Add up to 25g of fiber per day for a healthy family!

With family health on the top of your agenda, making sure what you put on the table every day is of absolute importance. And that is where fiber comes in.

What is fiber?

It is a natural nutrient contained in foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, particularly in the outer layer and in the seeds. Fiber is a key component of any healthy eating plan or diet, and plays an important role in overall health.

What are its benefits?

There are many pros to following a fiber-rich diet, these include:

• A healthy digestive system: Fiber helps regulate bowel movement, prevent constipation and ease intestinal discomfort.
• Nutrient absorption: It helps in the proper absorption of nutrients from the intestine.
• Satiety: Gives you a feeling of fullness during your meal, so you tend to eat less of the main dish.
• Cholesterol: Fiber helps in decreasing blood cholesterol levels.
• Blood sugar: It helps regulate blood glucose.
• Colon cancer: Fiber helps in maintaining a healthy digestive system, thereby lowering the risk of colon cancer.

Tips to increase your fiber intake:

• Serve fruits and vegetables without peeling them – mainly because the outer layer is rich in fiber.
• Try switching from white bread to wholegrain or multi-grain bread.
• Substitute white rice and pasta with brown rice and whole- wheat pasta, and choose wholegrain breakfast cereals.
• Plan to eat legumes (beans, lentils) two to three times a week.
• Include a handful of nuts or dried fruits as a healthy afternoon snack.

How to reach the recommended amount (25 grams per day)?

Take a look at the table showing the difference in fiber content of a diet low in fiber and high in fiber:

	Low fiber diet	Fiber (g)	High fiber diet (g)	Fiber (g)
Breakfast	Glass of regular full cream milk		Glass of Nestle KLIM (250 ml)
	1 slice of white bread	1.0	1 bowl whole wheat cereal Nestle (30g)	1.9
	1 slice cheese
			1 slice whole wheat bread	2.0
			1 slice cheese
			½ cup carrots	3.0
Snack	1 cup orange juice	0.5	1 pear (with skin)	4.3
Lunch	½ cup mashed potato	1.6	1 baked potato (with skin)	1.3
	1 steak		1 steak
	1 cup green lettuce	0.5	½ cup of boiled broccoli	2.6
Snack	1 slice of cake		3 cups of air-popped popcorn	3.6
Dinner	½ cup cooked white rice	0.3	½ cup cooked brown rice	1.8
	yoghurt
			½ cup baked white beans	7.0
			yoghurt
Total		3.9		27.5

 

Good to know:

If you’re wondering which contains more fiber, milk or meat? The answer is neither! That’s because fiber is entirely plant-based food. Increase your daily fiber intake by including Nestle FITNESS cereals that are made with whole grain. Whole grains maintain all the nutrients including fiber that regulate a healthy bowel.