High Fiber

Updated on March 15, 2014
J.C. asks from Bronxville, NY
8 answers

Hello healthy ladies,

I've been following a high fiber diet due to diverticulitis. My doctor told me to eat brown rice rather than white due to its higher fiber content. So I never really looked at the label - white rice has 1g and brown rice has just 2g.

There are other grains I can choose but the family likes their rice and they like it white. But brown they will eat. Quinoa, not so much.

Anyone know of a brown rice that is higher in fiber content?

TIA

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So What Happened?

Thanks - I do count my fiber intake so I eat all sorts of high in fiber foods (veggies, lentils, apples). If it's high in fiber, chances are I've eaten it in the last few days! It's the rice thing that kills me. My family loves rice. So I want to get the most out of it. Personally, I love a good potato! These days its only sweet potatoes with the skin on for me!

Featured Answers

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Wild rice maybe.
It's a bit chewy.
Probably he suggested brown because is got a bit more fiber than white and it's very similar but rice in general isn't going to have a whole lot of fiber no matter what you do.

Have you tried oat bran (not oatmeal)?
A serving of that in the morning with a spoon of nut butter on it will keep you from getting hungry again for a very long time.
I add a few tablespoons of it into smoothies/pancake mix/biscuits/bread dough/meat loaf/etc (really you can add it to a lot of things)
Whole wheat pasta has a good amount of fiber.
And All Bran cereal is good too.

3 moms found this helpful

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

You're not going to get a lot of fiber from rice, be it brown or white or whatever. I would avoid looking for fiber in grains in general - corn and oats do have fiber but for many people, the inflammation that many grains cause isn't worth the fiber. Have you tried to get fiber from vegetables and fruit instead? I haven't had to deal with diverticulitis so I don't know what you can or can't eat but the diet I've been on for 6 weeks concentrates on increasing fiber to 35-45 grams per day. About half of that comes from my morning shake, which includes a scoop of fiber, but the rest comes from veggies and protein. Raspberries and other berries, peas, lentils, beans, fruits with skin on them like pears and apples, avocados, broccoli and nuts are all good non-grain sources of fiber.

One of the things that I do is that when my dietary needs are stricter than my kids' needs, I cook "normal" healthy food for them and then have other dishes that are just for me. So I'll make them a good, homemade rice pilaf with a mix of brown and white basmati rice but I'll have a stash of cooked quinoa in the fridge for me that I can heat up if I want a starchy side. Normally I just add in more veggies for myself and skip the starch altogether. Everyone will have grilled chicken or fish or whatever, but I'll make them some oven fries and roast some root veggies for me. So don't let their preferences get in between you and your dietary needs - you can substitute side without becoming a short-order cook if you have a ready stash of things like extra veggies or quinoa already cooked and ready to be heated and added to your meal.

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S.R.

answers from Washington DC on

You might try something called psyllium. It is in "metamucil"... it's a natural source of fiber. I take two tablespoons every night and it's a nice way to get your fiber without having to completely change what you eat. You can buy whole psyllium husks at your healthfood store.

3 moms found this helpful
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A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

hello
Wild Rice is a good one... and these days, they have all sorts of them... check out Trdr Joes.. I've seen black wild rice and a medley of brown rice with things like lentils (in the event the family likes lentils)
Also, you may already know this.... so if you do, disregard.. BUT... apart from the fiber which moves things along.. I think another reason to stay away from white rice (and other things like white flour and sugar) would be that they cause inflammation and if your intestines are already irritated, it's probably a good idea to abstain..
again, you may know this..
oh and if you do find a wild rice or another brown rice you like, try adding your own saffron to it.. it gives it a spark of addl good flavor ... I've also steamed rice in veggie in water with a veggie bullion cube... it tastes pretty yummy..

good luck

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M.J.

answers from Sacramento on

Do you eat a ton of rice? If not, I wouldn't worry too much. Try to get in the fiber through other foods. I was on a high-fiber diet for a while for IBS and it wasn't hard to add it in. Just starting off the day with Fiber One cereal helped. Do a Google search and you'll find long lists of foods high in fiber.

2 moms found this helpful

X.O.

answers from Chicago on

Freekah has 4g. It has an earthy texture but cooks quickly--about 15-20 minutes. You can make it into a Mushroom Risotto. (You can buy a bag from Costco).

Bulgur might be another good option, but I don't have any around right now so don't have the fiber value handy.

2 moms found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

A friend of mine (a health educator) had diverticulitis for years and had to avoid a lot of foods or she ended up in the ER. She has found a patented fiber product that has eliminated all of her problems, and she gets 10 grams of fiber per day just from that if she only takes the minimum amount, 20 is more like it, without getting diarrhea. Her stomach and intestines have settled down so now she can eat even the problems foods like seeds and popcorn. She's had no flare-ups if she's consistent. She likes the patented aspect because so few food products have them - and the manufacturer has to prove safety, effectiveness and uniqueness to get that.

She has also sent me to quite a few nutritional seminars - I've been to quite a few where psyllium fiber is discussed. Remember that it's a waste product that was basically re-bottled! It's not nearly as effective or good for you as a product with both soluble and insoluble fiber. It takes some of the pressure off you, and you will be able to eat other foods you are now avoiding, at least some of the time.

With rice, start cooking it with other liquids - stock (such as chicken stock to go with a chicken meal, some tomato puree to go with Mexican food, etc.). They won't notice that it's not white rice because it won't be white anyway! Try not to cook separate meals for the family - you'll turn into a short-order cook! And the white products are not as good for the rest of them anyway - try to get them to go for more whole grains in everything.

We also bump up the fiber by putting beans (refried, mashed up black or kidney) or mashed lentils in burgers, along with wheat germ and other grains, making great enchiladas with beans and peppers and peas/corn (with the aforementioned brown/tomato rice on the side), and so on. You can add vegetables to a baked potato, either on top or by making restuffed potatoes (scooping out the potato halves and adding onions, scallions, broccoli, etc. and putting it back in the shell and rebuking until brown). We always hid a lot of good stuff in our own lasagna. Make a good apple crisp dessert with oats and apple slices and some brown sugar/cinnamon - easy and much better for everyone than typical desserts.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

The idea is to get enough fiber. Serve white rice. That's ok. Just also eat other foods with fiber. There is no magic in rice. And/or take psylliam seed (Metamucial is one brand)to Iincrease your fiber intake. My family has had digestive issues including diverticulitis and drank juice and water with psylliam powder stirred in to it.

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