10 High-Fiber Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
Dinner is where you can fit the most fiber with the least effort, because beans and lentils do the heavy lifting.
Key takeaways
- Build meals around a legume or whole grain plus a vegetable.
- Canned beans, rinsed and drained, are a fast shortcut.
Ten ideas
- Lentil soup. 1 cup of cooked lentils has about 15 g of fiber. Add carrots, celery, and tomatoes.
- Black bean tacos. Black beans, corn tortillas, cabbage slaw, and salsa.
- Chickpea curry with brown rice. Chickpeas (12 g per cup) plus rice (3.5 g per cup).
- Whole-wheat pasta with white beans and greens. Pasta (6 g per cup) plus beans and spinach.
- Sheet-pan chicken or tofu with sweet potato and broccoli. Sweet potato with skin (4 g) and 1 cup broccoli (5 g).
- Vegetable chili. Kidney and black beans, peppers, onions, and tomatoes in one pot.
- Stir-fry with edamame. Edamame, broccoli, carrots, and brown rice.
- Stuffed peppers. Peppers filled with quinoa, black beans, and corn.
- Split pea soup. About 16 g of fiber per cooked cup of split peas.
- Burrito bowl. Rice, beans, grilled vegetables, avocado, and salsa.
Shortcuts
- Rinse canned beans to cut sodium and some gas-causing compounds.
- Frozen vegetables and pre-cooked grain pouches save time.
- Make a double batch of soup or chili and freeze half.
Tip: if beans cause you trouble, read how to cook them without gas.
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.