Most savvy consumers concerned about their health have learned the importance of eating a heart-healthy diet that consists of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Another major component of a healthy diet is fiber.
There are two types of fiber--soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber refers to fiber components that dissolve in water. This is particularly important in lowering LDL cholesterol by excreting it before it has a chance to adhere to your arterial walls. Insoluble fiber refers to fiber components that do not dissolve in water and get excreted nearly whole, from the body. Insoluble fiber helps to avoid constipation and certain types of colon cancer.
The following sections list popular foods, followed by their insoluble/soluble fiber in grams per 100g of food.
Vegetables
Unlike other diets that ask you to make major changes to your eating patterns, you've probably already been eating soluble and insoluble fiber for years. Popular sources include carrots (4.1/1.6), onions (0.9/1.1), cauliflower (3.5/0.7), spinach (3.5/0.6), field beans (9.3/2.1), broad beans (7.3/0.8), beet roots (5.4/2.4) and potatoes (2.6/0.6).
Fruits
Fruits are loaded with both soluble and insoluble fiber, are high in vitamins and minerals, taste good and are easy to carry. Commonly eaten fruits include apples (2.0/0.70), banana (1.80/0.60), pears (1.10/1.30), peaches (1.20/0.80), fresh plums (0.70/0.80), grapes (0.60/0.40) and watermelon (0.30/0.20).
Nuts
Nuts are a very nutritious food because they contain soluble and insoluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids--all components that help to reduce low-density lipoproteins, or the bad type of cholesterol. Popular sources of nuts are flaxseed (10.15/12.18), almonds (10.10/1.10), sesame seeds (5.89/1.90) and Brazil nuts (4.10/1.30).
Other Sources of Fiber
If you're reluctant to make changes to your diet to include soluble and insoluble fiber but would still like to enjoy their benefits, you can also take both types of fiber in supplement form. Some of the most popular are apple pectin, barley, beta-glucan, chitosan, clucomannan, modified citrus pectin and psyllium.
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