Am I getting enough fiber?

I recently had a concern that I may not be including enough fiber in my diet (I will spare you the details regarding why). I know very well why fiber is important, and for that reason I only buy whole grain products, as these contribute fiber while refined products (such and white bread, pasta and rice) do not. Most people know about fiber's role in digestive health (it keeps you "regular"), but fiber also has other functions. For one, it helps reduce blood cholesterol levels, which may put you at lower risk for heart disease. Because fiber is digested very slowly, if at all, it gives you a feeling of fullness more quickly, which could help with weight control. Finally, although fiber is technically a carbohydrate, it contains no calories...so it can't hurt you, it can only help!
The recommendation for fiber intake in adults 19-50 years old is 25 grams per day for women, and 38 grams per day for men. Over 50, this decreases to 21 grams per day for women and 30 for men. But what does this actually look like? I decided to track my dietary fiber for a day to see if, despite my best efforts, I am getting anywhere near my recommended amount.
For breakfast, I had a bowl of oatmeal (made with 1/2 cup of dry quick oats) and added 1/4 cup of raisins. The oatmeal was made with a cup of skim milk, and I also had a cup of orange juice; however, these foods provide no fiber so there's no need to include them in my count.
1/2 cup of oats=4 grams
1/4 cup of raisins=2 grams
Total for breakfast=6 grams
For a "snack", I had a slice of the zucchini bread I just baked this morning. Hey, you have to sample it to make sure it's good-right? I used all whole wheat flour, and the zucchini itself provides a pretty good amount of fiber. With some estimating between the original recipe and the label on the flour, I decided that the slice I had provided about 3 grams of fiber.
For lunch, I had half a turkey and cheese sandwich on a slice of whole wheat bread and an ounce (about 10) of Baked Ruffles chips. Here's my fiber count:
zucchini bread: 3 grams
bread: 2 grams
chips: 2 grams
total for snack/lunch: 7 grams
Tonight I made feta-stuffed turkey burgers and zucchini fries for dinner, both compliments of my favorite recipe source...cookinglight.com (both were excellent, by the way!)
Again, the zucchini provided a good amount of fiber (my serving was about a cups worth), and I put the burger on a Healthy Life hamburger bun, which is not whole grain but contains fiber that was added back in, or enriched, in the product during processing.
Zucchini fries: 6 grams
bun: 5 grams
Total for dinner: 11 grams
And the total for the day is...24 grams!
Although I was only 1 gram under the recommendation today, I am not sure that this represents my typical daily diet. I don't really eat zucchini that often, and had no idea that it provides so much fiber per serving. Still, it was nice to keep track for a day so that I can gauge my future intake.
Here are some other great high fiber choices that you can incorporate to help reach your daily goals:
spinach, 1/2 cup cooked = 7 grams
whole wheat pasta, 1 cup = 5-6 grams
baked potato with skin, medium=5 grams
apple, medium size with peel=4 grams
cooked beans, 1/2 cup=8-9 grams
fresh or frozen raspberries=4.6 grams
green peas, 1/2 cup=9 grams
corn, 1/2 cup kernels or 1 medium ear=5 grams
cooked broccoli, 3/4 cup=7 grams

sources:
Krause's Food & Nutrition Therapy, 12 ed.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/grains_why.html
http://www.wehealnewyork.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html