Highest Fiber Fruits & Vegetables

High-fiber diets reduce the risk of appendicitis, colon cancer, constipation, diabetes, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome, according to "The Well Adult."

Eating fruits and vegetables can help play a role in preventing these diseases because so many of them have a lot of fiber. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ranks the fiber content of about 700 foods. Numerous fruits and vegetables are very high on the list.

Insoluble Fibers

There are two major categories of fiber--insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibers don't dissolve. Whole-grain foods have the most insoluble fiber, but fruits, vegetables and beans also often have a large amount. Diets high in insoluble fiber "are associated with markedly lower rates of colon cancer," reports "The New Pritikin Program."

The Pritikin book lists green peas, corn and Brussels sprouts as the vegetables with the most insoluble fiber, and dried figs, apples with skin and strawberries as the fruits with the most insoluble fiber. The USDA lists green peas as the vegetable with the second-most total fiber (8.8g). Brussels sprouts (6.4g) are sixth. Corn has 4.2g. Strawberries (4.8g) are ninth among fruits. Figs have 3.7g and apples have 3.3g.

Soluble Fibers

Soluble fibers reduce your body's total and bad cholesterol, stabilize your blood sugar, and reduce your insulin. Consequently, foods with lots of soluble fiber help you control your diabetes, according to "The New Pritikin Program." Foods with the most soluble fiber include fruits, vegetables, oat bran, beans and barley.

The Pritikin book lists raspberries, pears, oranges and bananas as fruits with a lot of soluble fiber, and potatoes, squash, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots as vegetables with large amounts of soluble fiber. The USDA lists raspberries (11g of fiber per serving), pears (9.9g) and oranges (4.3g) as the fruits with the second-, third- and 11th-most fiber. Potatoes (5.9g) are ranked seventh among vegetables and squash is ninth (5.7g). Broccoli (5.5g), cauliflower (4.9) and carrots (4.8) are just outside the top 10.

Low-Fat Foods

High-fiber foods have very little fat because fiber comes from plants and there is no fiber in animals. Consequently, a high-fiber diet reduces heart-disease risks, according to "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease."

The top 10 fruits and vegetables on the USDA's fiber content list are all recommended foods on Ornish's Reversal Diet. Dates (14.2g of fiber per serving) are the No. 1 fruit on the USDA list. They are followed by raspberries (11g), pears (9.9g), plums (7.7g), blackberries (7.6g), papayas (5.5g), raisins (5.4g), blueberries (5.1g), strawberries (4.8g) and peaches (4.5g).

Artichokes (14.4g) are the No. 1 vegetable on the USDA list. They are followed by green peas (8.8g), pumpkins (7.1g), spinach (7g), lettuce (6.5g), Brussels sprouts (6.4g), potatoes (5.9g), sweet potatoes (5.9g), squash (5.7g) and turnip greens (5.6g).