High Fiber Breakfast Drink

You've probably heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Indeed, choosing the right foods in the morning can help get your day off to a great start. Most people don't get enough fiber for breakfast or at any meal, according to the American Dietetic Association. You can easily incorporate more fiber in your diet with a high-fiber breakfast drink.

Smoothies made from fresh fruits make excellent high-fiber breakfast drinks. (Image: romrodinka/iStock/Getty Images)

Recommendations

You can purchase fiber supplements, but the ADA recommends you fulfill your daily fiber needs by eating high-fiber foods, rather than by taking a supplement. The ADA reports that fiber supplements have not undergone enough testing to determine their actual effectiveness and health benefits. Rather than adding a fiber supplement to a glass of juice, prepare your breakfast drinks using foods that are naturally high in fiber such as raspberries, apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries, pears, almonds, flax seed, and pistachio nuts.

Creamy Banana Delight Smoothie

For a tasty, creamy high-fiber breakfast drink, try a banana smoothie. Place two bananas, containing 6.2 grams of fiber, into a blender. Add 1 ounce of sliced, unsalted almonds for an additional 3.5 grams of fiber. Add 1 cup of whole oats, containing 4 grams of fiber. Blend all of the fiber-rich ingredients, along with 1 ½ cup of milk and ice. If you like, you can substitute soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk. This nutritious dessert-like breakfast smoothie contains a total of 13.7 grams of fiber.

Tangy Fruit Smoothie

If you are looking for a refreshing high-fiber breakfast drink, try a fruit and berry smoothie. Take 1 cup of fresh raspberries, which contain 8 grams of fiber, and place them in your blender. Add 1 1/4 cup of halved fresh strawberries for an additional 3.8 grams of fiber. Take half of an apple, with the skin still attached, and chop it up into small chunks. Do the same with half of a pear. The half of the apple and the half of the pear contain 4.95 grams of fiber. Sprinkle flax seed on top of your mixture for omega-3 fatty acids and additional fiber. Add 1 cup of orange juice and blend all of the ingredients together.

Benefits

Fiber is an important part of any healthy diet. The ADA recommends that the general public increase their daily fiber intake. According to the ADA, men should consume 38 grams of fiber a day and women should consume 25 grams of fiber a day. Fiber may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by helping to lower your blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Fiber may also help prevent type 2 diabetes and promote weight loss and digestive health. Starting your day with a fiber-rich breakfast drink may help you to feel full and satisfied, so that you have the energy to get on with your day.