5 Signs You’re Not Eating Enough Fiber

[ad_1] <img width="800" height="534" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/low-fiber-sign-1024x683.jpeg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Signs you're not eating enough fiber | MyFitnessPal" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/low-fiber-sign-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/low-fiber-sign-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/low-fiber-sign-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/low-fiber-sign.jpeg 1504w" /> In the event you’ve ever felt bloated, sluggish, or always hungry regardless of consuming common meals, you'll have skilled among the signs of low fiber.

And also you’re not alone. Greater than 90% of Individuals won't be getting the really helpful quantity of fiber. That’s 25 grams of fiber per day for girls and 38 grams for males (1).

In actual fact, in accordance with a survey performed by MyFitnessPal, 88% of members surveyed say they don't know how a lot fiber, protein, carbs, sugar, or salt they eat every day. Solely 52% of individuals surveyed take note of how a lot fiber they’re consuming day-after-day.

Able to give attention to fiber and reap the advantages? We’re right here that will help you spot the indicators of low fiber consumption—and learn how to repair it.

Dangers of Not Getting Sufficient Fiber

Realizing what can go improper whenever you don’t eat sufficient fiber can assist encourage you to make it a precedence. A low-fiber eating regimen doesn’t simply mess along with your digestion—it may possibly result in extra severe well being issues over time, together with (3):

Elevated danger of coronary heart illness

Blood sugar fluctuations

Problem sustaining a wholesome weight

Elevated danger of colon most cancers

Signs of a Low-Fiber Way of life

Generally your signs are delicate, like a imprecise sense of fatigue and typically they’re extra apparent, like constipation, and also you simply didn’t join them to your eating regimen.

Listed here are among the most telling indicators that your fiber consumption might use a lift:

Constipation

Fiber provides bulk to your stool and helps all the things transfer easily by means of your intestines. With out sufficient fiber, stool can turn out to be laborious, dry, and harder to go, resulting in uncomfortable and rare bowel actions.

And when constipation is a lifestyle due to a low-fiber eating regimen, it may possibly trigger bloating, abdomen discomfort, and even hemorrhoids attributable to straining whereas utilizing the lavatory.

Fiber, particularly soluble fiber in meals like oats and beans, can ease this drawback. It helps pull water into the intestines and soften stool. Insoluble fiber from entire grains and sure greens helps, too. It acts like a brush sweeping by means of your system to maintain issues shifting (4).

<img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="643" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/fiber-quiz-1024x643.jpg" alt="Are You Getting Enough Fiber? Get Your Fiber Score" class="wp-image-54655 size-full" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/fiber-quiz-1024x643.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/fiber-quiz-300x188.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/fiber-quiz-768x482.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/fiber-quiz.jpg 1504w" /> You may additionally like

Are You Consuming Sufficient Fiber? Get Your Fiber Rating

Weight Loss Feels Laborious

In the event you’re consuming in a calorie deficit however nonetheless struggling to shed pounds, fiber is perhaps the lacking ingredient in your eating regimen. Excessive-fiber meals take longer to digest, which helps forestall starvation too quickly after consuming. (1).

Fiber additionally helps maintain your blood sugar on an excellent keel. This implies you’ll have fewer cravings for fast fixes like sugary snacks (6). Analysis exhibits that individuals who eat extra fiber naturally eat fewer energy all through the day by as much as 10% (7).

So, if weight reduction is your purpose, swapping refined carbs for fiber-rich entire grains, legumes, and greens would possibly make an enormous distinction in how happy you are feeling.

In regards to the Specialists

Caroline Thomason, RD, is a dietitian and diabetes educator combining her love of vitamin with the ability of constructing higher well being straightforward to grasp. With 12 years within the business, her work has appeared in additional than 40 publications. She’s additionally a speaker, broadcast spokesperson, and recipe developer.

Joanna Gregg, MS, RD, is a Meals Knowledge Curator at MyFitnessPal. She earned her Grasp’s diploma from The College of Nebraska. Her focus helps individuals discover the proper steadiness of meals, health and wholesome dwelling to succeed in their optimum well being.

Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD, is Meals Knowledge Curator at MyFitnessPal. She obtained her Masters in Diet Communication from the Friedman Faculty of Diet Science & Coverage at Tufts College and accomplished her Dietetic Internship at UVA Well being, the place she additionally works as a vitamin counselor for cardiology sufferers.

Lack of Power

You realize these blood sugar crashes that ship you to the merchandising machine at 3pm? Effectively, in addition they have an effect on your power ranges all through the day.

With out sufficient fiber to sluggish digestion, carbohydrates could also be extra rapidly damaged down into sugar, inflicting a burst of power adopted by the sudden urge to nap (6).

In the event you usually really feel blah after meals or battle with mind fog, strive boosting your fiber consumption.

Swap refined carbs for entire grains, add a serving of greens to your meals, or snack on some nuts and a bit of fruit to offer the regular launch of power your physique must maintain you going regular.

Irregular Bowel Actions

Constipation isn’t the one digestive symptom of a low fiber eating regimen. You additionally might discover that you've unpredictable or irregular toilet habits.

Since fiber helps regulate your digestion, a low fiber eating regimen can go away your digestive system feeling bloated, uncomfortable, or simply unpredictable (8). Regardless of which aspect of the spectrum your intestine tends to lean, fiber will probably allow you to regulate it.

<img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-guide-daily-dietary-fiber-1024x683.jpg" alt="Essential Guide to Daily Dietary Fiber Requirements | MyFitnessPal" class="wp-image-57148 size-full" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-guide-daily-dietary-fiber-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-guide-daily-dietary-fiber-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-guide-daily-dietary-fiber-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-guide-daily-dietary-fiber.jpg 1504w" /> You may additionally like

An Important Information to Each day Fiber Necessities

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Flare Ups

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a standard situation that may go away you experiencing diarrhea, constipation, or a mixture of the 2. One in 20 individuals within the US resides with IBS (9).

In the event you’re certainly one of them, fiber can play a key function in managing your IBS signs. Too little fiber in your eating regimen might worsen constipation, and enhance signs of bloating, gasoline, or cramping (9).

However, specializing in consuming sufficient fiber might enhance constipation, decelerate diarrhea, or typically assist regulate your intestine relying in your irregular signs (4, 8).

Particularly, soluble fiber is extra mild on the intestine than insoluble fiber (9). Excessive soluble fiber greens like candy potatoes, and carrots could also be meals to start out with for a mild enhance in your fiber consumption (10).

Needless to say rising your fiber consumption too rapidly or rising your insoluble fiber from meals like uncooked inexperienced greens can worsen IBS signs for some (11). Discuss along with your healthcare supplier about one of the best fiber technique for you if you realize you will have IBS.

FIBER & IBS: What to Eat & Keep away from

Meals to Embody (Typically Effectively-tolerated)Meals to Keep away from (Might Set off Signs)Oats (rolled or steel-cut)Wheat bran cerealsChia seeds (in water or smoothies)Entire nuts and seedsPsyllium husk (Metamucil, fiber dietary supplements)Corn (restrict to 1/2 cob or 1/2 cup)Ripe bananasCabbage (restrict to three/4 cups)Peeled and cooked carrotsBrussels sproutsPeeled zucchini (cooked)Onions and garlicPotatoes with out skinApples and pears with skinWhite riceWhole wheat bread and pastaCanned, well-rinsed lentils (restrict to 1/4 to 1/2 cup)Beans (particularly undercooked)Sourdough or spelt bread (low FODMAP choices)Canned or unrinsed lentils

Get Sufficient Fiber

In the event you’re struggling to get your every day fiber purpose, you is perhaps contemplating a fiber complement. These can typically have a spot, however usually it’s a greater concept to get your fiber from entire meals in accordance with Katherine Basbaum, a MyFitnessPal dietitian. “Along with the fiber, entire meals offer you a bunch of different wholesome vitamins, nutritional vitamins and minerals,” she says.

Listed here are some dietitian-approved methods to extend your fiber consumption:

Eat Extra Plant Meals

One of many easiest methods for rising your fiber consumption is to prioritize crops!

You don’t should eat a plant-based eating regimen or go vegan or vegetarian to reap the advantages of crops in your eating regimen.

All these entire meals are fiber all-stars:

Entire grains

Fruits

Greens

Beans

Nuts

Seeds

Professional tip: In terms of fiber, don’t overlook seeds! Joanna Gregg, one other MyFitnessPal dietitian, particularly likes flaxseeds.

Begin Your Day with Fiber

Breakfast can set the tone on your day. Beginning with a high-fiber meal can assist maintain you full and energized all morning. In the event you usually eat a low fiber breakfast, including one thing can go a protracted method to boosting your fiber consumption.

Strive including any of those to spice up the fiber in your morning meals:

Entire-grain toast

Berry smoothie

Chia seeds

Avocado

Apple

Banana

Oatmeal

Snack Sensible

As a substitute of reaching for chips or crackers, which hardly ever offer you a lot fiber, select nuts, seeds, uncooked veggies, or hummus as an alternative for a snack. As a dietitian, I inform individuals to shoot for at the very least 3 to five grams of fiber per snack! This might appear like a bit of whole-grain toast, peanut butter, and banana sliced on prime or it may very well be Greek yogurt with berries and chia seeds.

Begin Small

Boosting your fiber consumption doesn’t should imply fully overhauling your eating regimen. Easy, small swaps can add as much as massive outcomes.

Listed here are a number of concepts:

Select whole-grain bread on the retailer as an alternative of white

Add some beans to your soup or salad

Snack on hummus or bean dip

These small selections add as much as an enormous enhance in your fiber consumption.

Know You’re Consuming Sufficient Fiber

Unsure if you happen to’re hitting your fiber targets? You’re not alone—most individuals don’t monitor their fiber consumption, which suggests they won't notice they’re arising brief.

Your physique has methods of letting you realize! In the event you’re coping with any of the signs outlined above, like sluggish digestion, feeling hungry quickly after meals, or experiencing these dreaded power crashes, your eating regimen is perhaps missing this important nutrient. The excellent news is it’s straightforward to maintain tabs in your fiber consumption.

MyFitnessPal makes it easy by monitoring your every day and weekly fiber totals, so you may spot patterns and make small changes the place wanted. When you begin paying consideration, you’ll rapidly see the place you may stage up your fiber sport.