Choosing High Fiber Foods as Healthy Snacks

High fiber foods are essential when choosing healthy snacks for kids, adults, vegetarians and athletes because maintaining a smooth digestive system is the first step in making sure the body receives proper nutrition. Since it takes the body longer to digest high fiber foods, this slows down the digestive process, which can be helpful for a couple of reasons. 

First, because fiber rich foods are in the system for a longer period of time, the body can extract more nutrients.  Second, the fact that the food moves more slowly through the digestive tract means that the body feels full for a longer period of time.  This is why high fiber foods are good for natural weight loss, and why they make an excellent choice for healthy snacks.

How High Fiber Foods Benefit the Body

High fiber foods contain plant matter that can’t be fully digested by the body.  The foods may be broken down into very small pieces, but the stomach acids and other digestive processes do not distill the fiber down into chemical components like other food we eat. 

For example, the body may break down proteins to create amino acids that are used in building healthy muscles, and carbohydrates may be broken down into sugars that are stored in the liver for quick energy later.  This is not the case with fiber.  The thing to remember here is that healthy snacks should supply long lasting benefits, not short bursts that result in quick crashes.  That’s why high fiber foods in healthy snacks can sustain kids, adults, athletes and vegetarians longer than processed, sugary snacks.

One of the most appealing aspects of high fiber foods is their ability to act as “scrub brushes” for the digestive tract.  The particles of undigested fiber can actually sweep away waste products that may have collected along the walls of the intestines.  This may include a lining of mucus that blocks nutrients from getting to where they need to go.   When you consume healthy snacks with high fiber food ingredients your body gets help in scrubbing away this mucus, allowing nutrients to pass through more efficiently.  High fiber foods keep the colon clean, which in turn allows for better absorption of the nutrients from healthy snacks.

It is thought that the ability of high fiber foods to keep the intestines clean may actually help prevent a number of disorders, including colon cancer.  This is why it is important to consume plenty of fiber in your daily routine.  If you are often too busy to eat well-balanced meals it is a good idea to keep healthy snacks on hand that provide at least 4g of fiber per serving.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are good choices, as well as some fiber bars.  However, not all bars have enough quality fiber to be considered very healthy snacks. Sunbars are the perfect fiber bars.

High fiber foods are essential for a balanced diet and should be an important consideration when choosing healthy snacks for kids, adults, vegetarians and athletes.  Using high fiber foods as healthy snacks means that you are giving the body its best opportunity for peak performance.

Author Profile - Cliff Smith is a serious athlete and the owner of an online health food store. He has firsthand knowledge of the choices available today when it comes to healthy snacks for kids, adults, athletes and vegetarians. As a mountain biker, Cliff has covered thousands of miles of rugged terrain throughout the southwestern United States. He is also the author of numerous articles about high fiber foods and writes the Healthy Living Blog