Table 3.

Sample Messages to Promote Increased Fiber Intake.

Providing Food-Based Messages to Increase Fiber

To boost fiber, begin with a quick and tasty breakfast of bran flakes, shredded wheat, or raisin bran cereal topped with bananas and milk. The cereal and fruit give you fiber.

Think outside the cereal box and the breakfast bowl. Enjoy high-fiber cereal as a quick and economical dinner, bedtime snack, coating for oven-baked chicken or fish, or topping on casseroles, salads, or yogurt.

Fiber-rich foods taste great! Think about a just-from-the-oven bran muffin, a yogurt parfait made with granola and blueberries, or a crunchy, colorful salad.

It’s okay to add fiber-rich foods to your diet a little at a time. Start by enjoying an apple or light microwave popcorn as an afternoon snack.

Beans and barley are a tasty, budget-friendly combination to get fiber. Serve them often.

Getting more fiber doesn’t take a lot of time. Fast ways to get fiber are to sprinkle sunflower seeds or high-fiber cereals on yogurt or to add beans to salads.

Communicating the Benefits of Fiber

Getting enough fiber is linked to many health benefits. It may help you manage your weight, and reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer.

Eating enough fiber is Mother Nature’s “cleanse” because it helps the body eliminate waste products from the gastrointestinal tract.

To make the most of fiber’s health benefits, eat a variety of foods to get a variety of fibers. It’s like vitamins—your body needs many different vitamins for good health, not just one or two.

A constipated kid is an unhappy kid. To help prevent constipation, take care that your child gets enough fiber. For instance, make sure each meal and snack provides at least 3 grams of fiber.

Labeling Reading to Find Good Sources of Fiber

The Nutrition Facts panel on food packages is a handy tool to help you get more fiber. Check it when you shop to find foods that are a good source of fiber (at least 3 grams per serving) or an excellent source of fiber (at least 5 grams per serving).

Foods made from grains, such as cereals, breads, and pastas, contain different amounts of fiber. To make sure you get a good source of fiber, check the Nutrition Facts panel for foods with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Correcting Misperceptions About Fiber

Here’s a surprising fact about fiber: Most people think they get enough fiber, but only 1 in 20 actually do.

Not all foods labeled “whole grain” or “made with whole grain” are good sources of fiber. To make sure you get whole grains and a good source of fiber, check the Nutrition Facts panel for options with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Yes, eating more fiber can give you gas—it’s the body’s natural response. That’s because your gut is like a brewery where fiber ferments to serve up its many health benefits. So, don’t miss out because of a little gas.