Increasing the amount of high-fiber foods in your diet will do the same thing. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans , published by the United States Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, recommends an increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to increase fiber in the diet. In general, the recommended intake ranges from 20 to 35 grams per day. A good guideline is that common servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, and cereals contain about 2 to 3 grams of dietary fiber. So 8 to 10 servings from these foods should provide the dietary fiber that is recommended.
Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods and occurs in differing amounts and combinations.
Modern processing methods often reduce the fiber content in some foods. You can increase your intake of dietary fiber by increasing the amount of unprocessed foods. Whole-grain breads and cereals should be higher in fiber, but compare nutrition labels. Whole grains and cereals contain the entire, edible portion of the grain or cereal, for example, whole wheat, cracked wheat, bulgur, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, popcorn, brown rice, whole rye, and whole wheat pasta. Increasing dietary fiber in the diet may be good, but it does not mean an excess is better.