Starting your day off with a healthy, well-balanced breakfast is a kind thing to do for your body and your overall health. For one, eating a high-protein breakfast can help set your metabolism up for the rest of the day, while also helping to keep you full until lunch. But protein isn't the only satisfying nutrient you should aim to get in the morning—eating a high-fiber breakfast is important, too.
According to Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD at Balance One Supplements, dietary fiber can help support "digestive health by preventing constipation and promoting regular bowel movements, lower cholesterol levels, provide prebiotic benefits to support the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, regulate blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and help with weight management by increasing satiety and reducing the overall calorie intake."
But with these benefits in mind, how much fiber should you aim to get on a daily basis, and how much should you eat at each meal? Ideally, "You should aim for around 30 grams of fiber per day," says Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim and member of our Medical Expert Board, "So aiming for at least 5 grams per meal is great."
If you're aiming to get around 30 grams of fiber in your day in order to enjoy the health benefits that a diet high in fiber can give you, you may want to start with breakfast. Check out these high-fiber breakfast recipes to get inspiration for getting started, then, if you need a snack during the day to help you get your daily fiber in, try one of these High-Fiber Snacks for Weight Loss.
Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal
Approximate fiber count per serving: 10.5 grams
When you're in the mood for something sweet in the morning, it can feel tempting to grab a muffin, donut, or other popular breakfast pastry. But these breakfast items are high in added sugars and will leave you feeling hungry shortly after. To satisfy your cravings and keep you full at the same time, try some peanut butter and banana oatmeal. You'll get about 4 grams of fiber from the oats, 1 gram from the banana, about 4 grams from the almonds, and 1.5 grams from the peanut butter.
Get our recipe for Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal.
Fiber-Filled Breakfast Burrito
Approximate fiber count per serving: 14 grams
The name of this breakfast burrito certainly doesn't lie. With 8 grams of fiber from the tortilla, 4 grams from the black beans, and 2 grams from the avocado, this meal will give you the fiber boost your body needs. Plus, you can make a few of these ahead of time, freeze them, and just take one out and bake it on a busier morning.
Get our recipe for Fiber-Filled Breakfast Burrito.
Crunchy Red and Green Breakfast Salad
Approximate fiber per serving: 8 grams
We get it, a salad for breakfast sounds a bit weird; however, we promise that it's not only delicious but also provides a helpful dose of fiber to get you to your daily goal. Not only does the combination of asparagus, kale, spinach, quinoa, and whole wheat croutons give you 8 grams of healthy fiber per serving, but you'll also get 23 grams of protein as well.
Get our recipe for Breakfast Salad.
Breakfast Loaded Sweet Potato
Approximate fiber per serving: 7-8 grams
Sweet potatoes are already a high-fiber food (6 grams per potato), but the addition of blueberries and granola helps bring this breakfast up to about 7 or 8 grams of fiber. And, it can help you satisfy those sweet cravings without the added sugar.
Get our recipe for Loaded Sweet Potato.
Plant-Based, Grain-Free Breakfast Burrito
Approximate fiber per serving: 12 grams
Anytime you see black beans in a recipe, you can rest assured that you're going to get some gut-friendly fiber to help keep you full until your next meal. The black beans in this recipe (2.5 grams per serving), plus the grain-free cassava tortilla (8 grams per serving), brings this dish to about 12 grams per serving.
Get our recipe for Plant-Based Breakfast Burrito.
Mediterranean Breakfast Burrata Platter
Approximate fiber per serving: 6.5 grams
You may not think of a cheese platter when you think of breakfast, but why not branch out of your comfort zone and go for a Meditteranean-style burrata board that is also going to pack in some fiber? With 1.5 grams of fiber per serving in the butternut squash, about 3 grams of fiber per slice of bread, and 2 grams from the pumpkin seeds, you'll have a nice hearty breakfast meal of about 6.5 grams of fiber. This one is on the lower end of fiber compared to the others on the list, so for a few more grams, try adding a handful of almonds to your platter as well.
Get our recipe for Mediterranean Breakfast Platter.
Paleo Smoothie With Yogurt & Granola
Approximate fiber per serving: 9 grams
You can still get a boost of fiber, even if you're on the Paleo Diet. With about 2 grams from coconut yogurt, about 2 grams from the banana, 2 grams from the chia seeds, and 3 grams from the granola, you'll be able to enjoy around 9 grams of fiber with this yogurt smoothie.
Get our recipe for Yogurt Smoothie and Granola.
Healthy Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Avocado Burrito
Approximate fiber per serving: 10.5 grams
As we mentioned earlier, we love a good breakfast burrito recipe because of how convenient it is to make, especially if you need to freeze and reheat during the week. And with this particular recipe including black beans, sweet potato, and avocado—all of which are fibrous foods—you'll get 10.5 grams of fiber per burrito.
Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
Approximate fiber per serving: 13 grams
Overnight oats are an easy way to prepare breakfast ahead of time so that all you have to do in the morning is grab it and go. And, another plus side is that oatmeal provides a boost of fiber. In this recipe, per serving, the oats come in at 4 grams, the peanut butter at 3 grams, the raspberries at around 1 gram, and for more fiber, just increase the amount of chia seeds to a tablespoon for an added 5 grams.
Get our recipe for Overnight Oats.
Pear Cardamom Oats Smoothie
Approximate fiber per serving: 12.75 grams
Juicing your fruits and vegetables takes the fiber away, but making a homemade smoothie is one way to keep some of the fiber intact. In this Pear Cardamom smoothie, you'll get 2.75 grams from the pear and 5 grams from the oats. For even more fiber, add in chia seeds for 5 more grams.
Get our recipe for Pear Cardamom Smoothie.
Turkey Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
Approximate fiber per serving: 19 grams
While you may have always reached for oats to get your fiber boost in the past, there are plenty of other fiber-full foods. For example, this breakfast hash has fibrous foods like sweet potato and bell peppers. That gives this recipe a total of 19 grams of fiber in each serving.
Get our recipe for Breakfast Hash.
Healthy Huevos Rancheros
Approximate fiber per serving: 8.5 grams
Huevos Rancheros are a classic and delicious dish, and they give you a helpful boost of nutrients as well. Ingredients like tomatoes (3.5 grams of fiber per serving), beans (2 grams), and tortillas (3 grams) help provide fiber for your first meal of the day.
Get our recipe for Huevos Rancheros.
Fluffy Banana Pancakes
Approximate fiber per serving: 8.5 grams (without counting toppings like almonds or blueberries)
People may automatically assume that pancakes are unhealthy, but these banana pancakes are full of healthy fats, fiber, and protein. For example, in one banana there are about 3 grams of fiber, and in one serving of white whole wheat flour there are also 3 grams of fiber. We know this is recipe is lower in fiber than some of the other options on the list, so we suggest topping it with blueberries and almonds for added fiber.
Get our recipe for Banana Pancakes.
Vegetarian Black Bean Omelet
Approximate fiber per serving: 12 grams
Black beans are an incredible source of fiber (2 grams per serving) and are considered one of the healthiest foods in the world. This recipe goes great with some sliced avocado on top, which people may not realize is also a great source of fiber as well (almost 10 grams per avocado!).
Get our recipe for Black Bean Omelet.
Oatmeal Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples
Approximate fiber per serving: 11 grams
This recipe uses oats but is a fun alternative to eating a bowl of oatmeal. The oats, apples, and whole wheat provide a nice boost of fiber and protein, which can help keep you full throughout the morning.
Get our recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes.
A previous version of this story was published on May 29, 2022. It has been updated to include additional copy and proofreading revisions, as well as updated contextual links.
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