A Dietitian’s View on the Nutrition Trend, Fibermaxxing

Fibermaxxing.  You’ve heard of it right?  Oh, you haven’t? Well, you’re in for a treat.  Fibermaxxing is a current social media trend (thank you TikTok) where people are maximizing their fiber intake.  Get it?  Maximizing….Fibermaxxing- so clever.

Well, how much fiber do I even need? 

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000-2025 more than 90 percent of women and 97 percent of men do not meet recommended intakes for dietary fiber!  So, if you’re reading this there is a very high chance that you or the person sitting next to you is not hitting their fiber needs, time to listen up. On average, Americans are getting  about 15 grams of fiber per day, and the recommendation is (in general) 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.  Specific recommendations are 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories consumed.  Meaning, if you eat 2000 calories per day, you need 28 grams.  Fibermaxxing is hitting those recommendations and often exceeding them!  The trend seems to be promoting about 30-40 grams per day, so for a woman who needs 28 grams, that’s quite a bit more.

Wait, why do I even need fiber?

People on the paleo diet (don’t get me started!) say I don’t need fiber at all.  Ok, but just like you don’t NEED a car, it makes life a lot better right?  High fiber diets support gut health and digestion, improve blood sugar control and heart health, keeps you feeling fuller longer, which can help weight management or weight loss. Long story short, our body loves fiber.  And I don’t know about you, but a happy gut keeps me happy.  I’m not very pleasant to be around when I’m bloated, constipated, hungry….

FINE! I’ll eat more fiber.  Where do I find it?

Well, the best way is through foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds.  Check out this list, (click here) for a whole bunch of foods and how much fiber they contain.  On average a serving of fruits, veggies, and whole grains come with about 3 grams of fiber.  But this is an average and it really varies item to item (and serving size to serving size).  Raspberries come with 8 grams of fiber per cup, while beans come with about 8 grams for ½ a cup.  See what I mean?. But, you can do fiber supplements like Benefiber, or fortified fiber foods like Fiber One cereal if that helps as well.  Heck, you can even find fiber gummy bears.  Seriously- I’ve never had them, but they exist!

So, are dietitians actually supporting a TikTik trend?

Surprisingly….YES!.  Fiber is not a popular nutrient like protein- who is getting all the love teaser days..  Fiber is the grunt worker, doing all the awesome stuff behind the scenes and getting little to no credit.  So if Fibermaxxing is getting people to eat more fiber- then I hope this is a trend that stays!

Wait, there has to be a catch, right?

All too often these trends are expensive, or time consuming.  Not this one.  Whole grains, apples, bananas, baby carrots.  All relatively inexpensive.  And it doesn’t get much easier than canned beans. BUT!!!!  We do want to issue a warning.  (Sounds ominous right?)  You can do too much too fast!  Fibermaxxing promotes a lot of fiber, at least 25 grams or more.  But if you’re at 15 grams right now (or possibly less) DO NOT jump right to 30 grams.  It’s like stuffing a huge wad of toilet paper down the drain.  It’s gonna get clogged- and eating a bunch of fiber your body isn’t used to can cause some “backups” (you know what I mean?).  You need to add fiber slowly to your diet WITH water.  The water (or any liquid for that matter, but water is great!) is going to keep it moving through you. Literally.  Then, listen to your body.  Some people do well with lots of fiber and can eat as much as they want (seriously, I’ve heard of people eating 100+ grams per day without issue).  But others find too much fiber can bother their gut and cause bloating and discomfort.  So add it in slowly and find your sweet spot.

✅ Healthier Ways to “Fiber-Maxx” (RD-Approved)

1. Start the day with a dose of fiber:  oats, chia seeds, or berries with your breakfast(or all 3!)
2. Fiber fill your snack:  hummus and veggies, trailmix, or fruit with skin
3. Use lentils or beans: in salads, soups, and bowls
4. Swap in a whole grain: like quinoa, farro, and barley (in place of a refined grain like white rice, or noodles)
5. Add ground flax or psyllium to yogurt, smoothies, or baking (literally anything that stirs)
6. Spread the fiber: with avocado! On toast, in place of mayo, or as a dip (love me some guac!)
7. Power to the potato: With about 3 grams for a medium potato (doesn’t matter what kind) these little guys are nutritious and so versatile.
8. Pop in some fiber– literally- popcorn is a great snack AND contains almost 4 grams of fiber (3.6 grams if you want me to be exact- which is exactly the stage my 6 year old is in)

Final Word

Fibermaxxing, when done right, is a great trend that promotes a variety of foods, a happy gut, and disease prevention. Just avoid jumping in the deep end.  Go slow and focus on fiber quality, variety, and your personal tolerance matters more than raw numbers.

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy,

This blog was written by Chris Henigan MS, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.  For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.  Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.