Look for high-fiber cereals

As we all know, breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day and cereal is one of the most popular breakfast foods in the world.

There are so many options when it comes to cereals, you're probably wondering which ones to choose. There are more than 450 varieties of breakfast cereals. Some cereals are sweet and others are healthful. Varieties include those that are high in fiber, high in iron, high in protein, gluten-free and sugar-free.

Many cereals are trademarked and include large companies such as Kellogg's, General Mills, Malt-O-Meal, Nestlé, Quaker Oats and Post Foods. There are equivalent products often sold by other manufacturers, such as Kashi, and as store brands.

Cereal is one way to add fiber to your diet. High fiber cereals no longer taste like straw as they might have a decade ago. Dietary fiber is an essential nutrient that is required for proper digestion of foods and proper functioning of the digestive tract. Fiber adds bulk to your food, helping you feel full. Fiber also can help lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure, lower the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer, and helps with weight control. A deficiency of fiber can lead to constipation, hemorrhoids and elevated cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Americans fall short of consuming the recommended 25 grams of fiber daily and miss out on the many benefits high fiber can provide.

Some cereals that are high in fiber include Kellogg's Bran Buds and All-Bran, and General Mills' Fiber One.

But you don't have to eat cereal to get your fill of fiber. Other sources of fiber include dried herbs and spices, peppers, sesame seeds and tahini, cocoa powder and dark chocolate, roasted soybeans, sunflower seeds, nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and beans.

You can fill up with high- fiber foods that include bread, apples and broccoli, which are diverse and nutritious.

But if you have a high body-mass index, foods such as flax seeds, sesame seeds, nuts, dark chocolate and sunflower seeds are high in calories and should be eaten in moderation.

Keep in mind that an excess amount of fiber can sometimes lead to a bowel obstruction, diarrhea or even dehydration, so if you increase your fiber intake, you should also increase the amount of water you drink.