Here are 3 tips for eating more fiber from a plant-based cardiologist

• Most of us don't get enough fiber.
• A cardiologist said it's key to add fiber to your diet slowly, to avoid gas and bloating.
• Frozen fruits and veggies make it easier to eat fiber-rich meals without worrying about spoilage.

Fiber has a bit of a reputation problem. Gas, bloating, constipation —Dr. Danielle Belardo has heard it all at her cardiology practice in Los Angeles.

She says getting more fiber into your diet doesn't have to be painful, time-consuming, or expensive, if you know the right hacks. The truth is, most of us could stand to increase our fiber intake a little.

Eating more fiber-rich foods, such as beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, offers a range of health benefits. Even the CEO of McDonald's recently said that fiber is "going to be big" in 2026 as consumers gravitate toward foods that may improve their gut health. (In case you are wondering, no, Big Macs don't count as a fiber-rich food.)

Fiber can help lower "bad" cholesterol, support healthy gut bacteria, modestly improve blood pressure, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and reduce inflammation.

Here are Belardo's three tips for amping up your fiber intake, without pain or stress:

Start slow to avoid bloating

Your body needs time to adjust to extra fiber consumption. If you slam a bunch of extra fiber into your diet overnight, you'll likely end up with some pretty uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects, like bloating and gas.

Belardo suggests starting by adding about 3 more grams of fiber to your diet than you normally eat in a day, choosing small amounts of fruits or vegetables you already enjoy.

For example, "Start out with a quarter of a cup of raspberries in yogurt," Belardo says. Incorporate it in a way that feels sustainable and enjoyable for you.

"Don't go all in eating an entire bowl of Brussels sprouts your first day adding fiber. Maybe do an eighth of a serving at first, and then go up slowly."

Drink lots of water

Fiber is like a sponge: It needs water to do its job properly.

If you consume more fiber in your diet without staying well-hydrated throughout the course of the day, you may suffer from more constipation, cramping, and bloating.

Belardo says she sometimes tracks her daily hydration using the MyFitnessPal app to make sure she's staying on target with her water intake throughout the day. (She is on the scientific advisory council for that company.)

Your freezer is your friend

Belardo says people can easily get discouraged from eating more healthy, fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables because they tend to rot more quickly than ultra-processed stuff.

"People often find there's this stress threshold: they go out, they're super ambitious, they buy all these fruits and vegetables. and then they can't eat it in the time that goes bad, and then you feel like you wasted a huge amount of money," she said.

Just go frozen. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh. In fact, frozen produce can sometimes be nutritionally superior to fresh fruits and veggies you'd get in the grocery store because it's immediately flash frozen after it's picked, locking in the prime nutritional benefits you'd only get otherwise if you ate it directly off the tree or out of the patch.

"If you buy a bunch of frozen fruits and vegetables, there's so much less pressure to stress yourself out to eat it fast, and it's got the same health benefits," Belardo said.

This article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified physician or healthcare provider.