High Fiber Foods List
A look at foods that are high in fibreEating high fiber foods is is very important for the human body, and it is something that surprisingly few people do to the degree that will have an optimal benefit to their health. This page will provide you with a healthy high fiber foods list, in order to show you what you should be eating if you are consciously trying to take on board a sufficient amount of fiber.
What is the difference between Fiber and fibre? Nothing, this is just the difference between English and American spelling.
In addition to our high fiber foods list, we will also answer the question ‘what is fiber?’ as well as highlighting how much fiber per day you need to be eating, and what the benefits of fiber are.
As we have already mentioned, it is quite common for people not to eat enough high fiber foods. This factor may be something that has been addressed by your doctor, or maybe you just want to actively make sure that you are getting the right amount of fiber in your diet. With either of these scenarios, you may be asking ‘what foods are high in fiber?’ and we hope we can answer that for you here.
What is Fiber?
And why high fiber foods are good for youSo what is fiber?
Fiber is a substance that derives from plants only, which means that it is totally natural. There are many fiber benefits that the human body can obtain by making sure that it is a key factor in your diet, and these are covered further down the page. Fiber is essential in helping plants to maintain their shape as it is essentially the cell walls of plants and thus has a role in it’s skeletal features.
There are two different types of fiber and these are described below:
- Insoluble fiber – Insoluble fiber is primarily comprised of the cell walls of a plant and it is not possible for it to be dissolved when placed in water.
- Key benefit – It provides laxative effect.
- Soluble fiber – Soluble fiber is comprised of polysaccharides which are carbohydrates that contain three plus molecules of simple carbohydrates, it can also be dissolved in water.
- Key benefit – Soluble fiber can lower blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels.
Fiber is a form of carbohydrate, and from when it enters the human body to the time it leaves it remains the same. This means that it is not absorbed or broken down, like the other nutrients that we have covered on this site. We will explain the benefits of fiber in the next section.
We hope that this explanation has been useful to you in finding out what fiber is.
How Much Fiber Per Day
Recommended daily amounts of fiberWe have now explained what fiber is, but before we go on to talk about the benefits of fiber and provide a comprehensive high fiber foods list, it is important to know how much fiber per day we need.
- Recommended daily amount of fiber for men – 30 to 40 grams per day
- Recommended daily amount of fiber for women – 20 to 25 grams per day
These daily amounts of fiber should be seen as the minimum amount. Nutritional information is found on the label all food products, so you will always know how much you are getting from your high fiber foods.
The average person does not get this amount, so if you are concerned that you do not have enough fiber in your diet on a daily basis then why not check the labels of all of the foods that you eat and count up your total? This can then help you decide what action to take in order to get more high fiber food in your diet.
High fiber foods.
Before we discuss the high fiber foods list we should briefly explain all foods that derive from plants have fiber in them because fiber is a substance that is found in plants. So foods high in fiber are natural and are grown from the earth’s soil. What can be better for you than that?
These plant foods include:
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Seeds
- Beans
- Legumes
- Pasta
- Nuts
These high fiber foods are what are usually encouraged in any diet because they provide a wealth of natural benefits. Not only are these foods high in fiber but they also have a high vitamin and mineral content.
Plant foods are synonymous with dieting and health and as a result they can often have a bad stigma for being bland and tasteless but this is really not the case. Fruit and vegetables for example are incredibly versatile foods and can be prepared with any meal and in a huge variety of ways, they taste fantastic and provide you with fiber, protein vitamins and minerals as well as being good for your metabolism.
The importance of fluids with high fiber foods.
One thing that is important to remember when you eat high fibre foods is that it you should also be drinking a healthy amount of fluids as well, water is the most natural and beneficial liquid that you can drink and your body needs 8 to 10 cups of it each day just to carry out it’s functions efficiently.
Women should drink about 1.6 litres of fluid (eight 200ml glasses) and men should drink about 2.0 litres of fluid (10 glasses of 200ml) per day.
However, the amount will vary depending on a many factors, including the persons size, the temperature and how active they are. So, in hot weather you’ll need to drink more, particularly if you’re exercising.
All liquid counts, including hot drinks like tea and coffee. Of course, but water, fruit juices and milk are the healthiest for you.
For more information on the importance of drinking water please check out our how to increase your metabolism page. By ensuring you drink a healthy amount with your high fiber foods you ensure that the fiber moves quickly and efficiently through your digestive system.
High Fiber Foods List
Including high fiber fruit and high fiber vegetablesNow that we have explained what foods are high in fiber by their type we can progress to our high fiber foods list. As we mentioned previously, for an adult the recommended daily amount of fiber is 30 to 40 grams, so you can see from the list whether you are close to this amount or not. If you are looking to add more fiber to your diet then get your pen and paper out and start compiling your shopping list from these high fiber foods:
High Fiber Fruits List
- Raspberries
1 cup 4.3 oz – 8 grams of fiber - Raspberries
10 raspberries 0.7 oz – 1.2g of fiber - Pear with skin
1 medium sized 6 oz – 5.2g of fiber - Pear with skin
Cup of pear slices 5.8 oz – 5.1g of fiber - Apple with skin
1 medium sized 6.5 oz – 4.4g of fiber - Apple with skin
Cup of apple slices 3.8 oz – 2.6g of dietary fiber - Orange
1 medium sized orange 4.6 oz – 3.1g of fiber - Orange
1 cup of orange sections 6.3 oz – 4.3g of fiber - Strawberries
1 cup of halved 5.4 oz – 3g of fiber - Strawberries
1 large strawberries 0.6 oz – 0.4g of fiber - Banana (raw)
1 medium sized banana 4.2 oz – 3.1g of fiber - Banana (raw)
1 small sized banana 3.6 oz – 2.6g of fiber
Other fruits that are rich in fiber:
- Figs
- Raisins
- Kiwis
- Grapefruits
- Avocados
- Guavas
- Blueberries
High Fiber Vegetables List
- Artichoke (boiled and drained)
1 medium serving 4.2 oz – 6.5 g of fiber - Artichoke (boiled and drained)
1/2 cup of hearts 3 oz – 4.5 g of fiber - Broccoli (boiled and drained)
1 medium stalk 6.3 oz – 5.9 g of fiber - Broccoli (boiled and drained)
1/2 cup chopped 2.8 oz – 2.6 g of fiber - Peas (boiled and drained)
1/2 cup 2.8 oz – 4.4 grams of fiber - Brussel sprouts (boiled and drained)
1/2 cup 2.8 oz – 2 g of fiber - Sweet corn (kernels on cob boiled)
1/2 cup 2.9 oz – 1.7 g of fiber - Turnips (boiled and drained)
1/2 cup 2.8 oz – 1.6 g of fiber
Other vegetables that are high in fiber
- Potato
- Carrot
- Tomato
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Pumpkin
As discussed earlier, when you are eating high fiber foods, ensure that you are also drinking plenty of liquids. The benefits that fiber has on the body are obtained during it’s transit so the more water you drink to help wash it down and through the body the more effective it will be.
High Fiber Foods List (cont)
Seeds, Legumes and nuts- Split peas (boiled and drained)
1 cup 6.9 oz – 16.3 g of fiber - Lentils (boiled and drained)
1 cup 7 oz – 15.6 grams of fiber - Lentils (boiled and drained)
1 tablespoon 0.4 oz – 1 gram of fiber - Black beans (boiled and drained)
1 cup 6.1 oz – 15 grams of fiber - Black beans (boiled and drained)
1/2 cup 3 oz – 7.5 grams of fiber - Lima beans (boiled and drained)
1 cup of large size beans 6.6 oz – 13.2 g of fiber - Lima beans (boiled and drained)
1 cup of baby size beans 6.4 oz – 14 g of fiber - Baked beans (regular)
1/2 cup 4.6 oz – 5 grams of fiber - Baked beans (vegetarian)
1/2 cup approx 4.6 oz – 5 grams of fiber - Sunflower seeds (kernels dried)
1 cup 5.1 oz – 15.1 grams of fiber - Almonds (raw)
1 cup sliced 3.2 oz – 10.9 g of fiber - Almonds (raw)
1 cup of whole almonds 5 oz – 16.9 g of fiber - Pistachio nuts (raw)
1 cup 4.3 oz – 12.7 grams of fiber - Pistachio nuts (raw)
49 kernels 1 oz – 2.9 grams of fiber
Other seeds, nuts and legumes that are fiber rich:
- Pecans
- Broad beans
- Kidney beans
- French beans
- Cranberry seeds
- Mungo beans
- Soybeans
- Soy flour
(all weights are approximations)
Grains, Pasta and Cereal
- Spaghetti (wholewheat cooked)
1 cup weighing 5 oz – 4g of fiber - Barley (pearled, cooked)
1 cup weighing 5.5 oz – 6g of fiber - Bran flakes
3/4 cup weighing 1.1 oz – 5.3g of fiber - Oat bran (raw)
1 cup weighing 3.3 oz – 14.5g of fiber - Oat bran (cooked)
1 cup weighing 7.7 oz – 5.7g of fiber - Oat bran cereal
1/2 cup weighing 1.4 oz – 5.7g of fiber - Oatmeal (instant, plain, cooked)
1 cup weighing 8.3 oz – 3.7g of fiber - Brown rice (long grain, cooked)
1 cup weighing 6.9 oz – 3.5g of fiber - Brown rice (medium grain cooked)
1 cup weighing 6.9 oz – 3.5g of fiber - Rye bread
1/2 slice weighing approx 1.4 oz – 1g of fiber
Other grains, pasta and cereals that are rich in fiber:
- Whole wheat bread
- Multi-grain bread
- Popcorn
- Bulgur
- Enriched white rice
- Wheat flakes
- Fig bars
- Pita bread
It is important to remember that when you are buying your high fibre foods you can see the amount that is found in them on the label as this will always have a standard amount of nutritional information as required by the government health standards.