by Lisa Beach

Created on: October 26, 2009

It is true that most dieters need more fiber, but there is little information on how to add it, or where to find it, other than in diet pills or expensive shakes. If only there was a simpler way: A normal, simple-to-use regime, using everyday foods.

Well I'm glad to say there are foods that we eat every day, that provide fiber.

Green leafy veggies

The easiest to follow is to eat dark green, leafy veggies, such as those one will find in a salad. Good examples are the baby spinach leaves and sliced cucumbers with some skin on their outsides. Add other favorite items like raw veggies, maybe some bacon bits, and a dressing, and one has a simple, ready-to-go, fiber dense addition to any meal.

Other raw veggies:

Carrots broccoli, celery and cauliflower are items one will find as finger food at most parties, no matter how big or small the bash, and people love parties - any food that gets incorporated to daily life in a pleasant way is easier to stick with.

Beans

Nature made beans full of fiber. [There was no magic trick involved]. This works well in soups and dishes like home made chili. Navy bean or black bean soups are a couple ideas, as is using tasty kidney beans in chili: Add the spices guests love, and leave the dish to simmer in a pot. The smell and bubbling dish will fill family or guests with delightful anticipation.

As wonderful as the above are at providing nutritious fiber, there is also fruit. I have listed only my favorites, although I am sure there are others.

Apples:

Any type of raw apple, as long as one eats the skin also. The fruit is firm and juicy, contains vitamins, etc., but the skin is where the fiber dwells. Only when cooking - apple pies and the like - should the skin be removed.

Raw grapes

Red grapes, white, purple - they are as juicy as apples, and full of wonderful flavor, even possibly decadent. I love purple grapes that are perfectly ripe: I add a few nutritious crackers, some cubes of cheese, a few peanuts, and I'm ready to watch TV.

Raisins:

Dried grapes, raisins are fiber on a delicious scale. Sometimes they make it on to my snack tray with the nuts left out.

Potatoes:

Great with the skin still on, as part of a sampler in a restaurant, or as a mere backed potato, I have had potatoes cooked either way, and both were fabulous. The starter snack had melted cheese and sour cream [proteins]; the baked potato, butter and bacon bits. Whoever said fiber must be boring, lied.

And lastly, my all time favorite is everything that falls under the heading of whole grains. The entire concept runs a gamut usually un-thought of. More than brown rice, pasta, and bread, the following are my favorites.

Whole wheat grains:

First comes bagels, which are high in fiber, and break down in your system slowly, leaving a dieter feeling fuller for longer. Any type bagel works, especially fresh baked.

Crackers: any type of wheat cracker works great as part of my snack or party platter. The raw veggies; grapes, cubed hard cheeses, a little Blue Cheese dip, and crackers can make my day, yet not break a diet's need for fiber.

And lastly, come fiber rich muffins.

Bran muffins:

Add a few fresh blueberries or currants, and a little milk for a run-and-go snack. It's not much, but the fruit are also anti-oxidants, that boost one's immune system, keeping a dieter healthier, and able to fight off infections others cannot.

So as one can see, there are ways to add foods that are rich in fiber that are available at all grocery stores. There is no need to buy fancy pills, or drinks one makes by hand. I have found over the years that simple is best, and works longest. There really is no need to "diet" per se with so many choices - so many choices.

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