Fiber is our Friend!

I recently put together this list for a friend, and thought it was so good I should just share it with the world.  

Fiber is our Friend-yes it is!

(aka food that tastes decent, but has lots of fiber, and other stuff)

So here’s the thing-although I’m carrying to many pounds around, my cholesterol levels are both perfect.  I attribute that to the fact that I push fiber through me every chance I get.  Here are some of the “tricks” I use to get fiber in me without feeling I’m eating a piece of lumber:

Kroger lite mayo-half the fat of regular may but tastes right. 

Kroger’s Mediterranean bar has diced garlic gloves marinated in olive oil.  These are better than ANY garlic in a jar or can.  Keep some on hand at all times.  They have a very “sweet” flavor to them.

Take some of that mayo, add some chopped up garlic and chopped up cilantro and lime juice.  This makes a great alternative to just mayo for your sandwiches.

Minute Rice Ready to serve brown/natural grain rice.  Only at Kroger I think.  Make sure you get the package that comes in two ready-to-nuke cups.  That seems to be the only version of it that has that combination of grains.  This is great for a quick lunch (it’s okay to add a little butter) or on wraps, which I’ll get to in a minute.  Also is just the right size to have as a side dish at dinner.

Progresso high fiber soups.  Yes, they are.  But be careful as most of them are pretty high sodium too.

Wraps-“Ole” brand and “Flat Out” brand are the highest fiber brands (36 and 31% of the daily recommended value of fiber).  I’ve only found them at Food Lion, but haven’t looked too hard anywhere else.  Example of use:  I spread some of the garlic/mayo stuff on one of these for dinner tonight, added some chopped up cilantro (another great thing to keep around) and some heated-up black beans, then sprinkled some fresh lime just on it.  Filling lunch/dinner, about 250 calories, lots of fiber and practically no fat. 

Black beans-another great thing to keep around as they are ridiculously high in both protein and fiber. 

Kroger brand oat and honey granola-on the cereal aisle, on the top shelf in a “yellow” box.  You have to look for it.  High in fiber and yummy.  It also has sliced almonds in it. And for about $2 a box, it’s cheap too.  I’m addicted to it.  For your afternoon snack, put some in some fat-free vanilla yogurt.  Lite and Lively makes a good one, but to get the most possible protein, get Chobani non-fat vanilla yogurt.  I don’t know why, but it has more protein than any of the others.  Yes, I’ve stood at the grocery store shelf and studied this. 

Kellogg’s frosted mini wheats-yummy, and high fiber.  You may rot your teeth out, put you’ll poop like a champ.   I like to munch on some (dry) on my way to work for breakfast.

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal Cups.  It’s got a lot more “body” than other instant oatmeal.  It’s got big “flakes” of oatmeal and things like apple chunks, cranberries and nuts in it. 

“Active Lifestyle” instant oatmeal.  The highest fiber one of them all, also the best.  It has more “texture” than other instant oatmeals.

Bread-“Arnold” makes a “double fiber” whole wheat.   It’s not as good as the Pepperidge Farm version, but seems to be easier to find.