Focus on Fiber

fiber Every January at the start of the new year, many people make some kind of new year’s resolution centered around being healthier. I challenge you this year to not focus on losing weight but rather focus on fiber. Eating a diet rich in fiber is important to living a healthy lifestyle and has many health benefits, such as maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and maintaining good bowel health.

There are two types of dietary fiber, insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber’s main job is to keep you healthy by adding bulk and helping to keep the food moving along the intestinal tract in a timely manner. Soluble on the other hand helps remove cholesterol from the blood and thus lowering cholesterol in the body.

How much fiber do we need in a day? Generally, we recommend 25-35 grams per day, but it does vary based on weight and sex (see chart). Remember to increase your water consumption as you increase your fiber!

Recommended Daily Fiber Needs

	Age 50 or younger	Age 51 or older
Men	38 grams	30 grams
Women	25 grams	21 grams

Adding more fiber into your diet is not as difficult as it seems. Try these tips to boost up your fiber intake:

Eat more beans
Beans are a rich source of fiber with approximately 15 grams per cup! Add to salads or have as a side dish for a tasty, high fiber meal.
Add fresh fruits such as berries and apple to your breakfast or snacks
Did you know that raspberries are loaded with fiber at 8 grams per cup! Add some to your oatmeal, yogurt, or cereal in the morning.
Choose 100% whole grains
Add oats, products made with 100% whole wheat flour, popcorn, brown rice, and quinoa to your rotation of grains for an extra dose of fiber.
Add some avocado to your meals
Avocados not only provide heart-healthy fats, but 1 medium avocado has 10 grams of fiber. Slice up an avocado and put on toast, add to a smoothie, or enjoy plain.
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables
MyPlate recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables each meal, and for good reason, because they are full of fiber and other nutrients.

Try these Black Bean Burgers for your next tasty meal loaded with fiber.

Black Bean Burgers

Makes 6 one-half cup burgers

Ingredients:

2-14 ounce cans no salt added black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tablespoon)
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup unseasoned panko breadcrumbs*
1/2 cup feta cheese, finely crumbled*
2 large eggs*
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce*
2 Tablespoons ketchup, mayonnaise, or BBQ sauce*
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread beans evenly onto lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until slightly dried out.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Sauté chopped onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic over medium heat until peppers and onions are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Gently blot some of the moisture out.
Place sautéed onion, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Add cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, unseasoned bread crumbs, finely crumbled feta cheese, eggs, Worcestershire, ketchup, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together, then mash feta crumbles into the mixture with a fork.
Add about half of the whole black beans to the bowl. Use a fork to mash the other half, add to bowl, and mix thoroughly.
Form into patties of 1/2 cup of mixture each.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place patties on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on each side, 20 minutes total.
Serve with your favorite toppings.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze cooked or uncooked black bean burgers for up to 3 months.

Recipe adapted by Extension Master Food Volunteer Judy Masonis from sallysbakingaddiction.com.

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