Five Ways to Boost Your Fiber Intake!

"Then God said, 'Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.'"

- Genesis 1:29

In addition to sleep and time alone, here's something else most people don't get enough of: fiber.

The Average American gets 10-15 grams of fiber each day, about half of what is needed to meet the basic recommended 25 grams.

Here are five easy ways to get more fiber into your diet:

Fig-uratively Speaking
Add dried figs or other fruits (cherries, kiwi and the like) to salad.

Cereal Thriller
Start the day with a high-fiber cereal such as Fiber One or Kashi Vive or even old-fashioned oatmeal.

Hummus a Happy Tune
Dip carrots, snap peas and other veggies in hummus instead of ranch dressing.

Orange You Glad You Tried This?
Instead of drinking fruit juice, eat the fruit. More fiber, vitamins, minerals and more satisfaction with less sugar.

Wrap it Up
Instead of the usual tuna-on-white, wrap a sandwich in a whole-wheat tortilla. Make your own wrap using a variety of meats (turkey, chicken), cheeses and veggies.

Try these tips to help get more fiber in your diet each day!

Benefits of Breakfast

"When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread." - John 21:9

Researchers have found many benefits from eating breakfast and with school underway, now is a perfect time to get into the breakfast habit.

Breakfast Research

Among the recent research:

• Children who skip breakfast make more errors and are slower to recall facts.
• Children who eat breakfast solve math problems more quickly.
• Children who eat breakfast do better on vocabulary tests.
• Children and adults who eat breakfast are more likely to get the vitamins and other nutrients they need.
• Adolescents who eat breakfast tend to have a lower body mass index, even if they have one or two obese parents.
• Adults who eat breakfast eat less calories throughout the day and make better food choices.
• Adults who eat breakfast lose more weight than those who skip breakfast.

The benefits of breakfast apply to grown-ups when it comes to the research shown above (less errors, better math and vocabulary).

Breakfast Guidance

• Dinner leftovers don't have to be dinner again. Heat them for breakfast instead.
• Put together an egg casserole the night before, and slip it into the oven when you get up.
• Make a smoothie containing one cup of milk, 1/3 cup cottage cheese, 2-3 tablespoons of raw nuts and 1/3 cup fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) for a quick, delicious and healthy breakfast meal
• Scramble eggs with various vegetables and cheese or make an omlette.
• If you decide to have cereal, choose a high-fiber, low-sugar cereal like Fiber One.

Five On-the-Go Ideas

• Natural peanut butter and banana (or apple) slices on whole-grain toast.
• Cheese wrapped in a whole-grain tortilla and some fruit.
• Raw nuts (almonds, walnuts) and fruit (berries) stirred into yogurt.
• A fruit smoothie blended with milk, cottage cheese and raw nuts (walnuts).
• Two cheese sticks with a piece of fruit.

These tips should help you get into the habit of eating breakfast consistently. It really is the most important meal of the day!