High Fiber Low Fat Diet

As the world becomes increasingly conscious of their diet and health, high fiber low fat diet is something that everyone wants to know about. Popularized by fitness experts and nutritionists, a diet high in fiber and low in fat, is essential for those wanting to follow a healthy lifestyle, those wanting to lose weight and ward off obesity and especially for those suffering from disorders like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar levels. So what is it that makes a diet rich in dietary fiber so beneficial? Let's find out.

Benefits of High Fiber Diet
It is an established fact that most people's diet is rich in salt, fats and sugar, things that cause more harm than good. A high fiber diet is therefore considered as a healthy diet. Dietary fiber, mainly obtained from fruits, vegetables and whole grains, contain certain parts of plant foods that the digestive system is incapable of absorbing or digesting. Therefore, they are eliminated from the body as it is and thus play an important role in regulating bowel movements. Fiber obtained from foods is of two kinds, insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Both play vital roles in imparting the benefits to dietary fiber and are equally important. Dietary fiber enables easy digestion and quick and easy elimination of bodily wastes, thus preventing and sometimes even reversing digestive disorders. Other important benefits of a high fiber diet include, the prevention of diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic constipation, lowers blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels, lowers the risk of obesity and aids in the process of weight loss. For quick weight loss, a high fiber low fat diet should be incorporated along with exercise.

High Fiber Low Fat Diet Plan
High fiber foods have very little fat content which makes them ideal as, low fat diet components. This property of theirs also makes losing weight easy by including these foods, as a part of one's daily diet. So if you are looking to lose weight fast, you must follow a high fiber low fat diet plan that consists of healthy foods. A high fiber low fat diet can also be an ideal diabetic diet. Foods high in fiber and low in fat include apples, beans, cereals, whole grains, parsley, soy, guava, chickpeas, blueberries, barley, etc. Include these foods in your daily diet for a balanced and nutritious food intake. This diet will be helpful to reduce menopausal symptoms, fight obesity and even prevent Parkinson's disease and colon cancer.

High Fiber Low Fat Diet Recipes

Breakfast

Apple Oat-Bran Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large green cooking apples
• 1 1/4 cups oat bran
• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 12-ounce can apple juice concentrate
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Method
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Peel, core and chop the green apples and keep aside. In a large bowl, mix the pastry flour, white flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and oat bran. Mix and stir well. Then, add the apple juice, water and chopped apples to the mixture and work into a thick batter. Grease the muffin pan with some olive oil, pour the batter into the grooves, bake for around 30 minutes and serve hot.

Lunch

Bean and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 pound canned black beans, drained
• 1 cup salsa
• 4 sandwich buns, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup recipe-ready crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Method
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a blender, mix together the tomatoes, cumin and beans and blend well until smooth. Saute this mixture in a pan and keep aside. Remove a little of the center of the sandwich bun and fill it with the mixture. Repeat for all the sandwich buns. Place the buns in the oven and bake for around 5 minutes. Serve hot with salsa.

Dinner

Black Beans and Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 cup black beans, soaked overnight
• 1 cup raw couscous
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 6-8 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Method
Steam the couscous and keep aside. Place beans and bay leaves in a saucepan with some water and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, pepper, cumin and oregano. Simmer until the beans have softened and then add the baking soda and salt. Stir, mix well and serve the couscous with the cooked black beans.

Try out these recipes and try inculcating more fiber content into your daily diet. Follow a high fiber low fat diet for a healthy living and prevention of various disorders.