Nutrition · 1 min read · Updated
Fiber, fruit and veggies: the unglamorous gains
Fiber keeps you full, your gut happy and your heart healthy. Most people need more. Here are easy ways to get to 25 to 38 grams.
Nobody posts their fiber intake, but it quietly does a lot: it keeps you full on a cut, keeps digestion regular, and people who eat more of it have lower rates of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
How much
A good target is about 25 grams a day for women and 38 for men. Most people eat around half that.
Easy adds
- Oats or a high-fiber cereal at breakfast
- Beans or lentils in chili, soup or rice bowls
- A fruit with lunch and a big handful of veggies at dinner
- Swap white bread and pasta for whole-grain some of the time
- Berries in your Greek yogurt
Why lifters should care
On a cut, fiber is your best friend: high-fiber foods take up room in your stomach for few calories, so you stay full longer. On a bulk, it keeps digestion regular when you're eating a lot of food. Either way, fruit and vegetables bring vitamins and minerals your body needs to recover from training.
Go slow
Adding a lot of fiber at once can mean bloating and gas. Add a little each week, spread it across your meals, and drink water with it. Your gut gets used to it within a couple of weeks.