5 Fun Fiber Facts and My Birthday
Fiber isn’t flashy. It doesn’t have a trendy hashtag. But it is a quiet overachiever–supporting digestion, heart health, steadier energy, and that “I feel satisfied after I eat” feeling we all appreciate.
So let’s make fiber fun (or at least more fun than you’d expect). Here are a few facts you can use at the dinner table, at book club, or when you’re trying to talk yourself into adding berries to breakfast.
Fun Fiber Fact #1: Green vs. ripe bananas
A medium banana has about 3 grams of fiber, whether it’s greenish or perfectly ripe.
But greener bananas usually have more resistant starch–a type of starch that acts a lot like fiber in the body (it’s not fully digested and can be friendly to your gut). As the banana ripens, resistant starch decreases and sweetness increases.
Translation: greener banana = less sweet + more “slow-and-steady” fuel.
Fun Fiber Fact #2: Popcorn math (because it’s our Official State Snack)
Popcorn is a whole grain snack, and 3 cups of air-popped popcorn gives you about 3 grams of fiber.
So…
- Want ~6 grams of fiber from popcorn? Aim for about 6 cups.
- Want ~10 grams? That’s around 9–10 cups. (That’s a lot of popcorn!)
Totally doable for movie night. Less practical if you’re snacking while standing at the pantry door. 😉
Fun Fiber Fact #3: Can fiber help with weight loss?
Fiber isn’t magic, but it can be a very helpful teammate.
High-fiber meals often help you feel fuller longer, which can mean fewer snack attacks and less “mysterious hunger” an hour after lunch. Research consistently connects higher fiber intake with easier weight management (mainly because of satisfaction and lower overall calorie intake–not because fiber is doing anything dramatic in your metabolism).
Translation: fiber doesn’t “burn fat,” but it can help you stay on track without feeling deprived.
Fun Fiber Fact #4: If it grew from the ground, it has fiber
Fiber comes from plant foods: fruits, veggies, beans/lentils, whole grains, nuts, seeds.
If it had a face… it doesn’t have fiber.
(That doesn’t mean animal foods are “bad” –it just means plant foods need to show up regularly.)
Fun Fiber Fact #5: The cook-then-cool trick
When you cook and then cool foods like potatoes, rice, or pasta, some of the starch can shift into more resistant starch. (Hello, leftover potato salad and next-day rice bowl.)
Easy “fiber boosters” that don’t taste like cardboard
If you want a few quick wins:
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds in yogurt/oatmeal
- ½ cup beans added to soup, salad, or taco bowls
- 1 cup raspberries/blackberries
- 3 cups air-popped popcorn
A gentle reminder (from your digestive system)
If you increase fiber, do it gradually… and drink water. Fiber loves water. Without it, things can get a little… uncooperative.
Let’s Celebrate My Birth Month 
As usual, I’m celebrating my entire birth month–because why should kids be the only ones who get birthday parties? 🥳
And it’s a good time to reflect: what’s working, what’s not, and what still feels aligned with who I am today. What needs to go? Birthdays remind me to be intentional with the time I have.
If you want to join me in the celebrating, make it simple: pick one small upgrade you’ll enjoy this month–more walks, a lunch date, a fun class, a new recipe… or a cozy bowl of popcorn while you watch your favorite movie. Bonus upgrade question: What’s one thing you could drop, and one thing you could add, to make life feel a little more aligned?
Celebrating together,
Health Coach Carol
“If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance. If you got a dream, chase it, ’cause a dream won’t chase you back. If you’re gonna love somebody, hold ’em as long and as strong and as close as you can. ‘Til you can’t.”—Cody Johnson, “Til You Can’t”