Summarize:

Aim to add about 5 g of fiber daily until you reach your goal. Adding too much fiber too quickly can result in some gastrointestinal stress like loose stools, constipation, painful bowel movements, bloating or gas. Keep track of how much fiber you're eating and how much more you need to consume by keeping a food journal or using a food journal app. These can help you tally up your total fiber intake each day. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet will add fiber. However, if you eat the skin on many fruits and vegetables, you can maximize the amount of fiber from that food. For example, don't peel apples before you eat them or if you're eating potatoes, try to leave the skin in the dish (such as if making baked or mashed potatoes). Eating fruits with seeds is also a great way to consume more fiber. Berries are among the highest in fiber due to their miniature seeds that are consumed when eating them whole. Whole grains offer more fiber to your diet. Slowly swap out any refined grains you eat with 100% whole grains. Try 100% whole wheat pasta or pasta made from brown rice or quinoa. If you don't like the taste, mix it with a little regular pasta. Have brown or wild rice instead of white rice. Alternatively, try some barley, quinoa or millet. Instead of white bread products, use 100% whole wheat bread. If you like to eat toast in the morning, make it whole wheat bread. Alternatively, there are brands of bread and English muffins that have 5 or more grams of fiber per slice. Check to make sure processed foods like bread or pasta are 100% whole grain by reading the food label. The first ingredient should be 100% whole grain flour. No other refined or enriched flours should be listed. If you can get a fiber-packed breakfast routine going, it may help you easily reach your daily fiber goal. If you don't like the taste of these, don't worry; you can mix in half a cup of bran cereal with whatever other cereal you like. Eat a cereal with 5 or more grams of fiber per serving. Read the food label to check how much fiber is in one serving (or however many servings you'll be eating) of that food. Cereals like oatmeal or a bran-based cereal are good options to start with. Substitute old fashioned steel cut oats for microwave instant oatmeal for an additional 2-4 grams of fiber per serving. If you have a favorite cereal you just can't let go of, add few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran or mix it with a high fiber cereal. Make sure your breakfast also includes protein to ensure that the high carb count in fiber rich foods doesn't cause a blood sugar spike/drop and cravings later in the day. Try changing up some of your recipes or meals to include more whole grain or high-fiber foods. Bake muffins that incorporate crushed bran cereal or unprocessed wheat bran. Add fruits like berries, raisins, or bananas to your cereal or yogurt to increase your fiber by 1-2 grams. Substitute oat, flax or whole wheat flour for white flour in baked goods for an additional 1-2 grams of fiber per serving. If you're making pancakes or waffles from scratch, substitute wheat bran for a third of the all purpose flour. Add crushed bran cereal or unprocessed wheat bran to casseroles, salads, cooked vegetables, and baked products (meatloaf, breads, muffins, casseroles, cakes, cookies). Add beans and lentils to salads, soups or stews for an extra boost of fiber. Including fiber-rich food choices for snacks will also help you meet your daily goal. Fiber rich snacks include: carrots and hummus, a handful of edamame, raisin and nut trail mix or popcorn. You can also try pre-packaged foods that contain high amounts of fiber as well. Granola bars and dry cereal can be a great high-fiber snack. A variety of international cuisines focus on whole grains and legumes both of which are high in fiber. Foods like Indian, Lebanese or Mexican feature beans, lentils and rice. Try a few online websites for recipes or purchase a cookbook to have on hand at home. When preparing international dishes, always choose whole grains. A recipe may call for white rice, but use brown rice instead. A quick and healthy way to boost fiber intake is to add frozen vegetables to any soups you are preparing. This is a low calorie way to add more bulk to your diet and vegetables are low calorie and healthy as well. Toss in a few handfuls of frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or peas a few minutes before the soup is finished cooking and you'll have a nutrient packed low calorie meal in minutes. Another great way to increase fiber in your diet is to start adding flaxseeds to your bowl of yogurt or cereal in a morning. Flaxseeds are a rich source of fiber, plus they are loaded in essential fatty acids which are imperative for good health. Flaxseeds help to control your blood sugar levels as well, so that you don't suffer an energy crash shortly after eating. Add flaxseeds to your smoothies for extra fiber. Blackberries particularly are high in fiber, so if you can add a half cup to some protein powder, skimmed milk, yogurt and a few ice cubes, you will have a very nutritious dense shake in minutes that is protein rich as well as high in fiber. Berries are also rich in antioxidants, which help promote general health. Add chia seeds for extra fiber and omega fatty acids.
Add fiber to your diet slowly. Leave the skin on your fruits and vegetables. Replace refined, processed grains with whole wheat products. Eat a wholegrain or high fiber cereal for breakfast. Cook or prepare foods and recipes with high-fiber ingredients. Choose high fiber snack foods. Prepare international recipes. Add frozen vegetables to soups. Add flaxseeds to yogurt. Add some berries into your protein shake.