Typically, when we think about diet, we think about protein, carbohydrates or fats. 

Some of us may want to increase good fats (avocados, nuts), decrease carbs (sugar, white flower), and maintain protein intake. Or maybe your focus is keeping intake of bad fats low (trans or saturated fat) and good carbs high (whole grains, beans, fruit, veggies). From diet to diet, things change. 

 However, there is one nutrient that almost every diet recommends increasing: fiber.

 Whether you’re Paleo, vegan, keto or pegan (yes, that’s real), more dietary fiber should be on the menu. Yet hardly anyone eats enough.

 According to the US Department of Agriculture, fewer than than 5 percent of Americans eat the recommended minimum daily intake of 25 grams of fiber. That's not a typo—fewer than 5 percent. On average, people consume only half the recommended amount.

 Compare that to protein—a nutrient America is obsessed with—where more adults consume about double what their bodies require. 

 Now, let's be clear, we're not hatin’ on protein. In fact, the average airfare pouch is packed with over 20 plant-based grams of the stuff. But protein has enough support. It's fiber that's in need of a cheerleader. 

 There are plenty of theories about why people don’t eat enough fiber. One national survey reported that people had the perception that “foods with fiber are expensive, unpalatable, and complicated to prepare.” Anyone that’s tried our snacks knows differently. 

 But let's get back to the purpose of this article, which is to explain why we should eat more dietary fiber and to show how to get it in a delicious and nutritious way.

Why we need more fiber

To start, humans are evolutionarily programmed to eat tons of fiber. Our hunter-gather ancestors used to eat between 50 and 100 grams per day (which incidentally seems to have led to large poops 💩). Tens of thousands of yers later, fiber remains crucial.

More fiber has been associated with the following positive health effects. Get comfortable, this may take a while.

• Lower blood pressure
• Reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer
• Improved bowel movements
• Increased diversity of the gut's microbiome
• Lower general bodily inflammation
• Reduced likelihood of arthritis

Fiber has also been shown to be satiating. The reason seems that it slows the process of absorption and also binds to foods in digestion to make them bulkier. The equation is simple: bulk + slowness = fullness. 

Bottom line: whether you want to be fuller for longer, or, you know, live longer, youwant to eat more fiber. The next logical question is...how?

How to eat more fiber on the go

Fiber, by definition, is part of plants (the non-digestible part). So, to eat more fiber, either take supplements or eat whole plant foods. The best kind of fiber—called insoluble fiber—comes from the latter. So the short answer to the question of where to get more fiber is pretty simple: eat more plants.

For people who are often on the go, this can be a challenge. One of the typical problems with convenient food is that it’s heavily processed. Usually, like in the cases of white flour and junk food, heavily processed means fiber-poor. 

The smart move, then, is to look for a few fiber-rich foods to depend on. In general, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all good bets. Like we pointed out in our post about eating healthy at Starbucks, the instant oatmeal, a banana, a “That’s It” Apple + Blueberry Bar, and the classic almonds deliver an impressive 16 grams of fiber. 

And as you’ve seen in our breakdowns of the healthiest places to eat in ATL, LAX, and ORD, finding a terminal with a Mexican or Mediterranean restaurant often grants access to the mecca of fiber: beans.  

Even when there's no time or access to one of these fibrous fiefdoms, there is one other place you can turn: airfare. That’s right, boys and girls, each pouch has a minimum of 15 grams of dietary fiber, almost 75 percent the daily goal. 

In fact, one of us was on a flight last week and had only two snacks, half a pouch: a Lupii Almond Butter Cinnamon Raisin Bite and Sun & Swell Santa Barbara Style Nuts & Seeds. Those two snacks alone got him all fibered up with 14 grams 🔥. That's more than half the way to a healthy day with just two snacks, and that's on top of the 18 grams of plant-based protein.

The bottom line is this—fiber is in plants. So fill up on veggies, fruits, nuts and beans, and get all the benefits of some delicious, fibrous goodness.

-Geremy, Justin and the airfare team