16 High Fiber Snacks
Are you seeking delicious snacks that also boost your health?
Dietary fiber is an essential nutrient that offers numerous benefits such as improved digestion, reduced risk of chronic disease and balanced blood sugars!
In this blog, I showcase these incredible health benefits before sharing 16 quick and easy high fiber snacks.
Whether you are aiming to improve your digestive health, control blood sugars or simply add more wholefood foods to your diet, these snack ideas will help you meet your fiber needs in a tasty way.
Get ready to discover the power of fiber and enjoy snacks with health in mind!
Understanding Blood Sugar Balance
Having an understanding of blood sugars is important to manage energy levels, prevent chronic conditions and live your best life.
Blood sugar aka blood glucose, is our body’s primary source of energy. It is actually the preferred energy for the brain, which is why stable levels are so important.
When we consume foods high in refined sugars or simple carbohydrates, our blood sugar levels can quickly spike, leading to a subsequent crash. These fluctuations can leave us feeling tired, hungry and weak.
Ready for the good news?
This rollercoaster can be avoided by incorporating nutrient-rich foods into our diet that are filled with fiber!
The Role of Fiber
Dietary fiber plays a crucial role in promoting overall well-being, making it an essential component of a healthy diet.
Fiber slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to prevent those rapid spikes and crashes. Plus, it aids in digestion, promotes satiety and helps to manage weight.
Fiber can be categorized into two types: soluble and insoluble. Let’s learn a little more about each fiber type.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like consistency to help slow down digestion and enhance absorption of nutrients. This type of fiber leads to feelings of fullness and improved glycemic control.
Soluble fiber also helps to bind to cholesterol in the digestive tract to excrete excess cholesterol to help improve cholesterol levels in the blood.
Certain soluble fibers are also considered fermentable fibers, known as prebiotics. This means they can provide food to good bacteria in the gut.
Examples of soluble fiber include oats, beans, lentils, brussels sprouts and flaxseeds.
Insoluble Fiber
Unlike soluble fiber, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, but it does add bulk to promote gastric motility.
This type of fiber passes through the GI tract without changing form. It helps to “sweep” clean your intestinal villi as well as the space between the villi.
This fiber also helps to bind with heavy metals and other toxic substances in your body to help get rid of them.
Insoluble fiber can be seen with the naked eye, such as the seeds on a strawberry or the strings in a celery stick.
What Type of Fiber Is Best?
Both are best! Including insoluble and soluble fiber as part of a balanced diet allows you to take advantage of each type.
How Much Fiber Do I Need?
This is a very common question that I get as a dietitian that promotes increased intakes of fiber filled foods.
The average American eats between 15-18 grams of fiber per day. Everyone’s needs are going to slightly vary; however, the recommendations below can be a guide.
Females
Age 50 or younger ~25 grams of fiber per day
Age 51 or older ~21 grams of fiber per day
Male
Age 50 or younger ~38 grams of fiber per day
Age 51 or older ~30 grams of fiber per day
Are you meeting your needs? If not, this is your sign to keep reading!
16 High Fiber Snacks
To help you easily bump up the fiber if you fall below the recommendations, I have compiled a list of 16 high fiber snacks that are as delicious as they are beneficial.
Be prepared to discover new favorite snacks that will not only delight your taste buds but also enhance your well-being.
Fruit with nut butter
Fruit combined with creamy (or crunchy!) nut butter creates a delicious and nutritious snack. With apples providing approximately 4 grams of fiber, pears containing approximately 5 grams and medium bananas around 3 grams, any of these fruits can help support steady energy levels.
Crackers with cottage cheese
For a savory option, high fiber crackers paired with cottage cheese meets all expectations. Plus, you get a boost of protein to further stabilize blood sugar levels.
A few of my go-to crackers include: Mary’s crackers (original is my favorite), Flackers Flaxseed crackers, Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheat crackers and Simple Mills as a gluten free option.
Berries with Greek yogurt
Indulge in the sweetness of berries with creamy Greek yogurt. All berries provide an excellent source of fiber with raspberries coming in at the top with approximately 8 grams per 1-cup serving!
Roasted chickpeas
Packed with around 6 grams of fiber per ½ cup serving, these crunchy legumes make a delicious choice while also supporting blood sugars and your gut.
You can also opt to use white beans instead of chickpeas. For a quick and easy recipe, check out my Roasted Cannellini Beans.
Limited on time during the week? Try Hippeas Chickpea Puffs! These make super easy travel or hiking snacks too.
Avocado on whole grain toast
Opt for a bowl of guacamole or the popular avocado toast to soak up all the heart-healthy fats and dietary fiber.
Avocados already have 10 grams of fiber per fruit and when paired with high fiber bread, you can take advantage of the extra boost.
Yogurt with flax seeds
Combine your favorite plain or Greek yogurt with the nutritional powerhouse of flax seeds.
Each tablespoon provides another 3 grams to your day. Plus, it adds a pleasant crunch to the creamy yogurt.
Broccoli with vegetable dip
Fresh broccoli at 5 grams of fiber per cup paired with a tasty vegetable dip not only enhances its flavor but makes for a quick bite between meals.
Black bean salsa with mini bell peppers
Dipping bell peppers into a cup of zesty black bean salsa will add about 11 grams of fiber to your day.
Pick the mini bell peppers for the perfect scoop size or slice any color of bell pepper into large chunks.
Cottage cheese with fresh fruit chunks
Consider chopping fresh peaches, berries, pineapple or apples to add to a bowl filled with cottage cheese.
This combination adds fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates to create a snack with all the necessary nutrients to fuel your mid-morning or afternoon.
Mixed nuts and seeds
Nuts like almonds, walnuts and pistachios provide a hearty dose of fiber while seeds such as pumpkin, chia and flaxseeds add extra nutrients.
All nuts contain notable amounts of fiber with almonds typically having the highest content at 4 grams per 1 ounce.
Kale Chips
One of my absolute favorite savory snacks! Kale chips are filled with all the crunch and flavor you could need. Plus, the fiber in kale makes kale chips a smart choice for balancing blood sugars.
Need inspiration on how to flavor kale? Look no further than my very own Kale Chip recipe!
Fruit Smoothies
Blending together a variety of fruits with creamy Greek yogurt makes for an ultimate treat. Try my Berry Fruit Smoothie for a dose of all the nutrients you need for a balanced snack.
Edamame
Savor the goodness of edamame by adding it to the snack routine. These little green soybeans are packed with an impressive fiber content.
As an added bonus, edamame can be easily steamed to enjoy on-the-go.
Granola Bars
If seeking a quick yet nutritious snack for travel days or on-the-go, granola bars can be a solution. While not all bars are created equal, you can verify the nutrients by taking a peek at the nutrition and ingredient labels.
In my opinion, Aloha Protein Bars are one of the best granola bars for diabetes! Each bar contains fat, protein and fiber to promote stable blood sugars.
Veggies and Hummus
Increase your fiber (and vegetable!) intake by dipping any combo of veggies into creamy hummus.
Add variety to snack time by selecting a variety of vegetable colors and hummus flavors. This is a dynamic duo that is sure to please your taste buds.
Popcorn
A classic snack that is surprisingly nutritious with a 3-cup serving adding 4 grams of fiber to your day.
Popcorn can also help keep you full between meals while making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to maintain balanced blood sugar levels. Add flavor and extra nutrients to popcorn by swapping salt for nutritional yeast!
Tips for Selecting High-Fiber Snacks
Gradually increase fiber intake: adding too much fiber too quickly can cause bloating, gas and poor nutrient absorption. Try increasing 5 grams per week until you meet the recommendations. For example, start with 10 grams fiber per day during week 1, 15 grams fiber per day during week 2, 20 grams fiber per day during week 3 and so on.
Drink plenty of water: increase water as you increase fiber to prevent constipation. Aim to drink half of your body weight (lbs) in fluid ounces per day. For example, if you weigh 160lbs, the goal should be 80 ounces of water daily.
Think food first: fiber supplements have their place and may be beneficial for some, but getting fiber from fiber-rich foods with other nutrients offers the greatest benefit. Use the ideas above to guide your snack choices moving forward.
Recognize individual variations in blood sugar responses: remember that the recommendations above are to be used as a guide. As you make fiber rich food choices, let your blood sugar responses guide future decisions. Overwhelmed on how to personalize fiber recommendations? Contact me!
Blood Sugars Made Simple
The education, list of high fiber snacks and expert tips provided in this blog can be used as solutions to support your well-being moving forward.
Feeling like you need additional support? That is totally understandable! It takes time to develop a personalized plan that meets nutrient needs.
That is why I have developed The Balanced Blood Sugar Protocol! Allow yourself to see a transformation in just 12-weeks as you implement lifestyle changes that promote optimal health.
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