If you’re starting a strict keto diet, one thing you’ll have to look out for is nutritional deficiency. It’s easy to miss out on essential nutrients with a highly controlled diet and fiber intake is one of them.
To get enough fiber while you’re on a keto diet, try eating foods like flax seeds, chia seeds, avocado, almonds, berries, pistachios, and wheat bran. Other high fiber foods include cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and purple cabbage. Salads, dips, and toppings and help keto dieters load up their meals with fiber.
Read on to learn more about the best fiber rich foods and helpful dietary tips to get you started.
Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber
Your body needs a certain amount of fiber to maintain good digestive and gut health. It is an essential nutrient for people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), digestive issues, or diabetes.
Overall, there are two types of fiber you need to look out for: soluble and insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber takes its time moving through your digestive tract, which lets you feel full for hours after your meal. By adding soluble fiber to your diet you’ll feel less hungry, which will massively help with portion control and weight loss. Also, soluble fiber reduces the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed in your bloodstream, aiding in blood sugar control for diabetics.
On the other hand, insoluble fiber moves through your digestive tract quickly, pushing food along to ensure regular bowel movements. Insoluble fiber protects your body against colon cancer and bacterial infections. So you need to eat a diverse selection of foods to make sure you’re getting enough grams of fiber on the keto diet.
12 Best Low Carb Foods For Dietary Fiber
1. Flax Seeds
Packed with omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, and numerous antioxidants, flax seeds are a great addition to any diet. You can grind these oil seeds and add them to your salads, dips, toppings, or regular meals for that fiberous punch.
Two tablespoons of flax seeds will give you 4 grams of fiber and zero grams of carbohydrates. That’s a win-win situation right there!
2. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds have recently gained a lot of internet fame, but don’t let that fool you. These small seeds are nutrient rich and a heavy source of fiber, protein, omega 3 fatty acids, numerous vitamins and minerals. What makes them such an ideal ingredient is the fact that you can use them with anything.
Sprinkle some chia seeds on top of your yogurt or salad, add them to a smoothie or shake, or better yet turn them into a gel for a sauce or jelly! Two tablespoons of these all purpose seeds gives you 11 grams of fiber and 2 grams of net carbs.
3. Avocado
If you’re on a low carb diet you’ll definitely want to add some avocado to your meals. In addition to being high fiber foods, avocadoes are rich in monounsaturated fats, folate, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
Adding one small avocado to your meal gives you 9 grams of fiber and 3 grams of net carbs.
4. Almonds
In the world of nuts, none are as popular in low carb diets as almonds. Highly nutritious, almonds offer healthy fats, proteins, fiber, and a good dose of antioxidants. These nuts are also a great source of vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium, and have the added benefit of making dieters feel fuller for longer.
You can add them to your meals, use them as toppings on salads, or even carry around a few almonds as a healthy snack throughout your day. A quarter cup of almonds (approx. 22-25) will give you 4 grams of fiber and 3 grams of net carbs.
5. Berries
Some of the most antioxidant rich fruits, blackberries and raspberries are high fiber foods with a tonne of other health benefits as well.
One cup of blackberries gives you 7 grams of fiber, 6 grams of net cards, and fulfills 30 percent of your daily need for vitamin C. Additionally, studies have shown that eating blackberries regularly increases your body’s ability to burn fat, helping speed up weight loss when you’re on a keto diet.
One cup of raspberries gives you 9 grams of fiber, 8 grams of net carbs, and fulfills 50 percent of your daily need for vitamin C. Put these together in a shake or smoothie, load them up on top of your yogurt or oats and enjoy a delicious, fiber rich meal!
6. Pistachios
Another popular nut, pistachios are high fiber foods with vitamin B6, making them incredible at moderating blood glucose levels and hemoglobin formation. An ounce of pistachios (around 50 nuts) gives you 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of net carbs.
With their distinctive green color and unusual taste, pistachios are an amazing choice for healthy desserts like ice cream and cakes. But you can also sprinkle them on yogurt or use them in your keto salads.
7. Wheat Bran
While wheat bran is naturally found in whole grains, it may surprise you to know that you can purchase this incredient separately. Its coarse texture and nutty flavor makes wheat bran a great addition to your smoothies, yogurts, salads, soups, and desserts.
As a topping, you can get 6 grams of fiber and 4 grams of net carbs out of a quarter cup of wheat bran. The same quantity will also fulfill 20 percent of your daily selenium and 70 percent of your daily manganese requirements.
Plus, since wheat bran offers a high quantity of insoluble fiber its great for your digestive health.
8. Broccoli
A low calorie vegetable, broccoli is high in fiber, folate, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin K. It also offers a lot more protein than most vegetables and is a great source of nutrients both raw and cooked. In fact, one cup of raw broccoli gives you 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of net carbs.
If you are going it you should definitely steam your broccoli to retain most of its nutritional value. How you cook your ingredients plays a huge role in the type of health benefits you receive. Many fiber rich foods lose some of their value when cooked, fried, or boiled.
9. Asparagus
Asparagus is one of the best vegetables for people on a ketogenic diet. Its impressive health benefits include high values for vitamin K and folate. Overall, one cup of uncooked asparagus can actually provide you with 3 grams of fiber and 2 grams of net carbs.
10. Purple Cabbage
Purple cabbage is an extremely nutritious vegetable. With around 5 grams of net carbs per cup it’s a great addition to any keto diet. Plus, research shows that purple cabbage reduces risk of heart disease, inflammation, and some types of cancer. It’s also an amazing souce of vitamin C and K, providing 2 grams of fiber in a single cup. As far as plant foods go, purple cabbage will help speed up your weight loss efforts.
FAQs
How Much Fiber Can You Eat On Keto?
The FDA recommends that healthy adults consume at least 25 grams of fiber on a daily basis. Dietary fiber does a lot more than help you pass stool. It’s essential for blood sugar regulation, ldl cholesterol reduction, and IBS symptom management.
Having a suitable percentage of fiber content in your diet also helps with weight loss because fiber slows down fat absorption. That means you feel fuller for longer and don’t end up overeating.
Is It Ok To Take Fiber On Keto Diet?
For people on a keto diet getting enough fiber from the right food sources is a priority. Since keto is a high fat diet it slows down digestion, so having a suitable amount of fiber is extremely important to help the digestive system run smoothly.
Adding more fiber to your keto diet doesn’t have to be difficult at all. You can eat:
- fruits like avocadoes, coconut meat, and berries
- nuts like flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds
- vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, bell peppers, artichokes, spinach, green beans, and okra
- additives like psyllium husk and acacia fiber
What Is The 5 To 1 Fiber Rule?
Now you may be wondering what is the ideal carb to fiber ratio? That’s where the 5 to 1 ratio comes in. Compare the net carbs to the total grams of fiber. If the ratio is 5:1 or less then you’re in the clear. You don’t need to hyperfocus on getting the least amount of total carbs as long as this basic ratio is being fulfilled.
When it comes to starting and maintaining a keto diet most people give up early because they make it overly complicated. Once you have a basic list of keto acceptable foods you can mix and match your ingredients to come up with a range of delicious meals. Keeping the rules lax lets you stay committed to your diet plan.
Now that you know how to deal with the issue of fiber on the keto diet, what are you waiting for? Start now and get in shape before you know it!
