Do you know how much fiber is ideal? Do you know how much fiber the average American eats?
First of all let me tell you a little “un-detailed” story. I visited a friend on the outskirts of San Jose one day and she had a snack sitting on her counter. She asked me to try it and she said if I liked it I could have it because she didn’t really like them and they “didn’t agree” with her partner. Well, I liked them, and so she let me have them. When I got home, I had to laugh. I was looking at the Nutrition information on the package and one serving works out to be almost as much fiber as the average American gets per day. So it dawned on me that maybe it “didn’t agree” with her partner because of that.
Ideally we should be eating about 35 to 50 grams of fiber a day. The average American eats less than 1/3 of that—yes, about 10 grams a day.
Now, as a refresher, fiber is the plant material that is not digested by humans. Our digestive enzymes just can’t cut it. It can be found in whole grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans.
So, I’ll leave you with this suggestion, try to add a little bit more fiber in your daily intake. Do not add a lot of fiber all at once. But do try a little bit a day. What could you add to your diet today that would add fiber to it?
Terre Pruitt's Blog 