High Fiber Snacks

Almost everyone who visits nutritionists & dietitians and is watchful of what he eats, is well aware of the role of fiber in the diet. Every nutritionist and dietitian agrees to the fact that a complete and balanced diet is one wherein a balance of proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals and fibers is maintained. Fibrous foods and high fiber food are highly recommended not only for weight loss, but also for maintaining a good health in general. On an average a person needs approximately 20-40 grams of fiber daily, depending on the age and gender. An important point to keep in mind while choosing a high fiber snack is that one should avoid the intake of processed foods. For example white rice is completely devoid of fiber content.

So why is that nutritionists recommend high fiber food? What health benefits do they offer? Let us take a look at answers to these questions.

Benefits of High Fiber Foods

Some of the health benefits that snacks and foods with high fiber content offer are as follows:

• It is a known fact that a high fiber diet helps to avoid constipation. Fibrous foods are largely indigestible and therefore, prove to be a good solution for someone who is suffering from irregular or irritable bowel movement.
• A high fiber meal always gives a feeling of fullness which consequently, can help in preventing over-eating or binging. This way, the fibrous foods contribute towards weight loss and weight control.
• It has been medically proved that certain fibrous foods help in fighting certain types of cancer.
• Fibers help in lowering the cholesterol levels and in the process, protect the health from heart-related disorders.
• Fibers are known to play an important role in lowering and balancing the blood sugar levels. This proves to be particularly beneficial for diabetic patients.

Best High Fiber Meals for Kids

Kids are often choosy and moody when it comes to food. Rarely do we find them listening to their parents and showing a readiness towards following a healthy diet. However, making sure that a child gets enough fiber in his diet is quite important. In such cases, the low-calorie high fiber food prove to be a good option. These high-in-fiber snacks are a great and healthy way of ensuring that your child gets a sufficient amount of fiber through his diet. So what exactly are these fiber-rich snacks? Well, here's a list of healthy high fiber eatables your kids would definitely enjoy:

• a bowl of mixed nuts, almonds, raisins and walnuts
• dried apricots and figs
• air-popped popcorn contains a high amount of fiber as opposed to that prepared in microwaves
• bran and whole wheat cookies, cakes, waffles and muffins
• a bowl of oatmeal mixed with raisins
• nutritional cereal bars
• whole wheat bagels
• whole wheat peanut butter sandwiches
• whole wheat tortillas with peanut butter

At the same time, here are some easy fiber snacks recipes:

• Chop a couple of fresh apples, add a bit of honey and place the mixture in a baking dish. Top it with a little bit of cinnamon and bake at 350 °F for 25 minutes.
• Since oatmeal on its own tends to be quite bland in taste, a good idea would be that of mixing a packet of oatmeal with a bowl of milk and topping it with raisins and chopped almonds.
• Another snack option could be to chop a couple of fresh strawberries into a bowl of low-fat strawberry yogurt; topping it with a packet of oatmeal for a delicious yet healthy snack.

Additionally, you can also opt for fruits like apples, pears, bananas, grapefruits, blueberries, strawberries, figs, guavas and oranges which contain a good amount of fiber. In fact, fruits are the best form of fibrous snacks. Apples are amongst the best snack items in this category (fruits). Along with fruits you can also try vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, etc. in order to gain high amount of fibers. One of the best vegetable items for on-the-go snacking is the carrot. Try to incorporate some of these snacks in your child's diet. They can be both tasty and healthy. With all the aforementioned options it won't be difficult to find a suitable high fiber snack for your kids.