This week, I want to highlight fiber, a nutrient that most Americans are not getting enough of. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant foods that our digestive enzymes cannot fully break down. Instead of being completely digested and absorbed, much of it travels through the digestive tract to the large intestine. There, fiber can help add bulk to stool, support regular bowel movements, and feed beneficial gut bacteria. Those bacteria can break down some types of fiber and produce compounds that help nourish the cells lining the gut, supporting overall gut health. Fiber may also support heart and metabolic health. The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report notes that higher dietary fiber intake is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Despite these benefits, only about 6% of Americans ages 1 and older consume fiber above the recommended Adequate Intake level. Fiber is found in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds. A few easy ways to add more fiber: - Choose whole grains - Add fruit to breakfast or snacks - Include beans or lentils in meals - Add more vegetables, nuts, or seeds throughout the day Small changes can add up. Try adding one more fiber-rich food to your meals this week.

Today, I want to introduce you to the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. Every five years, a committee made up of experts in nutrition, public health, and related fields reviews the latest scientific evidence and makes recommendations that help inform the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines help shape nutrition recommendations and many federal nutrition programs across the country. One recommendation from this year's report really caught my attention: beans, peas, and lentils were the only vegetable subgroup for which the Committee pursued an explicit increase in the recommended amount. Think black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, and split peas. The Committee also recommended placing these foods first within the Protein Foods group to put greater emphasis on plant-based sources of protein. Why should we be eating more of them? Beans, peas, and lentils are packed with plant-based protein and important nutrients such as folate, potassium, magnesium, and choline. They are also inexpensive, versatile, and easy to add to foods you may already eat. A few simple ways to add more include: - Tossing chickpeas or black beans into a salad. - Adding beans or lentils to soups, chili, tacos, or grain bowls. - Using hummus as a snack or sandwich spread. - Mixing lentils or beans into ground-meat dishes to stretch the meal while adding more nutrients. - But there is another big reason legumes deserve some attention: fiber. The Committee identified dietary fiber as a nutrient of public health concern because Americans consistently do not consume enough. In fact, only about 6% of Americans ages 1 and older have fiber intakes above the recommended Adequate Intake. So, adding beans, peas, and lentils to your diet is one simple way to help close that fiber gap. Next week, we'll dive into what fiber actually does and why getting enough of it is so important for our health.

Hi everyone! I’m Evan, and I work on the nutrition content here at The Honest Cut. I’m currently working toward my PhD in Nutrition Sciences while also working toward becoming a registered dietitian. I’m so happy to be here and to be part of your journey toward a healthier lifestyle, whatever that may look like for you! I wanted to make a quick post about a topic I’m sure you’ve been hearing a lot about lately: protein. Protein seems to be everywhere right now. We hear about hitting our protein goals, adding protein to every meal, and trying to eat as much of it as possible. And protein is important but more is not always better. For weight management, protein-rich meals can help you feel fuller and may make it easier to manage your overall calorie intake. Protein is also essential for maintaining and building muscle. But here’s an important point: protein alone does not build muscle. Think of protein as providing the building blocks, amino acids, that your body uses to build and repair muscle. To encourage muscle growth, your body also needs a reason to build that muscle. Resistance exercise, such as weightlifting, provides that stimulus. Your body also needs enough overall energy to support your workouts, recovery, and muscle growth. Carbohydrates are an especially important fuel source during moderate- to high-intensity exercise, while fat also provides energy, particularly at rest and during lower-intensity activity. Protein can be used for energy too, but that is not its primary role. This is why protein, carbohydrates, and fats all matter. They do different jobs, but they work together to support your health, activity, recovery, and body composition. For most healthy adults, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. If you exercise regularly or are very active, your needs may be higher—often around 1.2–2.0 g/kg/day, depending on your activity level and goals. And while getting enough protein is important, eating more and more protein does not automatically mean more muscle. Research suggests that for most people doing resistance training, the muscle-building benefits begin to level off around 1.6 g/kg/day. Your training, total calorie intake, recovery, and overall diet still matter.

Made these last weekend! Simple and can feed a large group. Recipe in video. Let me know if you give it a try!

We are ending our vacation in CA tomorrow and headed back home. We decided to splurge at dinner tonight. A little surf and Turf meal! Nutrition Breakdown - Filet Mignon (8 oz): ~400 calories, 48g protein, 22g fat - Lobster Tail (8 oz): ~200 calories, 38g protein, 4g fat - Buttery Mashed Potatoes (1 cup): ~250 calories, 4g protein, 12g fat, 32g carbs - Green Beans (1 cup): ~45 calories, 2g protein, 0g fat, 10g carbs