Whether you want to lose weight or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle, you should choose high-fiber foods that offer the smallest amount of energy and the most satiety. According to Donna Feldman, a licensed dietitian with a master of science degree from Cornell University, numerous studies indicate that normal-weight people tend to eat higher fiber diets. Unfortunately, fiber is one of the most underrepresented compounds in the modern human diet.
Function
The Merck Online Medical Library states that carbohydrates, proteins and fats can all be used as sources of energy. However, the body likes to use carbohydrates as the primary source. Carbohydrates are made out of glucose units that are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and then transported to the cells to begin the process of energy metabolism. Both proteins, which are made out of amino acids, and fats, which are made out of fatty acids, can be utilized by alternate pathways to attain the same effect.
Calories
The energy present in nutrients is measured by a unit known as the calorie. In technical terms, a calorie is the amount of energy required to raise 1 g of water a single degree Celsius. Calorie dense foods contain a large number of calories in a relatively small amount of food. One strategy to maintain a healthy diet is to choose foods that are low in calories yet filling when eaten.
Fiber
Fiber is a complex carbohydrate that exists within the structural components of plant cells such as cellulose. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two main types of fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help slow and control the level of glucose absorbed into the blood. Insoluble fiber is not metabolized by the body. Instead, it adds bulk and promotes the movement of material through the digestive system. Men need 38 g of fiber a day, 30 g if they are over the age of 50, and women need 25 g, or 21 g if they are over the age of 50.
Sources
Fiber is usually found in foods that contain complex carbohydrates, including vegetables, grains and legumes. Split peas, which contain 16.3 g per serving, are the best source of fiber. This is followed by lentils at 15.6 g, black beans at 15 g, lima beans at 13.2 g, and artichokes and baked beans at around 10 g, depending upon the brand. Spaghetti, barley, bran, broccoli, turnip greens, sweet corn, Brussels sprouts, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, almonds and brown rice all contain at least 3 g. Vegetable sources tend to contain the fewest number of calories.
Fruit is another type of fiber-heavy food. It is true that fruits contain simple sugars rather than complex carbohydrates, but the dietary fiber present within them moderates the absorption of glucose and promotes a feeling of fullness. Raspberries at 8 g are the most prolific source, but you can also find fiber in pears, apples, strawberries, bananas and oranges.
Considerations
If food is highly process and refined during its production phase, then many of the fibers and nutrients efficacious for a healthy diet could be stripped away. Refined foods are often absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and leave you feeling hungry soon after a meal, which causes overeating. White bread and sugary cereals are two types of commonly refined foods. Certain fruit drinks may also be made by removing the fiber and leaving the sugar.
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