Eat Fiber

Oatmeal Apple Muffins

My wife got this breakfast recipe from the USA Weekend newspaper insert.

Oatmeal Apple Muffins

1 egg

3/4 cup fat-free half-and-half

3 T canola or olive oil

1/3 cup Splenda

1 medium apple, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup cooking oats

1/4 tsp salt

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsps cinnamon

Mix egg and liquids in bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Bake 15-20 minutes.

This is not a "high" fiber recipe, but compared to regular muffins and breakfast rolls, it's a nice alternative. (Each muffin contains 3 grams of fiber and 8 grams of fat.)

Oatmeal for Breakfast

Get things started right with a healthy breakfast on a daily basis.

During one of my "phases" several years ago I'd skip breakfast and go directly to snack time. Sometimes I'd grab a packet of crackers at the local convenience store, or worse--a Snickers bar--and a Coke to eat and drink during my 45 minute commute to work.  On weekends I used to eat a more traditional breakfast of bacon, eggs or sausage and toast.

The last couple of years I've been grabbing some fruit and eating a bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal has changed since I started eating it 35 years ago. Quaker Oats has some flavored oatmeal that makes a sometime ordinarily bland food pretty tasty. This morning I had banana bread flavored oatmeal consisting of 6 grams of fiber and 3 grams of fat.

For those of you keeping score in terms of the 20/30 Fiber Plan, that leaves me 24 grams of fiber and 17 grams of fat to go today.

Here's some helpful breakfast nutrition information courtesy of the Quaker Oats website and the USDA.

Fat Loss for Idiots

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Eating More Fiber

Want to get more fiber into your diet? It's easy. Just eat more foods that are high in fiber.

Fruits and vegetables that are excellent sources of fiber:

• Apples
• Beans
• Berries
• Carrots
• Figs
• Oranges
• Pears
• Peas

Here are some good sources of fiber from grains and breads:

• Bran muffins
• Brown rice
• Multi-grain cereals
• Oatmeal
• Popcorn
• Whole-wheat bread

Changing your eating habits doesn't have to be a "sacrifice". You're more likely to stick to your high fiber diet by transitioning to higher fiber foods gradually. Start by adding an apple as an afternoon snack, eat multi-grain breakfast cereals and substitute whole wheat breads for white.

It sounds easy because it is!

Fit Over 40

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