10 High-Fiber Breakfast Recipes for Weight Loss

Few nutrients have as many attractive perks as fiber — and while it’s not hard to come by, few Americans are getting enough.

To be exact, just 5 percent consume enough fiber, per an article in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. The Institute of Medicine recommends women get 25 grams (g) and men 38 g per day. You can find fiber in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Fiber eases through your body, slowing digestion and creating feelings of fullness in your gut. This naturally leads you to eat less and prevents overeating. What’s more, high-fiber fruits and veggies are naturally low in calories, which may contribute to weight loss. One study found that people who consumed more fiber lost more weight when following a calorie-restricted diet compared with those who consumed less.

Because the human body doesn’t digest fiber, fiber doesn’t enter the bloodstream. As a result, it doesn’t cause spikes or falls in blood sugar, per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, fiber works to bind to bad cholesterol and remove it from the body, helping to lower high lipid values, per Cleveland Clinic. Eating a high-fiber diet might boost your mood and reduce depression rates, per research.