Fiber - The Eating Well Podcast

Fiber! #004 Why you need it, and where to get it. Proper fiber intake can promote better general health -Fiber supplements and bowel regularity -Improve your cholesterol -Blood sugar control -Reduce the risk of colon cancer? We think so anyway What is Fiber? -Listed on product labels -Include a variety of sources -Most experts suggest 25-35 grams of fiber per day -Most children only have 4 servings of fruit and veggies per WEEK! ---Sources of fiber for American kids -----Apple Sauce -----Fruit Cocktail from a can -----Pizza ---Check your food labels and keep track of your fiber intake, otherwise you're only guessing With fiber intake - Water becomes more important -Use good Environmental Control to get in 64 oz per day Work your fiber intake upwards slowly to allow your body to adjust Soluble vs Insoluble -If you really need to know this, do some research. More important is to get fiber from a variety of sources. Higher fiber foods -Tend to be higher in calories -Tend to be higher quality (nutritionally) -A preferred source of calories, this is why we make room in the calorie budget Try some legumes! Beans are very nutrient dense, so 1/2 a cup is serving -Michelle tells us about the Broccoli incident -Steve recommends 16oz bags of baby carrots -See if your kids will go for plain/raw carrots or apples, you might like them too Most fruits have 2 grams of fiber Most Veggies have 4 grams of fiber Check out the Nutrition Data search bar at the bottom of the page! Cooking foods does not change the fiber content, unless you remove the peel. (Apples) -Michelle chooses canned beans, rinse and ready-to-go Steve gets tons of different fruits and veggies and recommends experimenting with new foods and combinations Michelle recommends oatmeal for breakfast, plenty of fiber and really keeps your blood sugar stable leaving your full for a long time Low-carb diets can mean excluding fruits and veggies! Michelle is rather annoyed with this trend, you need fruits and veggies Try fresh fruits and veggies instead of relying on supplements, you might even like them. IN THE NEWS: -FDA makes needed changes in feed regulations for 2006 (ABC News) -Higher prices for fruit and veggies may mean less access for low income children (Forbes.com) Next show: Environmental Control - Promote positive decisions.