Dietary fiber is great for your body! You’ll find fiber in food like grains and vegetables, although if you’re living a low-carb or keto lifestyle, you probably won’t be consuming many grains. That means that consuming veggies is even more important to get the fiber you need, which is doubly beneficial because that’s where you’ll get the most bang for your buck in terms of nutrient content and fat (or lack thereof). We’ve already talked about net carbs in another lesson and that’s why veggies are so amazing no matter what kind of diet you’re following.

But back to fiber in general – fiber helps you to feel more full. Consuming empty calories (foods that contain calories/fat, etc without providing much in the way of nutrients) won’t do much in terms of filling you up while just contributing to weight-gain. However, foods high in fiber also tend to be better for you, so you get the added benefit of eating less while getting more, so to speak.

Fiber is also great for gut/intestinal health, which is often overlooked when considering overall health. A healthy gut microbiome is essential for a strong immune system, good digestion, improved sleep quality, mood stability, and more! So, adding additional fiber to foods you’re already eating is a great strategy for helping you to eat less at that meal while contributing to you being able to wait longer before your next meal. I personally add chia and flax seeds to many of my meals, especially salads. They provide a small bit of crunch but don’t have any flavor so they won’t mess up whatever taste you’re going for.

Bottom line: fiber is almost always a good thing (unless you have some underlying health condition that fiber is detrimental to) and consuming or increasing your dietary fiber content is great for satiation, health, weightloss, and more.