Foods That Seem High In Fiber, But Aren’t

Article by Vera Esther

Fiber is all the rage these days. Most food products in the store will broadcast across the front of their box how many grams of fiber they have. But do you really know how many grams is an actually substantial amount?

A major place people trip up in their understanding of fiber in in bread, especially in those long, torpedo sandwiches from places like Subway.

Think you deserve a trophy for getting whole-wheat bread on that 12 inch sandwich? Think again. You might get 10 grams of fiber—a hefty number—but you’re forced to down 49 (yes, an entire 49) grams of carbohydrates if you’re going to get the fiber! This is how it is with most whole-wheat options.

Whole Wheat Pizza is just another carbohydrate bomb since you’re forced to eat way too many carbohydrates just to get any fiber. Truthfully, your best option is to get a salad instead of that sandwich. Ask for some whole-grain bread as a side if you like.

Snacks are another culprit. So many snack brands try to look and sound as fiber-full as possible. Similar to the previously mentioned snacks that are sprinkled with brown specs and look grainy. When I was a kid, my voice coach would keep boxes of these around for her students. These unknowing children (including myself!) would come in, hoping to learn to sing better, and would be gorging on unhealthy snacks. The teacher said, “They’re healthy! They’re wheat-colored!”

Today I’ve learned that there are maximum 4 grams of fiber in a single-serving bag of SunChips and only 3 grams in 6 Trisquits. In other words, you have to eat two servings—knocking you up to around 500 calories, just to get that fiber at all.

Opt for highly texturized chips like flax seed tortilla chips. Flax seed or sesame seed crackers or chips are great since seeds help flush you out.

Muffins

They are staring at you from that shiny glass case right next to where you pay for your coffee. You think, “Hey, a bran muffin is healthy!” Admittedly, a bran muffin can offer plenty of fiber, but usually a ton of sugar, too. The only really healthy bran muffins are the ones that don’t taste all that great, and they certainly aren’t they ones found in major name coffee stores. Visit your local health food shop and grab their homemade bran muffins and if you really want more flavor, drop on some honey or agave nectar once you’ve warmed it up.

About the Author

Vera Esther is a healthy living, dating and luxury lifestyle writer. She has blogged about everything from organic wine tasting to speed dating and even unique ways to pursue hobbies like how to learn to sing online with http://www.bristowvoicemethod.com/

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{May 6, 2012} {Tags: , , , , }