I was listening to satellite radio this morning and heard hungry-girl.com give a tip about how to bake instead of fry chicken. She mentioned putting Fiber One cereal into a blender with a bunch of spices and then using a  fat-free liquid egg substitute -like Egg Beaters Original – instead of eggs and dipping the chicken into the egg sub, then the home-made bread crumbs and then you can bake the chicken. I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds like it could work out pretty well. I have that Magic Bullet so it should be a breeze to do and easy clean-up, which always makes a recipe that much more enticing to try.   I always say that Rachel Ray may do 30 min meals, but she uses 30 different pots & pans and it takes way too long for clean up. So much for 30 mins —

Lately I have been hearing a lot about fiber and how important it is to your overall health.  It is being added to foods and promoted heavily.  I looked up to see why fiber is so important and found this at Wellsphere.com

Eating fiber can have lots of health benefits. There are two different types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Both will help your body in different ways as outlined below.

• Soluble fiber can be digested by your body, and may help to reduce the amount of cholesterolblood. Cholesterol is a naturally occurring fatty substance that can clog up your arteries if you eat a diet that is too high in fat. Beans, oats and lentils are good sources of soluble fiber. in your
• Insoluble fiber can’t be digested. It passes through your gut without being broken down, and helps other foods to move through your digestive system more easily. Insoluble fiber keeps your bowels healthy and helps prevent constipation and other digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Wholemeal bread, wholegrain rice, wholegrain breakfast cereals, and fruit and vegetables, are all good sources of insoluble fiber.

Eating foods that are high in fiber will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. This may help you if you are trying to lose weight.

So after hearing her tip this morning, I took a look  at hungry-girl.com, and  found some great recipes that pack in the fiber! Even more tips, details and other great ideas can be found if you sign up for their newsletter.

Keep in mind – that not all of these recipes are keeping with the “eating clean” philosophy that I personally think is the best way to go.  I am realistic about busy lives with families and realize that compromises have to be made.  When I can, I choose the food options that are closest to clean, but many times that’s not easy or viable.  So do what’s best for your own lifestyle.

1. Lord of the Onion Rings – 16g fiber! No matter how famous they get, they remain totally humble… and totally crunchy.

2. Sassy Southwestern Roll-Ups – 14g fiber! Yay, beans! Yay, fiber-packed tortilla! YAY, deliciousness!

3. The Rat(atouille) Pack – 10.5g fiber! Want a whole lot of natural-fiber veggie goodness? We’ve got it right here.

4. Nice to See Ya! Quesadilla – 15g fiber! Wake up and start your day RIGHT with this cheesy, egg-y, bacon-licious breakfast with a Mexican twist.

5. Fiber-ific Chicken Parm – 11g fiber! This delicious take on a classic will TOTALLY satisfy your need for hearty Italian dinners…

6. Complete & Utter Oatmeal INSANITY! – 11g fiber! Do you SEE that fiber count?! And that’s in just one bowl of oatmeal. MADNESS!

7. Peachy-Keen Black Bean Soup – 7.25g fiber! A mere cup of this stuff is fiber-ific — and easy to make, too!

8. Crazy-Good Carrot-Cake Pancakes – 8g fiber! A hearty, high-fiber breakfast never tasted so much like a delicious dessert.

Remember,  fiber can also help with your weight loss goals.  Some research shows that weight loss from fiber is contributed strictly to the fact that high-fiber foods generally require more chewing time, which gives the body time to signal when you are no longer hungry.  Research also shows fiber stays in the stomach longer, absorbs water, swells, and thereby makes the body feel “full”. A high-fiber diet also tends to make a meal seem larger and linger longer, so you stay fuller for longer periods of time. And if you eat high-fiber goods together with high-fat foods you can actually decrease the absorption of fat.

After this post, I hope you go home armed and ready to try to figure out creative ways to add fiber into your own diet.