September 5, 2025 • 11 mins
Did you know that 90% of adults don’t get enough fiber? If you’ve been told you have prediabetes—or you know you’re at risk—this shortfall could be making it harder to keep your blood sugar steady.
In this episode of Path to Better A1C, Jenny breaks down the “fiber gap,” why it’s such a big deal for prediabetes, and how to start closing it in realistic, sustainable ways. You’ll learn how fiber slows sugar absorption, prevents the spike-crash-craving cycle, and helps you feel satisfied longer. Plus, Jenny shares ten high-fiber foods across five key categories—beans, whole grains, fruits, seeds, and vegetables—so you can find options that work no matter your diet style.
📌 Full Plate Living Program: subscribepage.io/fiber
📧 Share your fiber choice with Jenny: hello@jennypena.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Welcome to the path to better A1CI am Jenny, a board certified
health and Wellness coach. And this is the place where I
share simple science backed waysto help you take charge of your
blood sugar, your A1C, eat with confidence and protect your
overall health and Wellness. Now let me start with a fact
(00:23):
that always surprises people. 90%, that's 90 percent of adults
don't get enough fiber. And if you've been told you have
pre diabetes or you know you areat risk, that fiber gap could be
actually the reason your blood sugar never feels steady.
(00:43):
In today's episode, I am going to explain why fiber is one of
the most powerful tools for pre diabetes management.
You're going to learn how it helps control your blood sugar,
your cravings and also your energy levels, and I will share
10 ractical high fiber foods across different categories so
that you can start closing the gap and increasing that right
(01:07):
away. Now when I first looked at my
own meals, I thought I was doingpretty well.
I had fruits, I had vegetables, I was watching sugar, especially
the added sugar. But when I actually counted up
the grams of fiber, well, I realized I was falling way short
(01:28):
so and I could feel it right. I was hungrier that what I
should have been. I had a bit more cravings at
times, and that classic afternoon crash, I could feel
it, and it depended a lot on what I was eating.
Now I noticed that I was eating protein and I was eating
vegetables, but I was really notpaying attention to the fiber.
(01:48):
Now my clients often discover the same thing.
They're putting in so much effort to manage that
prediabetes, but without enough fiber, the blood sugar swings
are sharper and the cravings areharder to manage.
Now adults should be getting about 25 to 30 grams of fiber
(02:09):
per day. There are some institutions that
will actually recommend that. You will even increase that more
and try to reach 40 grams a day.Most of us are pretty much
getting between 12 to 15 grams. That's less than half of what is
recommended. Just think about that.
Why does this matter so much forpre diabetes?
(02:31):
Well, the first thing is that fiber slows down how fast your
sugar enters your bloodstream. That means smaller blood sugar
spikes after meals, no crashes. So incorporating that fiber,
it's going to help a lot. It does help break that spike
crash craving cycle. So you know that feeling when
(02:54):
you eat and then you crash and then you want to snack again?
Well, fiber is that element thathelps calm that roller coaster.
And the third thing is that it helps you feel fuller longer, so
you naturally eat less without having to count or cut
everything out. That's why fiber isn't just
(03:15):
about digestion. It is a key nutrient for blood
sugar balance. Now here's where it gets
practical, right? Like I wanted to give you
something that you can take withyou and start incorporating
right away. That is kind of like my mood.
So, so here are 10 fiber rich foods that you can start
(03:39):
incorporating across different categories.
Now, these 10 foods come actually from 5 categories that
are included in the full plate living framework.
And the beauty of this is that you don't have to rely on just
beans or rains. There is just something from for
everyone and there's so many sources of fiber.
(04:01):
You can really pick and choose the ones that you enjoy and
incorporate that in your everyday life.
Now let's start with category one, right?
Like beans and legumes, the onesthat actually are higher in
fiber are black beans and chickpeas.
Now, cooked black beans have about 15 grams of fiber per cup.
(04:24):
If you go for the chickpeas, thechickpeas have about 12 grams
per cup. Now for my pre diabetics
diabetics, these are great sources of fiber.
These are carby vegetables. So just think about that.
However, this is great for you to incorporate because it has
the carbs, it has the protein and it has fiber.
(04:44):
So it's almost like a complete item right there.
Now if you go to category 2, which are whole grains, the two
that have the most, it's not like super high, but they have
the most quinoa for 5g per cup and it's naturally gluten free.
So if you have to be gluten free, this is a great option.
(05:05):
Oats have about 4G per cup when they're cooked.
That's why for my individuals with prediabetes and diabetes, I
actually tell them to watch out when they're eating oats just
because sometimes it is a littlebit much carbs in the morning.
So what I tell them is to experiment and add some fiber in
(05:25):
the forms of fruit, in the formsof seeds, and I will talk about
that a little bit later. And also to pair them with some
sort of protein as a side to avoid the spike.
But I always tell them assess how you feel.
I personally get a spike each and every time I have oats.
So the times that I want them, Imake sure that I pair them with
(05:48):
protein that is on the morning that I know that I'm going to be
active right after to avoid thatspike.
But everybody's different. So you need to assess that and
see how you feel. Now the third category would be
fruits. Fruits are great and the beauty
about fruits is that yes, the sugar that they have is
(06:10):
fructose, but they have fiber. The two that actually have a
pretty good amount of fiber are raspberries and blackberries.
They're about 8g per cup. If you want to start today, I'm
incorporating something that it's a complex carb that has
some fiber is to incorporate a piece of fruit in your meals.
(06:32):
Now the 4th category would be seeds and nuts.
The two ways that you can get a lot of fiber.
This is why sometimes to my clients I tell them if they like
yogurt, I tell them top it with this is chia seeds and ground
flax seeds. Now chia seeds have 10 grams of
(06:52):
fiber per oz and ground flax seeds 8g per oz.
So with chia seeds you get some Omega threes, so your brain is
going to be happy. It's going to have that good fat
as well with ground flax seeds. This is great for my ladies that
are perimenopausal or menopausal.
It does help a lot with the hormone balance, so keep that in
(07:16):
mind. However, we can all enjoy it.
Put it as a Topper even for the oats that I mentioned before.
That's another way of adding fiber and exploring if it does
spike your blood sugar or not. The 5th category that is between
like vegetables and greens. Obviously like the vegetables
that are greener, sturdier, they're going to have more
(07:38):
fiber. But believe it or not, kale has
about 5g per two cups when they're when it's raw.
And the sweet potato with the skin, it has about 4G for like
one that is medium. So you'll see how a lot of these
higher in carbs. Vegetables, while they're great
and you should incorporate them in your diet, they don't have as
(08:00):
much fiber. So just something to keep in
mind and, and I will suggest explore, see what your favorite
fruits and vegetables are and doan assessment and see if there
is either a meal or a vegetable that maybe you can swap for
something that has a bit more fiber.
And the point is that you don't need to eat all of these that I
(08:22):
just mentioned that once. The point is variety, the point
is awareness. Now you know what the guideline
is, you have an idea of certain things that you can incorporate.
And if you don't like these, research and see if you find
other options that you enjoy andincorporate them but pull them
(08:43):
from different categories. Make sure that you have variety
so that you also get nutrition from it, and that way you're
going to naturally close your fiber gap and make every meal
more blood sugar friendly. Here is your action step.
(09:03):
Pick one category and add just one food from that category into
your meals. It could be raspberries on your
breakfast. It could be quinoa instead of
white rice or sweet potato with your dinner.
But remember that one small change is all it takes to start
(09:25):
moving closer to your daily fiber goal.
Now, if you would like more guidance on making fiber a
consistent habit, check out the Full Plate Living program that I
am offering in October is designed to help you crowd your
plate with fiber rich foods in asimple, realistic way without
(09:45):
extreme diets. You know, I'm not for that and
it's more about, and you're going to hear this powering up
your meals, meaning you get yourmeal and you find the ways of
adding that fiber and eating those fiber rich foods 1st and
that automatically will start switching and you're going to
see the benefits. And I will be sharing a little
(10:07):
bit more in the upcoming weeks, but it will launch in October
and I will put the link if you want to see a little bit more
about that. It is an 8 week program that I'm
going to be running live group coaching and it will be an
amazing way for you to have the support and do it with a fun
group of people and incorporate the fiber now.
(10:28):
Thank you so much for tuning in to the path to better A1C.
Now next week is episode 39 and we're going to dive into another
overlooked benefit of fiber and that is the ability to calm
inflammation, which is also a hidden driver for diabetes and
pre diabetes. And before you go, I would love
(10:52):
to hear from you. What is 1 fiber food you're
going to add this week? Message me at
hello@jennypena.com and I would love for you to share what you
will be trying. Remember, small steps really do
add up and adding fiber isn't about perfection.
(11:13):
And actually you shouldn't be adding a lot of fiber at once
because it could actually slow down or stop traffic if you know
what I mean. Slow and steady is best and
adding fiber. It's not about perfection, but
about progress, and progress is what helps you take control of
your blood sugar. Have an amazing rest of your
(11:34):
week. Bye.
Welcome to the path to better A1CI am Jenny, a board certified
health and Wellness coach. And this is the place where I
share simple science backed waysto help you take charge of your
blood sugar, your A1C, eat with confidence and protect your
overall health and Wellness. Now let me start with a fact
(00:23):
that always surprises people. 90%, that's 90 percent of adults
don't get enough fiber. And if you've been told you have
pre diabetes or you know you areat risk, that fiber gap could be
actually the reason your blood sugar never feels steady.
(00:43):
In today's episode, I am going to explain why fiber is one of
the most powerful tools for pre diabetes management.
You're going to learn how it helps control your blood sugar,
your cravings and also your energy levels, and I will share
10 ractical high fiber foods across different categories so
that you can start closing the gap and increasing that right
(01:07):
away. Now when I first looked at my
own meals, I thought I was doingpretty well.
I had fruits, I had vegetables, I was watching sugar, especially
the added sugar. But when I actually counted up
the grams of fiber, well, I realized I was falling way short
(01:28):
so and I could feel it right. I was hungrier that what I
should have been. I had a bit more cravings at
times, and that classic afternoon crash, I could feel
it, and it depended a lot on what I was eating.
Now I noticed that I was eating protein and I was eating
vegetables, but I was really notpaying attention to the fiber.
(01:48):
Now my clients often discover the same thing.
They're putting in so much effort to manage that
prediabetes, but without enough fiber, the blood sugar swings
are sharper and the cravings areharder to manage.
Now adults should be getting about 25 to 30 grams of fiber
(02:09):
per day. There are some institutions that
will actually recommend that. You will even increase that more
and try to reach 40 grams a day.Most of us are pretty much
getting between 12 to 15 grams. That's less than half of what is
recommended. Just think about that.
Why does this matter so much forpre diabetes?
(02:31):
Well, the first thing is that fiber slows down how fast your
sugar enters your bloodstream. That means smaller blood sugar
spikes after meals, no crashes. So incorporating that fiber,
it's going to help a lot. It does help break that spike
crash craving cycle. So you know that feeling when
(02:54):
you eat and then you crash and then you want to snack again?
Well, fiber is that element thathelps calm that roller coaster.
And the third thing is that it helps you feel fuller longer, so
you naturally eat less without having to count or cut
everything out. That's why fiber isn't just
(03:15):
about digestion. It is a key nutrient for blood
sugar balance. Now here's where it gets
practical, right? Like I wanted to give you
something that you can take withyou and start incorporating
right away. That is kind of like my mood.
So, so here are 10 fiber rich foods that you can start
(03:39):
incorporating across different categories.
Now, these 10 foods come actually from 5 categories that
are included in the full plate living framework.
And the beauty of this is that you don't have to rely on just
beans or rains. There is just something from for
everyone and there's so many sources of fiber.
(04:01):
You can really pick and choose the ones that you enjoy and
incorporate that in your everyday life.
Now let's start with category one, right?
Like beans and legumes, the onesthat actually are higher in
fiber are black beans and chickpeas.
Now, cooked black beans have about 15 grams of fiber per cup.
(04:24):
If you go for the chickpeas, thechickpeas have about 12 grams
per cup. Now for my pre diabetics
diabetics, these are great sources of fiber.
These are carby vegetables. So just think about that.
However, this is great for you to incorporate because it has
the carbs, it has the protein and it has fiber.
(04:44):
So it's almost like a complete item right there.
Now if you go to category 2, which are whole grains, the two
that have the most, it's not like super high, but they have
the most quinoa for 5g per cup and it's naturally gluten free.
So if you have to be gluten free, this is a great option.
(05:05):
Oats have about 4G per cup when they're cooked.
That's why for my individuals with prediabetes and diabetes, I
actually tell them to watch out when they're eating oats just
because sometimes it is a littlebit much carbs in the morning.
So what I tell them is to experiment and add some fiber in
(05:25):
the forms of fruit, in the formsof seeds, and I will talk about
that a little bit later. And also to pair them with some
sort of protein as a side to avoid the spike.
But I always tell them assess how you feel.
I personally get a spike each and every time I have oats.
So the times that I want them, Imake sure that I pair them with
(05:48):
protein that is on the morning that I know that I'm going to be
active right after to avoid thatspike.
But everybody's different. So you need to assess that and
see how you feel. Now the third category would be
fruits. Fruits are great and the beauty
about fruits is that yes, the sugar that they have is
(06:10):
fructose, but they have fiber. The two that actually have a
pretty good amount of fiber are raspberries and blackberries.
They're about 8g per cup. If you want to start today, I'm
incorporating something that it's a complex carb that has
some fiber is to incorporate a piece of fruit in your meals.
(06:32):
Now the 4th category would be seeds and nuts.
The two ways that you can get a lot of fiber.
This is why sometimes to my clients I tell them if they like
yogurt, I tell them top it with this is chia seeds and ground
flax seeds. Now chia seeds have 10 grams of
(06:52):
fiber per oz and ground flax seeds 8g per oz.
So with chia seeds you get some Omega threes, so your brain is
going to be happy. It's going to have that good fat
as well with ground flax seeds. This is great for my ladies that
are perimenopausal or menopausal.
It does help a lot with the hormone balance, so keep that in
(07:16):
mind. However, we can all enjoy it.
Put it as a Topper even for the oats that I mentioned before.
That's another way of adding fiber and exploring if it does
spike your blood sugar or not. The 5th category that is between
like vegetables and greens. Obviously like the vegetables
that are greener, sturdier, they're going to have more
(07:38):
fiber. But believe it or not, kale has
about 5g per two cups when they're when it's raw.
And the sweet potato with the skin, it has about 4G for like
one that is medium. So you'll see how a lot of these
higher in carbs. Vegetables, while they're great
and you should incorporate them in your diet, they don't have as
(08:00):
much fiber. So just something to keep in
mind and, and I will suggest explore, see what your favorite
fruits and vegetables are and doan assessment and see if there
is either a meal or a vegetable that maybe you can swap for
something that has a bit more fiber.
And the point is that you don't need to eat all of these that I
(08:22):
just mentioned that once. The point is variety, the point
is awareness. Now you know what the guideline
is, you have an idea of certain things that you can incorporate.
And if you don't like these, research and see if you find
other options that you enjoy andincorporate them but pull them
(08:43):
from different categories. Make sure that you have variety
so that you also get nutrition from it, and that way you're
going to naturally close your fiber gap and make every meal
more blood sugar friendly. Here is your action step.
(09:03):
Pick one category and add just one food from that category into
your meals. It could be raspberries on your
breakfast. It could be quinoa instead of
white rice or sweet potato with your dinner.
But remember that one small change is all it takes to start
(09:25):
moving closer to your daily fiber goal.
Now, if you would like more guidance on making fiber a
consistent habit, check out the Full Plate Living program that I
am offering in October is designed to help you crowd your
plate with fiber rich foods in asimple, realistic way without
(09:45):
extreme diets. You know, I'm not for that and
it's more about, and you're going to hear this powering up
your meals, meaning you get yourmeal and you find the ways of
adding that fiber and eating those fiber rich foods 1st and
that automatically will start switching and you're going to
see the benefits. And I will be sharing a little
(10:07):
bit more in the upcoming weeks, but it will launch in October
and I will put the link if you want to see a little bit more
about that. It is an 8 week program that I'm
going to be running live group coaching and it will be an
amazing way for you to have the support and do it with a fun
group of people and incorporate the fiber now.
(10:28):
Thank you so much for tuning in to the path to better A1C.
Now next week is episode 39 and we're going to dive into another
overlooked benefit of fiber and that is the ability to calm
inflammation, which is also a hidden driver for diabetes and
pre diabetes. And before you go, I would love
(10:52):
to hear from you. What is 1 fiber food you're
going to add this week? Message me at
hello@jennypena.com and I would love for you to share what you
will be trying. Remember, small steps really do
add up and adding fiber isn't about perfection.
(11:13):
And actually you shouldn't be adding a lot of fiber at once
because it could actually slow down or stop traffic if you know
what I mean. Slow and steady is best and
adding fiber. It's not about perfection, but
about progress, and progress is what helps you take control of
your blood sugar. Have an amazing rest of your
(11:34):
week. Bye.
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