Unlike proteins, fats and carbohydrates that break down and become absorbed by your body, fiber tends to pass through the body completely unchanged, according to the Mayo Clinic. Fiber is an extremely important element of any healthy diet. Fiber aids in removing waste, such as excess fat, from within the body. This helps keep digestion regular, maintain a healthy cholesterol level and keep blood sugar in check.
Fruits and Vegetables
Many fruits and vegetables provide an excellent source of fiber. Most vegetables contain some amount of fiber. In fact, it is quite difficult to find a vegetable that contains no fiber whatsoever. The top vegetable sources of fiber include spinach, artichoke hearts, carrots, Brussels sprouts, acorn squash, sweet potatoes and corn. The amount of fiber in these vegetable range from 2 to 6g per serving, according to Diet Bites. When looking to fruit to provide your fiber, choose pears, raspberries, blackberries, bananas, apples, oranges, peaches, kiwi, prunes, raisins and dried figs. According to Diet Bites, the amount of fiber in these fruits range from 2 to 14g. per serving. A typical serving of a fruit is a whole piece. If you are eating berries, approximately 1 cup makes a serving.
Beans
Beans are a plant source of complete protein, which is rare to find. When compared to other foods, the bean has one of the highest levels of fiber per serving. Just a half cup of beans contains between 6 and 9.5g of fiber, according to the ARS Nutrient Database. When looking for beans to buy, steer clear of any canned beans that contain sweeteners, additional ingredients or high fructose corn syrup. If it is convenient, purchase only beans that or dry. If you must buy canned beans, check the labels and purchase only those without sugar added.
Whole Grains
Whole grains provide a good source of fiber as well as other nutrients. For a grain to be considered whole grain, it must be a kernel or have all of the grain seed parts intact. The kernel parts are known as the endosperm, germ and bran. A flaked, crushed or cracked grain is required to have the same proportions of endosperm, germ and bran in order to be a whole grain. Whole grains include whole wheat, brown rice, whole rye, buckwheat, oatmeal, cracked wheat, whole oats, millet, whole-grain corn, wild rice, whole-grain barley and popcorn. The Center for Disease Control states that eating 3 oz or more of whole grains on a daily basis helps maintain a healthy weight and reduces the risk of coronary artery disease and other chronic diseases.
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