You’ve probably heard it dozens of times: eat more fiber.
If you’re a regular reader here (thank you, btw!), then you already know how much I promote it.
Personally, I’m aiming for at least 30g of fiber most days, which might sound crazy at first because it did for me.
I’ll dive into why I bumped up my intake but, for now, if you’re thinking: Just great. Another thing I need to add to my overflowing mental notes. Eat more fiber. Got it. But who has time for this? Then this article is for you.
When people hear “eat more fiber,” they often picture eating like a rabbit and gnawing on giant salads, but that’s often not a ton of fiber if you’re just eating traditional toppings like tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, etc. on top of lettuce.
Sometimes you just need to know what to grab, pour, sprinkle or microwave. That’s exactly what you’ll find in this article. These are the fiber boosts I regularly use that take less than five minutes—some less than 15 seconds—and make it much easier for me to hit my target.
Before I dive into those, I’ll briefly touch on:
Why bother eating more fiber in the first place?
If you’ve read my guide on the fiber benefits, you already know I’m a big fan. Fiber supports digestive and gut health, helps keep you regular, and can help you feel fuller after eating. It can also support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
The problem? Most of us aren’t getting enough.
Only about 5% of U.S. adults meet their recommended fiber intake, according to research shared by Stanford Medicine. General recommendations are around 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men, although your individual needs can vary.
Personally, I aim for at least 30 grams most days. And honestly, the reason that feels doable is because of the little fiber boosts I’m about to show you.
Easy ways to eat more fiber when you’re busy
Now, these aren’t the highest fiber sources, but they’re the ones you can realistically keep around and add to a normal day with almost no work.
They add a nice boost and quickly add up, which is great.
I’ve broken them down by these categories to help make it even easier:
Grab these fiber sources if you’re running out the door
This combo is a daily go-to of mine: grab some roasted edamame and pair it with an easy protein like a reduced fat string cheese or turkey slices.
In just a few minutes, you’ll have a quick snack that gives you a boost of protein and fiber, which is exactly what you want to hold you over between meals.
I’m currently loving this giant bag of edamame from Biena, which I found at Costco:
If you eat the full serving, you’re getting a whopping 13g of plant-based protein and 5g of fiber for just 130 calories—which is pretty impressive for something I can literally grab by the handful.
Personally, I eat anywhere from 16-25g since I like to pair these with string cheese or turkey slices.
And if I have a little extra time, l’ll throw some frozen edamame in the microwave, sprinkle some salt on it, and enjoy it at my desk.
This isn’t some elaborate healthy snack. It’s just the perfect protein and fiber combo you can throw together in less than two minutes (five if you go the frozen route).
Having yogurt? Bump up the fiber with these foods
I eat a high protein yogurt pretty much every day. Either that or cottage cheese.
But I’ve stopped eating either one plain because you can easily add fiber and flavor by adding chia seeds, raspberries or blackberries, and PB Fit powder.
Broken down, you get:
- 5g of fiber from a tablespoon of chia seeds
- 8g of fiber per cup of raspberries or 7.5g of fiber per cup of blackberries
- 2g of fiber for two tablespoons of PB Fit powder (I also found the organic one at Costco)
Now, I don’t usually add all three at once, but even just combining the last two—which is my favorite pairing—gives you around 10g of fiber right there.
And it takes virtually no extra time to do.
Take a spoonful of chia seeds and stir them in; rinse your berries and throw them on top. Or mix some raspberries with PB Fit powder for a yummy PB&J type breakfast. It’s that easy.
Speaking of your first meal…
Need breakfast in approximately 12 seconds?
If you’re really strapped for time, or you can’t get your kids to eat anything decent in the morning, opt for a high fiber cereal with some high protein milk.
Now, I’m not talking about the old-school Fiber One type cereal—good luck getting kids to eat that.
I’m referring to the Three Wishes cereal I mentioned in my newsletter a few weeks ago.
A cup of my favorite flavor, Fruity (tastes just like Fruit Loops!) gives you 3g of fiber and I’ll pair it with reduced-fat Fairlife milk for an extra protein boost.
Add some berries on top and you’re bumping up the fiber even more and it’ll probably take less than two minutes to put it all together and eat it.
I also love the Cinnamon Catalina Crunch which packs even more of a boost. A half cup portion gives you a whopping 11g of protein and 6g of fiber. And it’s soo good with milk.
Side note: I also found this at Costco.
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Healthy Eating Shouldn’t Feel So Hard
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Want something crunchy and salty?
I absolutely love the roasted edamame I mentioned a bit ago as a crunchy, salty snack, but sometimes it doesn’t hit the spot.
For those times, try snacking on popcorn or Harvest Snacks.
Harvest Snaps are baked veggie snacks that come in a ton of flavors.
I like the simple Lightly Salted Snap Peas and the crunchy Sour Cream and Onion Loops.
The former is just baked snap peas and the latter is lentils turned into a crunchy and delicious snack.
My mom loves their Tomato Basil Crunchy Loops flavor.
The Lightly Salted Snap Peas give you 4g of fiber per serving while the Crunchy Loops get you only 2g of fiber.
As for popcorn, you could see as much as 3-4g of fiber per ounce, making it another great way to weave fiber in without loading up on salads.
After seeing these numbers, you might be thinking… well this isn’t exactly high.
But if you’re going to eat something crunchy anyway, choosing something that contributes a few grams helps.
If you have an extra 30 seconds, bump up your meals by doing this
Open a can of beans.
Seriously.
Grab a bunch of canned beans—I love Cannellini and Northern for mild/you barely notice taste, pinto beans, red kidney, or black beans for more flavor, and keep them on hand.
Beans are an affordable pantry item that packs protein and fiber and they may help lower cholesterol, as I mentioned in a previous article.
I’ll rinse them and throw them on salads, in rice/quinoa bowls, or as a base when I’m low on fiber.
Half a cup is all it takes to pack a serious fiber boost.
A half cup of cannellini beans gives you 6g of fiber while pintos nets you 5g of fiber.
Have 90 seconds and a microwave?
Another quick favorite if I need to throw a meal together: microwaveable brown rice and quinoa packets.
They usually cost around $3 bucks and give you two servings per packet.
They also take just 90 seconds to heat up in the microwave.
A half cup gives you 2.5g of fiber and 2.5g of protein. I love this Seeds of Change brand, which is also at…you guessed it…Costco.
Pair this with whatever protein/vegetables you’re already eating, and voilà, dinner is done!
No boiling water, measuring grains, waiting 30 minutes, etc.
Want an easy fiber boost that takes literally ZERO effort?
And lastly, especially if I’m low on fiber for the day, I’ll use Supergut’s prebiotic fiber supplement. It has become one of my easiest ways to bump up my intake. (Not sponsored or affiliated—it’s just the one I personally use.)
Depending on the product, you’re getting around 6–7g of fiber per serving. I’ve used both their GLP-1 Daily Support and Foundational Daily Fiber, usually when I want an easy boost without adding more food to my day.
One important caveat: I use Supergut as a boost, not a replacement. I’d much rather get most of my fiber from foods like berries, beans, whole grains, vegetables and seeds and use this to fill in the gaps.
The little additions add up faster than you think
I know 2 or 3 grams of fiber here and there might not sound like much, but those little boosts add up quickly.
For example, let’s say you had:
- Breakfast: ½ cup Catalina Crunch + ½ cup raspberries = about 10g of fiber
- Snack: High-protein yogurt + 1 tablespoon chia seeds = about 5g
- Lunch: Whatever you were already eating + ½ cup cannellini beans = about 6g
- Snack: 1 ounce Harvest Snaps = about 4g
- Dinner: ½ cup quinoa and brown rice = about 2.5g
That’s already about 27.5g of fiber—before counting the fiber in the rest of your meals.
And that’s really my whole approach. I don’t want to get to dinner, realize I’ve barely eaten any fiber all day, and suddenly try to cram 20 grams into one meal, especially not before bed.
Instead, I look for little opportunities to add it in throughout the day. A few grams here and a few grams there can make hitting your fiber target feel a whole lot easier.
Don’t try to get all your fiber at once
Something I’ve mentioned before that’s worth reiterating:
Take a gradual approach if you’re currently eating less fiber.
Increasing it too quickly can leave you feeling gassy, bloated and uncomfortable.
It’s also important to bump up your water intake as you add more fiber.
Lastly, just because I’m eating 30g+ doesn’t mean that’s right for you.
Slowly increase your intake and see how you feel.
Personally, I now feel worse when my intake is low. I end up ravenous between meals and have cravings like crazy.
Fiber helps me keep portions in check and end the never-ending eating cycle.
See, you don’t need to eat a giant salad to eat more fiber
As you just saw, fiber doesn’t have to mean dramatically changing how you eat.
Look at what you’re already eating, and think about what you can add.
Berries and PB Fit on yogurt.
Beans with your lunch.
Microwave whole grains like quinoa and brown rice instead of having that low-fiber salad.
Or even enjoy a fiber snack anytime you want something crunchy.
Those little moves compound and add up throughout your day.
And if you do happen to have some extra time, I highly encourage you to make that Viral Caramelized Roasted Sweet Potato Halves recipe I mentioned in a recent article.
It takes just five minutes of prep—but does need to cook for an hour and sit for 10 minutes, and it’s so beyond delicious and is a nice fiber boost.
I hope this article showed you that you don’t need to overhaul your schedule to add more fiber into your day.
You can weave these quick sources in and easily reach your daily targets.
Over to you—do you already eat some of these fiber sources?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
To upping your fiber intake without overhauling your life to do so,
Devan
P.S. Want to make healthy eating easier so it fits into your busy schedule? Check out my free guide that shares 5 Simple Habits That Make Healthy Eating Feel Easier:
Free Guide
Healthy Eating Shouldn’t Feel So Hard
Get 5 simple habits to make eating well feel easier—even when life gets busy.
