Odd fiber question
 

OK...So here it is. My husband likes the taste of onions and peppers in my marinara sauce, but CAN"T STAND chunks. So I have to whir it up in the blender if I want to add them. Does grinding things smooth kill all that is good about fiber? I have a bad feeling it does. Anyone know?

I don't think you are losing nutrional value as long as you are adding the whole vegetable (juice and pulp) once you have processed them. If anything, simmering them for a long time in the sauce is what will impact the overall nutrient content.

I'm pretty sure you keep all the fiber content -- unlike a juicer, which extracts the juice from the fiber-rich pulp, a processor is merely a metallic set of teeth that helps chop your food up. you're still eating everything up--just in your preferred less chunky form.

There are also plenty of things rich in fiber that doesn't taste fibrous---take all those fiber supplements, for example.

Ahh...I see. I thought it had to be in long strands to get the full benefits. I was thinking that grinding it up made it easier to digest (not what you want in fiber).

There are 2 kinds of fiber, soluble and non soluble. The soluble fiber attracts water and slows down digestion of nutrients as well as causing your stomache to take longer to empty and helps keep insulin levels even.

Non soluble fiber moves the bulk through our intestines and acts like a scrub brush keeping everything nice and clean. This helps prevent constipation and help keep the colon healthy.

You cannot ruin the fiber you take in by chopping it up in the food processor. It is benificial to your digestion to have well chewed food and the blender or quisinart will only assist in that.

AquaWarlock is right about the juicer you are pretty much removing all of the insoluble fiber when you use one so you lose those benefits.

I do everything I can to get in at least 25 grams of fiber every day, the benefits are amazing and scientists are now saying we need double the recommended amount! I don't know how I could manage that!

G'lord! we'll all have to start eating cardboard :p (well, I'm sure there are much less healthy things to eat...)

When I was pregnant I got G Diabetes. The diet the nutritionist had me on ended up to be like 40-45 grams of fiber....Whew! It wasn't as bad as you may think, once you get used to it.
I heard that TOO much can hinder vitamin and mineral absorption, though.