Fiber is a form of carbohydrate. It is the skeleton or structural part of all plants. Plant foods also contain other forms of carbohydrate that are broken down into glucose for immediate energy and glycogen for future energy needs. Glucose is the body's preferred source of energy. Fibers are not digestible by the human digestive system and therefore add minimal caloric increases to the diet. There are foods that should be eaten to increase carb and fiber intake.
Fruits
Fruits contain fiber as well as the carbohydrate fructose. The American Heart Association recommends consuming four to five fruits per day for a healthy diet. Fruits are not only a good source of fiber but also provide the body with vital vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to ensure proper body functions and disease prevention. Fruits that will increase overall carb and fiber intake include (serving size, g carb, g fiber):
Dates (10, 62, 7)
Dried figs (10, 121, 19)
Florida avocados (1 cup, 20, 15)
Fresh banana (1, 27, 3)
Dehydrated banana (½ cup, 44, 5)
Blueberries (1 cup, 21, 3)
Raspberries (1 cup, 15, 8)
Apples (1, 19, 3)
Jackfruit (1 cup, 40, 3)
Pomelos (1 each, 59, 6)
Mangos (1 each, 35, 4)
Oranges (1 cup, 21, 4)
D'Anjou pear (1, 32, 6)
Plantain, cooked (1 cup, 48, 4)
Prunes, cooked (1 cup, 70, 8)
Raisins (1 cup, 115, 5)
Rhubarb, cooked (1 cup, 75, 5)
Vegetables
Vegetable consumption is also recommended to be four to five servings per day by the American Heart Association. Vegetables do not contain fructose and for the most part have low carbohydrate content, but they do contain relatively high fiber content. They are a nutrient dense food because they contain high levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients per calorie. The vegetables to consume when wanting to increase both carb and fiber intake with one food include (serving size, g carb, g fiber):
Artichoke hearts, cooked (1 cup, 15, 8)
Broccoli spears, cooked (1 each, 13, 6)
Red cabbage, cooked (1 cup, 10, 4)
Cassava, cooked (1 cup, 53, 2)
Yellow corn kernels (½ cup, 16, 2)
Jerusalem artichoke (1 cup, 26, 2)
Kohlrabi, cooked (1 cup, 11, 2)
Okra, cooked (1 cup, 11, 5)
Palm hearts (1 cup, 39, 2)
Parsnips, cooked (½ cup, 13, 3)
Baked potatoes (1 each, 61, 7)
Acorn squash ( ½ cup, 18, 5)
Sweet potatoes (1 each, 24, 4)
Sundried tomatoes (1 cup 30, 7)
Tomato paste (1 cup, 50, 12)
Legumes, Nuts and Seeds
Legumes, nuts and seeds are one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. Legumes contain amino acids essential to cell growth and repair, vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates and fat. The American Heart Association recommends consuming four to five servings per week of legumes, nuts and seeds combined. Legumes, nuts and seeds to eat when wanting to increase carb and fiber intake include (serving size, g carb, g fiber):
Legumes
Adzuki beans (½ cup, 28, 8)
Black beans (½ cup, 20, 7)
Baby lima beans (½ cup, 20, 7)
Garbanzo beans (½ cup, 22, 6)
Great northern beans (½ cup, 18, 6)
Kidney beans (½ cup, 20, 8)
Lentils (½ cup, 20, 8)
Navy beans (½ cup, 24, 6)
Black-eyed peas (½ cup, 18, 6)
Pinto Beans (½ cup, 21, 7)
Refried beans (½ cup, 20, 7)
Soybeans (½ cup, 28, 7)
Seeds and Nuts
Almonds (1 cup, 27, 16)
Brazil nuts (1 cup, 17, 10)
Chestnuts (1 cup, 76, 7)
Coconut, shredded, unsweetened (1 cup, 18, 13)
Pistachios (1 cup, 34, 13)
Pumpkin kernels (1 cup, 30, 9)
Grains
Grains are one of the richest sources of carbohydrates. They also contain many nutrients essential to bodily functions. The American Heart Association recommends that the average healthy person include six to eight servings per day of grains, predominately from whole grain foods. Grains containing high fiber and carb content include (serving size, g carbs, g fiber):
Barley (1 cup, 44, 6)
Bulgur (1 cup, 34, 8)
Couscous (1 cup, 36, 2)
Quinoa (1 cup, 117, 10)
Brown rice (1 cup, 45, 4)
White long grain rice (1cup, 148, 2)
Cornmeal (1 cup, 107, 10)
Wheat germ (1 cup, 60, 15)
Whole wheat spaghetti (1 cup, 37, 6)
Spinach noodle spaghetti (1 cup, 75, 11)
References
- Understanding Nutrition; Ellie Whitney and Sharon Rady Rolfes; 2005
- American Heart Assocation
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