1-1/2 cups chicken noodle soup                1-1/2 cups minestrone soup

150 calories                                      110 calories 

NO FIBER                                          10 grams fiber
                      
            

ENTREES


1/4 chicken (leg and thigh)               1-1/2 cups brown rice and peas

1-1/2 cups rice                           2 cups zucchini and tomatoes

720 calories                       6 slices grilled acorn squash

NO FIBER                            440 calories
                                           19 grams fiber


DESSERTS


small slice angel food cake               Baked apple with raspberries
100 calories                                100 calories
No fiber                                    8 grams of fiber



SNACKS


4 oz pretzel nuggest                      10 dried apricots halves

480 calories                             5 dried plums
  
No fiber                             6 dried apple rings
  
                                            235 calories
   
                                             9 grams of fiber


SANDWICHES


3 oz turkey on Italian br             3 oz veggie lunchmeat on 5-grain bread

290 calories                       with lettuce, tomato, and coleslaw

No fiber                               240 calories

                                              6 grams of fiber

You get fiber in your diet from fruit, vegetables, beans and grains. Technically, fiber is a very complex carbohydrate. It is a structural component of plants. Since humans lack an enzyme to digest fiber, it passes through our systems without being absorbed.
Why is it important? We used to believe that fiber had one function only: to prevent constipation. Many people called it roughage---not a particularly appealing name for something thats traveling through the tender interior of your body.
Because of it's somewhat unappealing reputation, if you say "fiber" to many people, they associate it with food that isn't tasty, like raw bran. But many tasty foods are also high in fiber, ranging in variety from minestrone soup and marinated artichokes to vegetarian chili, sweet potatoes, cherries, and dried apricots.
We now know that fiber is far more than a constipation fighter. People on high-fiber diets reduce their risks of a whole range of different health problems, from high blood pressure and heart disease to digestive disorders and cancer.
High-fiber foods are bulky. You can eat a large quantity and still consume very few calories. Most also take a long time to chew, so they slow down your eating. They contribute to a sense of fullness because they take up a lot of space in your digestive tract. Since they may take up to 24 hours to pass through it, they can take the edge off your appetite (and thus reduce your calorie count) for as much as a day.
High-fiber foods are also excellent sources of nutrients. If you're eating a diet high in fiber---including fruits, vegetables, and legumes--then you're eating a very healthy, low-calorie diet and not feeling hungry.

GREAT GRAINS

Are you still grabbing a limp pastry for breakfast? if you really want to feel your oats, switch to some of these great-tasting grains.

Our lineup of nutritious breakfast cereals packs lots of fibre(fiber) and tastes terrific. One cup (250mL) of cooked whole grains yields 3 to 8 grams of fibre. Add some fresh or dried fruit (1 orange contains 3 grams of fibre) and you're well on your way to consuming the daily 25 to 30 grams of fibre that Health Canada and USFDA recommends. Our great-start breakfasts take just minutes to make or they can be prepared the night before.

CEREAL STORIES
CHECK OUT YOUR LOCAL BULK FOOD STORE FOR THE FOLLOWING NUTRITIOUS GRAINS. BUY THEM IN SMALL QUANTITIES UNTIL YOU FIND THE ONES YOU LIKE BEST. GRAINS WILL KEEP WELL IN AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER, IN A COOL DRY PLACE, FOR UP TO FOUR MONTHS OR CAN BE FROZEN IN FREEZER BAGS INDEFINITELY.

1. Bulgur is made from cooked, dried and crushed wheat kernels and has a nutty flavour.
   

2. Couscousis a pasta made from hard durum wheat that's ground into semolina, then rolled into tiny grains.
   

3. Oats retain most of their nutrients even when processed into rolled oats.
   

4. Quinoa(pronounced "keen-wa") was one of the staple foods of the ancient Inca. Quinoa is higher in iron and contains more protein than any other grain.
   

5. Rye and Wheat flakes can be prepared the same way as old-fashioned rolled oats.
   

It's not OATMEAL!

There are few foods more comforting on a cold winter's morning than a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal. It takes just a couple of minutes to zap a single portion of this warming breakfast in the microwave. Follow the instructions on the package of rolled oats and try the followomg not-so-traditional flavouring ideas. All quantities are for a single serving of oatmeal.