You’ve heard me (and probably lots of others) continue to talk about prioritizing fiber week after week in our meal plans and you might be wondering, do I actually need to care about fiber as much as the internet is telling me to? Well, I always want to back up what I’m sharing with experts who can speak on the topic, so today I have the honor of collaborating on this post with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, a Board-Certified Gastroenterologist and NYT Bestselling Author (and fiber-enthusiast!!).
You may know of Dr. B from his book Fiber Fueled, which personally inspired me to focus in on getting more fiber in my diet, and now he’s giving us another incredible book in the new year—Plant Powered Plus! Even more exciting, Plant Powered Plus and Don’t Think About Dinner are coming out on the same day (1/13) and make the most perfect pairing for kicking off the new year right. In today’s post we’ve got two fiber-packed recipes for you to try from both books!
Here’s Dr. B: “Perhaps you’ve noticed, fiber is FINALLY having its moment. Fibermaxxing has inspired millions on TikTok to focus on fiber. Famous podcaster Chris Williamson says, “Fiber is the new protein.” As the author of the New York Times bestselling book Fiber Fueled, I say, “Heck yeah!” But as a gastroenterologist, I see something bigger than a fleeting trend.
This is an opportunity to massively improve the health of people across our country because fiber is the missing link in modern health—the fuel our gut microbes need to strengthen the gut barrier, calm inflammation, support immune function, and regulate metabolism. At a time when most Americans consume less than half the fiber they need and chronic inflammatory diseases are at an all-time high, prioritizing fiber isn’t a fad—it’s a return to what our bodies have been biologically designed to thrive on.
That’s exactly why I wrote Plant Powered Plus—to show how fiber-rich, plant-forward eating can be the foundation for healing inflammation and building lasting health, without perfection or extremes. It pairs PERFECTLY with Jenn’s new book—Plant Powered Plus gives you the knowledge and tools for anti-inflammatory, thriving health and Don’t Think About Dinner gives you mindblowingly delectable food that makes fiber-rich, healthy eating accessible and simple. Grab both and let’s make 2026 the year of delicious health!”
You heard him!! Let’s start off 2026 by prioritizing our health 🫶
Lentils: You can’t go wrong with a classic lentil soup, or try out Will’s Sweet Potato Lentil Curry below (a sneak peek from the book!). One of my favorite ways to use them is steamed, then roasted on a sheet pan—if you’re someone who struggles with the texture, try this out! You’ll use this method in my Honey Balsamic Lentil Bowls and my Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Bowls—two fiber-packed bowls!
Chia seeds: You guys know I love my chia pudding!! It’s the easiest way (IMO) to get a ton of fiber first thing in the morning. I also use chia in my overnight oats recipes—like Apple Pie Overnight Oats (bonus fiber in the oats and apples)—and this post gives you 3 easy chia pudding recipes to try out + more to come in DTAD!
Beans: An affordable, low-lift, delicious way to get your fiber in. Plus there are so many different types of beans so you can switch things up! Throw them into a chopped salad, bulk up your next pot of soup or chili with a can, mix them into a saucy skillet (new one in DTAD!), or even mash them into your tacos.
Sweet Potatoes: Another ingredient there is no lack of on this newsletter, especially during winter!! There are so many ways to fix up a sweet potato (I hear the cool kids are stuffing them with cheese these days), but my personal faves are a stuffed sweet potato like my Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce or Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, or roasted and added to bowls or tacos.
What’s your favorite fiber source or recipe to use it?!
Reminder! This week’s giveaway is a bundle of items I love keeping in my pantry!! Three winners will get a bunch of my faves, so go enter in this post before it closes!
Sweet Potato Lentil Curry
from Plant Powered Plus!
serves 4 | Total Time: 35 minutes (20 minutes active time)
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced leeks, green tops only
1 cup canned lentils, rinsed and drained
1 10-ounce bag of frozen sweet potato chunks (no need to thaw)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 cup canned crushed or diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup water or P3 Biome Broth
½ cup light coconut milk
¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
½ cup lightly packed cilantro, chopped
3 cups of frozen or precooked brown rice for serving
Optional: Serve with a dollop of yogurt (almond or lactose-free plain unsweetened yogurt) on top or add a small portion of Stove Top Shrimp. Want some crunch? Top with slivered almonds.
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a medium or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute for 2 minutes or until softened.
Add the lentils, sweet potato, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, tomatoes, broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the rice into 4 serving bowls and top with the curry and cilantro.
PRO TIP: Prepare this curry ahead of time and store it in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
Mediterranean Inspired Chickpea Chopped Salad
from Don’t Think About Dinner!
serves 4 | prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 0 minutes
INGREDIENTS
14 ounce can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped
3 roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice (drained if jarred)
1 large English cucumber, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1⁄2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 ounce ball mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1⁄2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
For the Vinaigrette:
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, cucumber, and olives in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, mozzarella, and basil and mix well.
Make the vinaigrette: Combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until evenly combined.
Toss the salad with the vinaigrette until evenly coated.
Enjoy immediately, or let the salad marinate in the vinaigrette in a sealable container in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.
Store It: Refrigerate in a sealable container for up to 4 days.
Recipe notes:
It’s normal for the liquid to separate when marinating. Discard any excessive liquid at the bottom of the container before serving.
To make this dairy-free and vegan: Omit the mozzarella
Better hydration doesn’t stop in the cold ‘ber months, so I’m bringing LMNT, my go-to electrolyte mix, into the holiday season. I love curling up on the couch with a warm cup of LMNT “hot chocolate”, made with the chocolate salt flavor (trust me ok!!). It pairs perfectly with my festive sugar cookie protein balls (recipe below!). When you order anything from LMNT with this link, you’ll also get a free sample pack with their most popular flavors so you can find your favorite, perfect for stocking stuffers and keeping your loved ones hydrated all year long!
Sugar Cookie Protein Balls
makes 18 protein balls | prep time: 15 min | chill time: 30+ min
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder (I used vanilla whey protein (code JENN10), if using unflavored protein, supplement with 2 additional tablespoons maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup cashew, almond, or sunflower butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons unflavored milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sprinkles (I used these dye-free ones)
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the almond flour, protein powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to evenly combine.
Add the cashew butter, maple syrup, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the mixing bowl.
Mix to incorporate into the dry ingredients until there are no dry pieces left (this will take some effort since it’s a thick mixture), then fold in the sprinkles until evenly dispersed. The mix should be very thick like cookie dough—depending on what kind of protein powder you use, you may need to adjust with either more almond flour or more milk to get the right consistency. Don’t be afraid to make those adjustments! It’s very forgiving. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Using clean hands, roll the chilled batter into about 18 evenly sized balls (I like to use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to easily measure them out, highly recommend!).
Immediately place in a sealed container with a sheet of parchment in between each layer and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
Honestly, I’m always surprised how much fiber avocados have!
I love Dr B!!!! Glad to see this collab. I love your recipes because they tick all the boxes: healthy, affordable, and fast!