A high-fiber diet promotes normal bowel function, reducing your risk of developing constipation and chronic digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and diverticulitis. When you eat high-fiber foods, you feel satiated quicker and stay full longer so you can do a better job of maintaining a healthy weight. Plant fiber can lower your blood cholesterol and decrease your chance of developing coronary heart disease. Dietary fiber also helps control blood glucose levels, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes. Fiber is found only in plant foods including fruits, vegetables and grains.
Three to Five Grams
Add a serving of fruits or vegetables to your meals or snacks for a quick fiber boost. An apple with the skin intact delivers 3.3 g of fiber, a small orange has 3.1 g, 1 c. of cooked green beans contains 4 g and a sweet potato cooked without skin provides 3.9 g of fiber. Beet greens, collards, kale, turnip greens and Swiss chard offer 4 g of fiber in a ½ c. serving. When purchasing grains and cereals, look for products that are as close as possible to their natural state. One cup of cooked brown rice has 3.5 g of fiber, a cup of cooked oatmeal delivers 4 g and a whole-wheat English muffin contains 3.7 g of fiber. Nuts and seeds are also high in fiber. A single ounce of almonds, about 24 nuts, packs 3.3 g of fiber. (See References 2, 3 & 4)
Five to Ten Grams
Many whole-grain products deliver between 5 and 10 g of fiber in a single serving. A 1 cup portion of whole-wheat spaghetti delivers 6.3 g of fiber, a whole-wheat bagel delivers 6 g, a ½ cup serving of 100 percent all-bran cereal provides 8.8 g, two slices of seven-grain bread packs 6.5 g fiber and two slices of whole-grain dark rye bread contains 5.8 g of fiber. Fruits and vegetables, especially those with edible skins and seeds, are loaded with fiber. One cup of blackberries contains 7.6 g of fiber, a medium pear with skin intact offers 5.1 g and a cup of raisins has 5.4 g of fiber. You can also obtain 5.7 g of fiber from a cup of cooked winter squash, 7 g from ¾ cup of fresh cooked broccoli, 5 g from a medium ear of corn on the cob and 5 g of fiber from a medium-baked Idaho potato with skin.
Ten Grams or More
Lentils, peas, dried beans and other legumes are considered very high-fiber foods. A single cup of cooked lentils delivers 15.6 g of fiber, 1 cup of cooked split peas has 16.3 g and a 1 cup portion of canned or cooked pinto beans delivers 18.8 g of fiber. A ½ cup serving of bran buds contains 10.4 g of fiber, while three dried figs boasts 10.5 g.
Tips
You can boost your dietary fiber intake by making small changes in your traditional recipes. Substitute whole-wheat macaroni for plain pasta, sprinkle chopped nuts on top of yogurt, add flaxseed or bran when you're baking bread and pump up the fiber content of your salad by adding beans, carrots, seeds or whole-wheat croutons. Simmer a crock pot of lentils or beans in preparation for a meatless meal once a week and add fruit to your breakfast cereal or pancakes.
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