People with diabetes need to control the amount of carbohydrate they consume to help control blood sugar. However, fiber is a type of carbohydrate that does not affect blood sugar. Fiber in food is not digested and therefore cannot increase blood sugar. In fact, grams of fiber can be subtracted from the total grams of carbohydrate in a food item for the diabetics using the carbohydrate counting style of meal planning, explains the Joslin Diabetes Center.
Fruits
Most people need 20 to 35g of fiber a day. Fruits are a delicious way a person with diabetes can add fiber to her diet. Fruits can be eaten as a dessert after a meal or as a snack. A small apple with the skin, 1 1/2 oz. of figs, 1/2 of a small mango, a small orange and 1 1/4 cups of fresh strawberries all contain about 3g of fiber. Four fresh apricots contain 3.5g of fiber and a large pear contains 6g of fiber.
Grains and Cereals
Grains and cereals are another tasty way to add fiber to the diet. People with diabetes can substitute whole-grain foods for refined flour items, such as whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta and brown rice. A cup of cooked whole wheat spaghetti and cooked barley contains 6g of fiber. One slice of wheat bread has 2g of fiber and one slice of pumpernickel has 3g of fiber. A 1/2-cup serving of oatmeal contains 3g of fiber. Three cups of air-popped popcorn and 1 cup of brown rice each contain 3.5g of fiber.
Vegetables
Soluble fiber, found in vegetables, grains and fruits, helps to lower blood sugar by slowing down the absorption of food, according to MayoClinic.com. High fiber vegetables include turnips with 4.8g in a 1/2-cup serving and peas with 4.3g in a 1/2-cup serving. Cruciferous vegetables also contain a significant amount of fiber, including 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli with 2.4g, 1/2 cup cooked brussels sprouts with 3.8g and 1 cup of raw red cabbage with 1.5g. A 1/2-cup serving of either cooked carrots and green beans contain 2g of fiber.
Legumes
Legumes also provide fiber. To increase fiber intake, people with diabetes can add legumes to salads, rice or pasta dishes and soups. Kidney beans contain the highest amount of fiber, according to Harvard University Health Services, with 7.9g in 1/2 cup. A 1/2-cup serving of both black beans and pinto beans contains 6.1g of fiber. A 1/2-cup serving of lentils contains 5.2g of fiber.
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