Eating fruits, vegetables and grains supplies the body with dietary fiber, the part of a plant the body cannot digest. This undigested material forms a significant component of the stool. For good health, the National Cancer Institute and American Diabetes Association recommend you get between 20 and 35 grams of dietary fiber intake daily, depending on age and gender. Many foods are high in fiber, enabling you to make appropriate eating choices to keep your digestive system healthy.
Grains
Unrefined whole grains are the best choice for fiber content. Bulgur wheat tops the list, providing more than 18 g of fiber per 100-gram serving, followed by pearl barley and oat bran. Two slices of whole-wheat bread contain 6 g of fiber, three times the amount of white bread. Pastas, pizzas and pancakes made with whole-grain flours like pumpernickel, buckwheat, cornmeal and rye are packed with fiber. Bran meal, containing 6 g of fiber per 3 tablespoons, makes bran muffins a healthy selection. Brown rice provides 5.5 g of fiber per half-cup, almost three times the amount of white rice. Eating All-Bran cereal is a good way to start the day, given its 29.33 g of fiber per 100 g. Add raisins and you'll get even more.
Legumes
Dried beans, peas and other legumes are good fiber foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference calculates the fiber content of 100-gram servings of the following: Navy beans, at 10.49 g, contain almost half your daily requirement for fiber. Cooked pinto beans provide 9 g; black beans supply 8.7 g of fiber. Red and brown lentils are a good source, at 8 g. Other excellent sources of fiber include kidney, great northern and dried lima beans, soybeans and chickpeas.
Vegetables
Cooked green peas are a good vegetable source of fiber, providing 5.5 g per 100-gram serving. A medium russet potato, with skin on, has 5 g of fiber. Artichoke pack 5.4 g per 100 g. Tender cooked broccoli has 4 g of fiber. A healthy dinner is eggplant baked with tomatoes, which provides 4 g fiber for every two slices. A piece of corn on the cob will boost that amount by another 5 g. Salad greens also contribute to your fiber intake; include spinach, beet and turnip greens, kale, collards and Swiss chard.
Fruits
Dried fruits, such as raisins, prunes and apricots, have high fiber content. Three figs provide 10.5 grams. Berries, too, make a good snack. Blackberries and raspberries each provide about 4.5 g of fiber per half-cup. Pears are among the best fresh fruits to supply fiber with 3.6 g per 100-gram serving. Apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, and pears are also good choices. The skins are edible and high in pectin.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts, including pistachios, pecans and walnuts, provide fiber. Sliced almonds contain 2.4 g fiber per quarter-cup. Two shelled Brazil nuts contribute 2.5 g to you daily fiber intake. Raw seeds, such as sesame, pumpkin and sunflower, also contain fiber.
Fiber and Health
Lack of adequate dietary fiber contributes to colon cancer, diverticulosis and hemorrhoids. A study involving colorectal cancer patients, whose findings were reported in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" in 1979, showed that significantly more colon cancer patients had eaten foods low in fiber compared to the matched control group.
References
- MedlinePlus: High-Fiber Foods
- Continuum Health Partners: Bowel Function: Dietary Fiber: Fiber Chart
- Dietary Fiber Food: List of High Fiber Foods (Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grain Foods)
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; A Case-Control Study of Relationships of Diet and Other Traits to Colorectal Cancer in American Blacks; Loring G. Dales et al.; 1979
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