Fiber is well known as a key component of healthy digestion and a means of protecting against several diseases, such as colon and breast cancers. But soluble fiber (as opposed to insoluble fiber, which moves bulk through the intestines and helps maintain a healthy chemical balance in the intestines) has cardiovascular benefits, too. When regularly eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, soluble fiber has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol and may also help reduce the risk of diabetes and colon and rectal cancer, according to the American Heart Association. Fortunately, it's easy to eat more foods high in soluble fiber in your regular diet.
Oatmeal
One cup of oatmeal made from rolled oats contains 1.3 grams of soluble fiber, making it a healthy way to start your day. A 1/2 cup of cooked whole oats has around 0.5 grams of soluble fiber. Oat bran cereals are also packed with soluble fiber.
Citrus fruits
Opt for eating citrus fruits, rather than just sipping fruit juice, because much of the fiber is lost in juicing. One medium orange has about 1.3 grams of soluble fiber, while a tangerine has around 1.4 grams. Half a grapefruit has close to 1 gram.
Brown rice and potatoes
Half a cup of cooked brown rice has a healthy 1.3 grams of soluble fiber, compared to just 0.5 grams in a half cup of white rice. A small potato, though more caloric than rice, contains more than 2 grams of soluble fiber.
Beans
Most types of beans are plentiful in soluble fiber. A 1/2 cup of cooked pinto beans, for example, boats 2.2 grams of soluble fiber, while cooked lentils and green peas each have 0.6 grams per 2/3 of a cup and a 1/2 cup of cooked kidney beans contains 0.5 grams.
Apples
Eat the whole apple to get the soluble fiber. One average apple has more than 2 grams of soluble fiber, making it one of the best fruit sources.
Strawberries
You can get 1 gram of soluble fiber in 3/4 cup of strawberries. Because the National Institutes of Health recommends eating fiber throughout the day, a snack of strawberries in the mid-morning or afternoon can make for a nice complement to a bowl of oatmeal or oat bran cereal in the morning.
Member Comments