The 2 underrated foods dietitians wish you would eat for better gut health and longevity

Beans and whole grains are two of the healthiest foods you can add to your meals, according to dietitians.

JulPo/Getty Images There's no one-size-fits-all healthy diet, but most of us should be eating more fiber, dietitians say.

Their top picks for nutrient-dense, high-fiber foods include whole grains and beans.

Add more of them to your diet by swapping out processed foods or mixing them into soups and salads.

Ask a dietitian what to eat, and you'll likely get one of the least helpful answers in the English language: "It depends." That's the most common answer I got when I talked to more than a dozen dietitians (plus doctors and researchers) at a top nutrition conference last month on the best foods for our health.

No shade to dietitians, since nutrition science is notoriously complex, but that doesn't help with my meal planning.

The better news is that most of them touted two specific foods they want people to eat more of.

Both were high in fiber , a nutrient that can help regulate blood sugar, manage appetite, and protect against heart disease and cancer.

Most of us aren't getting enough.

Hannah Kittrel, a Ph.D. candidate at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, summed it up best: "Get more fiber," she said.

"I don't care where you get it from, as long as it's whole foods and not a soda or something." Here's a primer on high-fiber foods that are so healthy, some dietitians brag about eating them.

Embrace carbs for a healthy gut Carbs have gotten a bad reputation in pop nutrition.

The worry is often that carbs can spike blood sugar, fuel cravings, or make it easy to overeat.

Not all carbs are created equal, though.