Did you know the average American eats just 15 grams of fiber per day? That falls significantly short of the recommended 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men. Filling up on fiber-rich foods at breakfast is a wise move to help you reach the recommended daily intake. Adding high fiber breakfast foods to your day will increase satiety, keeping you full until your next meal, as well as contribute to better digestive health.
Fill Up on Fruits
Fruits are a delicious and nutritious way to add fiber to your breakfast. Berries in particular are an excellent source of fiber. Raspberries and blackberries both provide 8 grams of fiber per cup, blueberries clock in at 4 grams of fiber per cup, and strawberries pack a respectable 3 grams of fiber per cup. You can enjoy berries at breakfast in many ways – sprinkled on top of a bowl of cereal, blended into a smoothie, sliced on top of whole wheat toast with peanut butter or mixed into greek yogurt.
Include Whole Grains
Whole grains are less processed and contain more fiber compared to their refined counterparts. This is because they still retain the bran portion of the grain where most of the fiber is concentrated. If you enjoy cereal for breakfast, search for a whole grain option that provides at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. Or consider other whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa or barley as part of your breakfast. All three of these can be made into fiber-rich hot cereals and mixed with fruits and nuts for a complete breakfast meal. As an added bonus, the soluble fiber in whole grains like oats and barley help to lower your cholesterol.
Vary Your Vegetables
Adding vegetables to your breakfast is another easy way to boost your fiber intake. For example, turnip greens, mustard greens and broccoli all provide 5 grams of fiber per cup. Consider creating savory breakfast options using vegetables – like a broccoli and spinach omelet or a sweet potato and turnip green hash. Or blend those leafy greens into a fruit smoothie for a quick grab-and-go breakfast.
Add Chia and Flax
Chia and flax are two different types of edible seeds. Flax seeds contain 2 grams of fiber per tablespoon, while chia seeds contain almost 5 grams per tablespoon. You can add both types of seeds to traditional breakfasts for added fiber. For example, sprinkle either type of seed on top of cereal or yogurt, blend flax into a whole grain pancake batter or create a refrigerator jam using chia seeds to spread on whole grain toast.
If you’re new to buying these, I like Spectrum products – you can find them in most stores’ natural section, or on Amazon at the following links {disclosure: amazon affiliate link} – Spectrum flax or Spectrum chia.
A word of caution…
Add high fiber foods to your breakfast gradually. Too much fiber at once – especially if your body is not used to it – can cause problems like bloating or gas. Even though fiber helps digestive health, occasionally a sudden increase in fiber can contribute to constipation. Staying properly hydrated will help you avoid this issue!
Share with me: What are your favorite high fiber breakfast foods?
Chrissy Carroll
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I definitely need to add more fiber to my breakfasts. I love proteins like eggs and meat so I usually stick with some sort of a breakfast sandwich which isn’t the best choice. I love adding smoothies to my breakfasts when it isn’t too cold outside!
It sounds like you could definitely combine those favorite proteins with some veggies (like an egg omelet with veggies) or just add some fruit like berries as a side dish to boost the fiber content!
I typically don’t think to add veggies to my breakfast-+ great idea!
I feel like breakfast is the hardest time to add veggies, but combining them in a smoothie or in eggs are two ways that I think are really easy to incorporate.
I almost always have chia or flax in my green smoothies! I love to make muffins early in the week for easy portable snacks and breakfast and fill them with grains, fruits and flax!! Great tips!
Yes, I’m a big fan of making muffins as well! I have a whole wheat banana blueberry muffin recipe here that is great to make ahead and freeze for the week – https://www.snackinginsneakers.com/dairy-free-whole-wheat-banana-blueberry-muffins/ Then I try to combine that with a little grab-and-go protein like string cheese, eggs, or nuts (when I can eat those things – right now I’m on a bunch of limitations b/c my son who is breastfeeding has some food intolerences)
Great tips! I am definitely guilty of not having enough fiber in my breakfasts! I get hungry very soon afterwards! Need to make a conscious effort to put more planning into my mornings!
I tend to get super hungry if I don’t eat a breakfast with both fiber & protein. I’ve got another post up with 19 ways to add protein to breakfast if you feel like that’d be helpful for you too 🙂 https://www.snackinginsneakers.com/19-easy-ways-to-add-protein-to-breakfast/
Great tips! I’m pretty good at adding fruit to my breakfast, but could vary things a bit more.
Glad you found them helpful Michelle!