In 2024, I had a serious health scare that changed everything. What started as a possible heart attack led to big discoveries: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. I had to completely rethink everything. One of the biggest changes I made is my diet, and with that came looking at what my body needed, like fiber.
Fiber is super important for your body. It helps your heart stay healthy, supports good digestion, and can even help control blood sugar, something I now have to pay close attention to. But if you’re like I was, the idea of eating “healthy” might sound bland, boring, or just hard to do.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. I’ve found simple, tasty ways to add more fiber to my meals, without giving up flavor. Here are 7 easy swaps that can help you add more fiber to your diet easily.
1. Start Your Day with Oats
One easy way to get more fiber in your day is to eat oats for breakfast. Porridge, overnight oats, or muesli made with whole oats are great choices. Try to skip the sugary oat bars; they don’t help and often have more sugar than fiber.
Since my health scare in 2024, I’ve been to a bunch of nutrition talks. When they asked what I eat for breakfast, I said porridge with blueberries and sliced banana. The experts gave me a big thumbs up. It’s good for my heart, helps with blood sugar, and is packed with fiber.
If you don’t love the taste of plain oats, add some berries or a little honey. My go-to is smooth porridge, a handful of blueberries, and some sliced banana. It’s tasty, healthy, takes just five minutes to make, and it’s cheaper than most cereals. The only catch is that it’s a bit more washing up, but the health benefits are worth it.
2. Switch to Wholegrain Bread and Pasta
This one’s super simple. Just pick wholegrain or wholemeal bread, pasta, and rice instead of the white versions. At my local store, they cost the same and are easy to find.
The best part is that they taste the same, once you’ve added your usual toppings or sauces. I eat a lot of bread and pasta, so switching to wholegrain made a big change to how much fiber I get, without changing how I eat.
If you ask me, this is the easiest win on this list. No extra money. No extra effort. Just better for your body, especially if you’re like me and need to watch your heart health.
Also Read: 10 Amazing Reasons to Start Your Day with a Healthy Breakfast
3. Add Beans and Lentils to Dishes
Before my health scare, if someone told me to eat more beans or lentils, I’d have rolled my eyes. But now I’m all in. There are loads of tasty ways to add them to meals you already love.
For example, I love chili. All I did was add more kidney beans to the mix, same great taste, but now it’s better for my body. I also found a recipe for black bean quesadillas. You just mash the beans and use them as part of the filling. Super tasty, super easy.
Chickpeas are another winner. Toss some into a salad or grab a spoonful of hummus. These little changes pack in more fiber without making meals feel “healthy” in a boring way.
If you add beans and lentils to meals you already enjoy, you won’t even notice the change, but your body will thank you.
4. Snack on Fresh Fruit
Nutritionists always say, “Just eat fruit instead of junk food.” Sounds easy, right? But for someone like me, who craved snacks and sweets, it wasn’t.
What helped me was making fruit feel like a treat. I started mixing Greek yogurt with berries, nuts, and seeds. It’s crunchy, sweet, and creamy, like dessert, but healthy. I eat it almost every day now. It helps me stay away from cookies and chips.
Another trick I use is to put a big bowl of oranges where I can’t miss it, in the middle of the kitchen. They’re bright, easy to grab, and seeing them reminds me to stay on track. There’s even a photo of my kids next to the bowl, for that extra level of guilt-trip.
The key is finding what works for you. If you can swap just one junk snack for fruit, you’re already winning. And your fiber intake goes way up.
5. Eat Potatoes with the Skin On
When it comes to potatoes, I’ve made a big change. I mostly cut out white potatoes, except when eating out. And if the choice is between fried, creamed, or baked, I always go for baked. This is because the skin is full of fiber and good stuff your body needs.
Baked potato skin gets crispy and tasty, especially with the right toppings. I know not everyone loves the skin, but if you can handle it, it’s a small change that brings big fiber benefits.
And here’s something I’ve learned: the more healthy choices you make, the better you feel. Don’t focus on the scales. Just notice how your body feels. That feeling makes it easier to keep going.
6. Add Chia Seeds, Flaxseeds, Nuts, and Seeds to Your Diet
A super-easy way to get more fiber is by adding nuts and seeds to what you already eat. Each day, I make a trail mix with almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and more. It’s tasty, healthy, and takes no time to throw together.
But that method is asking you to add to your day-to-day, and there’s an easier approach. Instead, sprinkle almonds or pistachios into a side salad or add chia seeds to your cereal. It doesn’t change the taste and only really adds some crunch, but it helps your body a lot.
If you do want to go to the next level, consider making chia seed pudding (the image above). It’s just chia seeds mixed with yogurt and left in the fridge overnight. Once nicely chilled, we top it with things like banana and peanut butter. It looks and tastes like an indulgent, unhealthy dessert, but it’s healthy, full of fiber, and good fats (this is one of the nicest things I’ve ever eaten, and that includes food from before the health scare and diets).
Also Read: Simple Ways to Add More Omega-3s to Your Diet
7. Add Avocado to Meals
Avocado is one of the easiest ways to get more fiber. You can find them in most stores, and they’re not too pricey. All you do is cut it in half, take out the stone, and scoop or slice the filling.
I like to mash avocado with a bit of finely chopped onion and a squeeze of lemon, then spread it on crunchy wholegrain toast. Lately, I’ve even started adding it to tacos. This is super tasty when topped with some canned salmon.
You can also toss avocado slices into a salad or blend them into smoothies. However you eat it, it adds creaminess and boosts your fiber without much effort.
As stated, fiber is incredibly important for your body. Each of these simple methods of adding fiber to your diet is purely about making a swap or adding an extra ingredient to meals you’ll likely already eat.
What I’ve learned is that being healthier starts with small, manageable changes. Trying to do too much too quickly is a recipe for disaster. So start with one swap and build from there. Your body will thank you.