Cereals High in Fiber

Fiber is a naturally occurring, indigestible type of carbohydrate, which is present in the outer covering of plant-based foods. Low in nutrient content, it is crucial for improving digestive health. In fact, most of the digestion related problems are directly or indirectly related to consuming low fiber diet for a long time. This is the reason why nutrition experts suggest us to eat fiber rich foods to avoid digestive conditions. So, identify cereals high in fiber and include them in the diet plan to achieve your health goals.

High Fiber Diet: Selecting Cereals High in Fiber

The daily requirement of fiber for healthy adults is 25-40 g. When ingested, fiber passes the body without getting digested, but it is essential for bulking stool before defecation. The major benefits of consuming high fiber food are promoting bowel health, maintaining regular bowel movement and more importantly, reducing the effects of carbs and sugars in blood sugar levels. Following is a list of cereals high in fiber, which you can incorporate in planning a high fiber diet plan.

Wheat: Wheat is one of the most popularly consumed cereals all over the world. The food products based on wheat grains are numerous, including flour, bran, germ, groats and semolina. Serving 100 g of wheat germ in following high fiber diet will provide 13.2 g of dietary fiber. And in ½ cup of raw wheat bran, the fiber content is as high as 6 g. You will find wheat as one of the ingredients in bread, biscuits, pasta, cookies, crackers, cakes, etc.

Flax: Flax, also known as linseed, falls under the group of cereals high in fiber low in sugar. In simple words, it contains a negligible amount of usable carbs. Serving 100 g of flaxseed provides about 28 g of dietary fiber (one-third of which is both soluble fiber type). For consumption purpose, whole flaxseed and ground flaxseed are sold in health food stores.

Chia Seeds: Another in the list of high fiber cereals and grains is chia seed. It is a rich source of dietary fiber, omega-3 essential fatty acid, antioxidants and proteins. Eating 100 g of chia seeds is sufficient to provide 25 g of healthy fiber. It can be eaten raw, as sprouts or the seed can be ground to make flour. Whole chia seeds are sold in packages, and they are added in salads, cereals, yogurt and soups.

Barley: Barley contains high percentage of beta-glucan soluble fiber. Unlike other good sources of fiber, it contains fiber in the whole seed kernel. Hence, one of the plus points with this high fiber cereal is that you can reap the health benefits from both whole grains and processed products. In the market, you can get hulled barley (with the hull part removed), pearl barley and barley flakes.

Rye: The list of cereals high in fiber includes rye, which is related to wheat and barley. Most people prefer to consume whole rye grains by simply boiling them. Popular food products based on whole rye cereal are flour, bread, crack rye, rye flakes and rolled rye. It is found that rye bread contains more fiber than any other types of breads available to us.

Corn: Corn added in our regular diet contains fiber, vitamin B, vitamin C, folate, manganese and phosphorous. In 100 g of corn, total fiber accounts to about 7 g. And approximately 90 percent of fiber in corn is of soluble type. Food products of corn are raw corn, cornmeal, corn flour and cornflakes. Many of us start our day with cornflakes and milk. Having ½ cup of cornflakes gives 5.2 g of dietary fiber.

Brown Rice: Brown rice is one of the high fiber cereals, which is opted by most rice eaters. Since the bran is not removed, it contains more fiber than white or polished rice. Serving one cup of brown rice is equivalent to providing 3.5 g of dietary fiber. Brown rice is available as whole grains or after grinding in coarse form. Soaking of brown rice in water prior to cooking enhances the nutritional value of the meals.

Oats: The fiber content in oatmeal is 50 percent soluble and 50 percent insoluble. Fiber content in 100 g of oats is approximately 11g. Apart from dietary fiber, oats are rich sources of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, iron and folate. The main products based on oats are flour, bran, oatmeal, flakes and rolled oats.

Some of the breakfast cereals high in fiber include Smart Bran, Red River, Archer Farms High Fiber, Go Lean, Fiber One, All Bran, Kellogg's Raisin Bran Extra and Oat Bran. If you are looking for cereals high in fiber and protein, most of the options are packaged products that are supplemented with proteins at the time of processing. On the contrary, you will get high fiber fruits and vegetables, which also contain proteins. Take for example pistachios and green beans, are good sources of fiber, and at the same time they contain high percentage of proteins. The point is to consume fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to cereal products that contain high fiber.