The USDA recommends 14 g of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed, which comes out to around 25 to 35 g of fiber each day. This amount should come from both soluble and insoluble fiber. A food is considered an excellent source of fiber if it contains 5 g or more of fiber per serving. A good source of fiber has 2.4 to 4.9 g of fiber per serving.
Grains and Cereals
Grains and cereals contain the largest amounts of fiber. Bran cereals contain the most fiber, and many whole-grain cereals fortify their cereal with extra fiber. Some bran cereals contain up to 29 g of fiber for a 1-cup serving. A cup of whole-grain wheat flour contains 12 g of fiber, and buckwheat flour contains 10 g per cup.
Beans, Nuts and Seeds
Beans contain a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber and provide a great deal of fiber even in a small serving. Lentils, lima beans, black beans, refried beans, chickpeas, green peas and pinto beans contain 5 g of fiber or more for a 1-cup serving.
Vegetables
Vegetables that contain more than 5 g of fiber per 1 cup include broccoli, spinach and winter squash. Brussels sprouts, asparagus, beets, green beans, cabbage, cauliflower and carrots contain at least 2.5 to 5 g of fiber per 1-cup serving and are considered to be good sources of fiber.
Fruits
Kiwis, apples, pears, pineapple, bananas, peaches, blueberries and mangoes are predominantly insoluble fiber and contain 1.0 to 3.3 g of total fiber per serving. These fruits do have small amounts of soluble fiber, found primarily in the peels and skin of the fruit. Raspberries, blackberries, papaya and pears have 5 g of fiber per serving.
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