seasonings you like.
8. 2 slices low calorie bread: We particularly like Natures Own Honey Wheat keto bread. (No, we haven’t jumped on the keto bandwagon, we still think keto is a bad idea for nearly everyone.) 2 slices yields 6 grams of fiber for only 80 calories, and makes a decent sandwich. It can be a little dry, so extra low calorie toppings that are also moist are helpful. Things like mustard, tomatoes and pickles.
9. 3 tablespoons of Powdered Peanut Butter: Powdered peanut butter is a great way to enjoy peanut butter flavor without all the fat (calories!), and boosting the protein and fiber content. 3 tablespoons is 1.5 servings and yields about 5 grams of fiber, 12 grams of protein for only 100 calories. Great in protein shakes, and some clients really like it mixed into their yogurt.
10. 1 potato: With the rise of Atkins and now keto, potatoes and carbs in general, have been vilified. I am talking about a plain tater, not deep fried deliciousness, nor the “healthy” equivalent of smothering potatoes in olive oil and baking them. 1 “medium” russet potato, which is the smallest you will find at the grocery store, has just under 5 grams of fiber, more potassium than 2 bananas, and only 160 calories. They’re also extremely filling. Salt, pepper and salsa are great on a steamed or baked potato.
a. Gary Taubes is wrong. Carbs do not make you fat, calories do, and fat (not carbs) are by far the easiest to over consume.
b. French fries are not carbs, they are deep fried carbs that are a tempting 50-50 blend of fat and carbs. This is the same for pastries, chips, and everything else that we humans can eat in unlimited quantities – our greatest weaknesses are for foods that are roughly 50% fat and 50% carbs. Remove or reduce either and it’s no longer binge worthy, which is not a bad thing.
Not on my list:
1. Nuts: they have fiber, but it takes too many calories to get that fiber. Almonds, for instance, require 275 calories per 5 grams. To get to 25 grams of fiber would require over 1,300 calories from almonds which blows pretty much anyone’s calorie budget.
2. Dried fruit: same reason these aren’t on the list – too many calories required to get the fiber. Fruit is great, but neither dried fruit nor juice are – dried fruit is basically candy, and fruit juice is basically soda. Fruit is to be consumed whole.
Parting Thoughts
I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally be writing about poop professionally. For college nutrition papers I’d find a way to work in (out?) poop-factoids and/or jokes, and my TA’s would mark me down to a B, call me “unprofessional” and be super butt-hurt… figuratively butt-hurt… as far as I know…
As they say, potty humor is the spice of life.