Fiber is the indigestible portion of a plant. Animal meats and byproducts contain no fiber, so you can only get necessary fiber from the plants you eat. The more calories you eat, the more dietary fiber you need. The National Academies recommend that women consume 25 grams of total fiber per day and men consume 38 g daily. In reality, however, American women consumed an average of 12.1 to 13.8 g of fiber daily, the Academies noted in 2005, while men consumed only 16.5 to 17.9 g.
Benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, benefits of a high-fiber diet are substantial. A high-fiber diet promotes normal digestion and waste elimination, maintains health of the digestive system, lowers "bad" cholesterol, controls blood sugar, facilitates weight loss and may prevent some chronic diseases. Since every plant contains fiber, if you eat fresh plants, you should obtain these benefits from your diet.
Fresh Fruits
Eat whole, fresh fruits. Juices often strip the fruit of its fiber, particularly those with the pulp strained. When edible, include the skins of fruits in your diet. All fruits supply a healthy source of fiber, but some top choices that, according to Harvard University Health Services, supply around 3 g or more of fiber per serving include apples, apricots, figs, mangoes, oranges, pears, plums, raspberries and strawberries. Don't disregard fruits that have less fiber, including grapes and watermelon, because the fiber adds up.
Fresh Vegetables
When possible, eat both flesh and skins of vegetables to boost their fiber value. Some high-fiber vegetables, with content of more than 4 g per serving, include okra, peas, sweet potatoes and turnips. Vegetables with 2 g or more include asparagus, broccoli, carrots, green beans and kale. Even vegetables with the least amount of fiber, such as cucumbers, iceberg lettuce and mushrooms, contribute more than 0.5 g of fiber per serving to your diet.
Whole Grains
All whole grains supply some fiber. Whole grains retain all their parts --- the bran, germ and endosperm. Most of the benefits of eating grains come from the bran and germ, so when these parts are stripped during processing, so are the benefits. The fiber in cereals, breads, pastas and rice vary widely and depend in part upon the manner in which the food is prepared. When buying fresh breads and pastas, discuss with the baker the type of flour used. If purchasing food from a farmers market, ask what type of process the farmer used to prepare the grains. Packaged foods should list "whole" grains as one of the first ingredients and the amount of fiber on the nutritional label.
Beans
Beans generally supply the most fiber of any food. In just one 1/2-cup serving, you can obtain from 4.5 to 8 g of total fiber from kidney, navy, black, pinto, lentils, black-eyed and lima beans. Because of their high insoluble fiber content, beans particularly aid digestion. Most beans contain between 3.5 to 6 g of insoluble fiber per serving.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds provide nutritious sources of dietary fibers. Flaxseed offers the highest amount, with about 3.3 g in a 1-tbsp. serving. Most nuts and seeds provide less than 1 g of fiber. Although this might seem like a small amount compared to other plants, when considering the smaller serving size, it is actually a significant amount. When enjoyed as snacks or added to salads or breads, nuts and seeds can contribute an important source of fiber to your diet.
References
- The National Academies Press: Dietary, Functional, and Total Fiber
- Harvard University Health Services: Fiber Content of Foods in Common Portions
- University of Mississippi Medical Center: Fiber Content of Foods
- Mayo Clinic: Dietary fiber: essential for a healthy diet
- United States Department of Agriculture: What foods are in the grain group?
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