7 Easy Ways to Eat More Fiber This Fall
Most adults eat far less fiber than recommended. Seven simple swaps, built on fall foods, that close the gap without a diet overhaul.
This article is general wellness information, not medical advice, and is not a diagnosis or treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified professional before making individual health decisions. Read our full disclosure policy.
Most adults in the US eat much less fiber than the guidelines recommend. That matters, because fiber helps with digestion, keeps you full longer, and is linked to lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The good news is that fall is the easiest season to fix it. Many of the foods in season right now are some of the best fiber sources there are.
Key takeaways
- A common target is about 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories. For many adults, that works out to roughly 25 to 38 grams a day.
- Eat the skin. An apple with its skin has nearly twice the fiber of a peeled one.
- Add fiber slowly, over a few weeks, and drink more water as you do.
Seven ways to close the gap
Fiber numbers below are from USDA food data and are approximate.
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Keep the skin on apples and pears. A medium apple with the skin has about 4 grams of fiber. Peeled, it has closer to 2. A medium pear has about 5.5 grams. Wash them and eat them whole as an afternoon snack.
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Add beans or lentils to one meal a day. This is the single biggest lever. Half a cup of cooked black beans has about 7.5 grams, and half a cup of cooked lentils has about 8. Stir them into soup, chili, or a salad. Canned beans count, so rinse them and you are done.
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Roast a winter squash. One cup of baked acorn squash has about 9 grams of fiber. Cut it in half, scoop the seeds, and roast it face down while you make the rest of dinner. It keeps for days in the fridge.
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Switch breakfast to oats. Half a cup of dry oats has about 4 grams of fiber, compared with almost none in many sweetened cereals. Top it with a cup of raspberries, which add about 8 grams more, and breakfast alone covers a third or more of your day.
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Stir pumpkin into foods you already eat. Half a cup of canned pumpkin adds about 3.5 grams. Mix it into oatmeal, yogurt, or pasta sauce. Buy plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar.
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Snack on popcorn instead of chips. Three cups of air popped popcorn has about 3.5 grams of fiber. It is a whole grain, and the large volume makes it filling for the calories.
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Go slowly and drink more water. Jumping from 10 grams to 35 grams overnight can cause gas and bloating. Add one swap at a time, over two to three weeks. Drink more water as you go, because fiber works best with enough fluid.
Your checklist for this week
- ☐ Buy one bag of apples or pears and eat them with the skin on.
- ☐ Keep two cans of beans or lentils in the pantry.
- ☐ Try oats with fruit for breakfast on three mornings.
- ☐ Add just one new swap this week, then another next week.
The takeaway
You do not need supplements to fix a fiber gap. Beans, oats, squash, and fruit with the skin on can get most people there. Pair this with the protein targets from our last nutrition piece, and you have a simple rule for every plate. Our meal prep system makes it easier to keep cooked beans and roasted squash ready all week.
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This is general information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before major changes, especially if you have a digestive condition.
