List of High Fiber Foods

Fibers are an essential component of diet. Their main function in the body is to regulate bowel movements and relieve constipation. Fibers are essentially plant skeleton which helps in maintaining the shape of plants. Interestingly, human body cannot digest fibers. Thus, they are directly passed to the colon, where they assist in the formation of fecal matter. Fibers can be classified as water soluble fibers and water insoluble fibers. Water insoluble fibers are mainly responsible for regulating the bowel movement whereas water soluble fibers help in decreasing the cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood.

Most of the fiber intake comes from dietary fiber as it is commonly present in many fruits and vegetables. Both fresh fruits and vegetables contain soluble as well as insoluble fibers. Insoluble fibers clean the colon from the inside, as they cannot be digested. They render a consistency to bowels by absorbing excess water. Water soluble fibers form a gelatinous substance in the body. Both these fibers are required to keep a healthy functioning colon. Including sufficient amounts of fiber can relieve you of many colon ailments, constipation being the most important one. In this article, we have provided a detailed list of high fiber foods.

List of Foods High in Fiber

A diet of an average American person is usually low in fiber. This is perhaps one of the reasons, why a large number of Americans suffer from constipation. The daily recommended fiber intake for adult males in 30 - 38 gm, while that for women is about 20 - 25 gm. However, American diet provides only about 10 - 13 gm of fiber, which is very low. Thus, if you too belong to this category of Americans, then you should up your fiber intake from this day itself. The following list of fiber rich foods should help you in incorporating fiber rich foods in your daily diet.

Fruits
Fruits are rich in natural fibers. However, some amount of fiber is lost when you choose to eat skinned fruits. Fruits like apples, pears should not be skinned.

Fruit	Serving Size	Fiber Content
Apple	1 medium	4.4
Banana	1 medium	3.1
Figs (dried)	2 medium	1.6
Orange	1 medium	3.1
Pear	1 medium	5.5
Raisins	2 tbsp.	1
Raspberries	1 cup	8
Strawberries	1 1/4 cup	8

Vegetables
Vegetables are rich in both types of dietary fibers, soluble as well as insoluble. The fiber content in vegetables is greatly dictated by the method of cooking. Raw vegetables contain maximum fibers.

Vegetable	Serving Size	Fiber Content
Artichoke (cooked)	1 medium	10.3
Broccoli (boiled)	1 cup	5.1
Brussels sprouts (cooked)	1 cup	4.1
Carrot (raw)	1 medium	1.7
Kale( cooked)	1 cup	7.2
Peas (cooked)	1 cup	8.8
Potato (baked)	1 medium	2.9
Sweet corn (cooked)	1 cup	4.2
Tomato (paste)	1/4 cup	2.7
Turnip greens (boiled)	1 cup	5.0

Cereals and Grains
Cereals and grains are best when minimum refining is done. White flours should be avoided as they are devoid of fibers.

Cereal/Grain	Serving Size	Fiber Content
Barley (cooked)	1 cup	6.0
Bran flakes	3/4 cup	5.3
Bread (rye)	1 slice	1.9
Bread (whole-wheat, multi-grain	1 slice	1.9
Brown rice (cooked)	1 cup	3.5
Oat bran muffin	1 medium	5.2
Oatmeal (cooked)	1 cup	4.0
Popcorn (air-popped)	3 cups	3.5

Nuts and Seeds
Various nuts, legumes and seeds are also rich in dietary fibers. Apart from that, they are also a great source of essential fatty acids.

Nuts and Seeds	Serving Size	Fiber Content
Almonds	1 ounce (23 nuts)	3.5
Baked beans (canned, cooked)	1 cup	10.4
Black beans (cooked)	1 cup	15.0
Flax seeds	3 tbsp.	6.9
Lentils (cooked)	1 cup	15.6
Lima beans (cooked)	1 cup	13.2
Pecans	1 ounce (19 halves)	2.7
Pistachio nuts	1 ounce (49 nuts)	2.9
Split peas (cooked)	1 cup	16.3
Sunflower seed kernels	1/4 cup	3.9

The process of refining often reduces the fiber content of foods. In this process, the outer layer or skin of foods is removed. This is the region where there is maximum concentration of fibers. Thus, removal of outer layer results in loss of fiber. Hence, it is recommended that you always eat whole grain foods. Even fruits should not be skinned unless absolutely necessary. In case your daily diet falls short of required fiber content, you should certainly take measures to incorporate fiber rich foods in your diet. If you are still unable to meet the required fiber intake, then you may consider using fiber supplements. However, these supplements should only be taken under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.

Thus, fibers are an important constituent of one's daily diet. Lack of fibers may lead to several colon ailments, which can in turn affect your overall health. Hence, it is a must that you ensure adequate fiber content in your diet.