Resistant Starch: easy hacks for more fiber

Most of us are trying to find ways to incorporate more fiber into our diet. While most people know about the fiber in Grape-nuts and beans, there is another compound called resistant starch which forms in some plant foods, and acts the same way as fiber does in our gut: slowing digestion, remaining undigested in the small intestine, retaining moisture in our stool, and feeding beneficial bacteria in our colon. In comparison, normal non-resistant starches are digested in the small intestine and release glucose into our bloodstream. By simply adjusting how we eat starch-containing foods, we can support stable blood sugar, increase our daily fiber intake, and promote a healthy gut microbiome. 

What is resistant starch, and how is it different from regular starch?

Plants store their energy in molecules of starch, which are made of long chains of glucose (sugars). Some of this starch is bound inside the cell walls and they remain undigested, acting like soluble fiber in the digestive system. 

How do I eat more resistant starch?

Underripe (greenish) bananas and plantains contain more resistant starch than their fully ripe counterparts. 

The real magic is that certain high-starch foods can actually increase in resistant starch content when they are cooled after cooking! Oats, potatoes, pasta, and rice expand upon cooking, but once they are cooled, the starch re-forms into resistant starch, even if you reheat it. 

Oats lose some of their resistant starch when cooked, so consider making overnight oats, letting them soak in milk or water overnight instead of using hot water. 

You can cook rice, pasta, and potatoes a day in advance and refrigerate overnight to increase the resistant starch content. Same food, more fiber? Easy.