Foods that are low in calories and high in fiber can help you control your weight by filling you up without adding many calories. Fiber may also improve cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar. Choosing low-calorie, high-fiber foods can help you achieve the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans goal to consume adequate nutrients within your calorie limits.
Fruits
Many fresh fruits are low in calories and high in fiber. Some good choices are pumpkin, berries and apples. A cup of raw raspberries has 60 calories and 8g fiber and an Asian pear has 50 calories and 4.5g fiber. Beside being high in fiber and low in calories, fruits have other essential nutrients such as vitamin C in oranges and vitamin A in cantaloupe. Some ways to add fruit to your diet are to eat them as snacks or in fruit salads. Most fresh fruits are low in calories and high in fiber, but olives and avocados are high in fat and calories. Fruit juice is lower in fiber than fresh fruit and dried fruit has more calories.
Legumes
Legumes include beans, peas and lentils and many types are high in fiber and low in calories. A cup of cooked green peas has about 70 calories and 5g fiber. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked black-eyed peas has 200 calories and 12g fiber. Soybeans are in many types of meat substitutes such as veggie burgers, vegetarian chicken and vegetarian hot dogs. If you are looking for low-calorie foods, keep in mind that although peanuts are high-fiber legumes, they are also high in calories. Also, the way you prepare the legume is important, too; fried tofu or refried beans with lard can be high in calories.
Vegetables
In addition to providing essential vitamins and minerals, many vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. Leafy green vegetables, summer squash, such as zucchini, cucumbers and broccoli all provide fiber and few calories. A cup of raw cabbage has 18 calories and 6g fiber and 1 cup of raw celery has 19 calories and 2g fiber. A 1/2 cup of cooked spinach has 30 calories and 3.5g fiber. You can eat vegetables in salads, as side dishes and in soups and stews. Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and winter squash, are high in fiber but higher in calories than non-starchy vegetables. A small sweet potato has 120 calories and 4g fiber.
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