And the nutrient series continues ... This week, we're chatting about fiber. The recommendation is around 25 grams a day, and guess what? Less than 5% of Americans get enough.

Fiber protects against coronary heart disease and lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of diabetes, promotes regularity and increases healthy gut bacteria, reduces appetite by promoting fullness, increases bone health, and helps control blood sugar levels.

Where do you find this gem? Fruits and vegetables all day, as well as legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. This chart from Dr Axe lists 20 of the Ultimate High Fiber Foods ... skip the Fiber One and dig in!

Want to try a fiber-rich recipe for lunch or dinner? This Brussells Sprouts Salad from Food Fanatic is perfect with 8g of fiber per serving! Tight on time? Whole Foods sells a great kale and Brussels sprouts salad in their prepared foods!

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Ingredients

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons Walnut Oil
1 tablespoon Lemon Zest
3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 teaspoons stone ground Mustard
1/4 teaspoon Salt

For the salad:

1/2 cup Walnuts
5 cups Brussels Sprouts, shaved
1 medium Fuji Apple, cored and chopped
1/2 cup Red Onion
1/2 cup Blueberries
1 medium Avocado, diced
Optional garnish: 1/4 cup Feta Cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread walnuts on a cookie sheet and bake until they have some color to them and are fragrant, about 5 to 8 minutes. Allow walnuts to cool enough to chop.

In a large salad bowl or mixing bowl, whisk together the walnut oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, cider vinegar, mustard and salt until smooth.

Wash the Brussels sprouts, chop off all of the hard stems and remove the leaves that fall off easily. Slice Brussels sprouts from tip-to-tail (not length-wise). Stop slicing once you get to the hard white part – this part you can either discard or chop finely. Using your hands, break apart any slices of sprouts that are stuck together (this can usually be achieved by simply tossing the shaved Brussels sprouts)

Add shaved Brussels sprouts to the bowl with the dressing and toss together until Brussels are completely coated. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together.

Nutrient of the Week: Fiber