Fiber is an essential part of the human diet and necessary for normal colon--bowel--function. Insufficient dietary fiber can lead to anal fissures--bleeding cracks--hemorrhoids and chronic constipation. The typical meal should contain 5 to 8 g of fiber--a healthy diet requires 25 to 30 g daily.
Legumes
It may surprise some that wheat and grains are not at the top of the fiber food chain. According to the Mayo Clinic, beans and peas have more grams of fiber per serving than vegetable and grain foods. Lima beans, chickpeas, black and baked beans top the legume chart for fiber. Black beans have the highest content of dietary fiber at 19.4 g of fiber in a cup of beans.
Bran Products
The second highest fiber-containing food is bran. Cereals, muffins and breads can be fortified with bran in order to fulfill dietary fiber requirements. A half cup of a bran cereal contains around 10.4 g of fiber, and two bran muffins contain 4.6 g.
Dried Fruits
Actually the fruits do not always have to be dried; however, by dehydrating the fruit, the portion ingested will be more compact with fiber content. Consuming two dried figs will provide 1.6 g of fiber. Larger in size, eating one apple, skin and all, will provide 3 g of fiber.
Vegetables
Broccoli, green beans, peas and yams are all rich with fiber. Peas have a fiber gram content of 9.1 g per half cup. When choosing potatoes, stick to the yams, as they have twice as much fiber as their white counterparts. Vegetables like Boston lettuce and cucumbers have a fiber component, but it is diluted due to their high water content.
Whole Wheat and Grains
Whole wheat and grains are an important dietary component producing fiber and carbohydrates for energy. To gain the most fiber content, avoid refined bread products like white bread or sweet rolls--instead choose high-fiber rye, pumpernickel or whole wheat. Two slices of whole wheat toast for breakfast provides 6 g of fiber. One cup of whole wheat spaghetti provides more fiber, at 6.2 g.
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