Slide show: Guide to a high-fiber diet

A high-fiber diet has many benefits, including normalizing bowel movements, helping maintain bowel integrity and health, lowering blood cholesterol levels, and helping control blood sugar levels. A high-fiber diet can also aid in weight loss. This guide shows how easy it is to create an appealing high-fiber diet.

How much fiber do you need to achieve these results? The chart below shows the recommendations for adults from the Institute of Medicine, which provides science-based advice on matters of medicine and health.

Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal — one with 5 or more grams of fiber a serving. Look for cereals with "bran" or "fiber" in the name. Or add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite cereal. Then add some fruit, such as berries. In fact, it's a good strategy to have fruit with every meal.

An easy way to bump up the fiber in your diet is to include more beans and legumes. At 15 grams of fiber, this tasty black bean burger is a smart alternative to a beef burger. Add a piece of fruit, such as an orange, for another 3 grams of fiber. Another easy fiber-boosting option is adding beans to salads and soups.

As you plan dinner, keep in mind that fruits and vegetables should be about half of your meal. The other half should be split between lean protein and whole grains. Salads are an easy way to accomplish this. This grilled flank steak salad with roasted corn vinaigrette has 10 grams of fiber. But if eating raw veggies isn't your thing, try adding cooked ones to sauces, soups and stews. For example, toss sauteed vegetables into your spaghetti. Have some fruit for dessert to boost the fiber count.

Here's a sample menu for women, who need 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day. The menu provides about 23 grams of fiber.

This sample menu provides more fiber, approximately 35 grams, because men need 30 to 38 grams of fiber a day.