How Much Fiber in a Diet?

Health benefits of dietary fiber may include a reduced risk for constipation, lower cholesterol levels and better blood sugar control, according to the Mayo Clinic. The amount of fiber that you need in your diet depends on how many calories you eat, and you can increase your intake by choosing healthy plant-based foods. Consult your doctor before making changes to your diet.

Adequate Intake

The adequate intake, or AI, for dietary fiber is 14 g for each 1,000 calories that you eat. On average, this may be about 25 g per day for women, and 38 g for men, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. The AI for fiber is the amount of dietary fiber that may reduce your risk for coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services state that the average American gets 15 g per day.

High-fiber Foods

You can get more fiber in your diet by increasing your intake of beans, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Cooked beans and lentils provide about 12 to 19 g fiber per cup, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Whole grains, such as oatmeal, barley and bulgur, get their fiber from the bran component of the kernel, and they have about 3 to 8 g fiber per cup. Fruit may have about 8 g fiber per cup, and vegetables can have about 3 to 14 g fiber per cup. Each ounce of nuts or peanuts has 2 to 3 g.

Low-fiber Foods

Your diet may not provide adequate fiber if your diet is based on animal products, since dietary fiber comes from the parts of plant foods that your body cannot digest. Meat, dairy products and eggs are examples of foods without dietary fiber. Pure fats, such as oils, are also free from fiber. Processed foods, such as fruit or vegetable juice, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread or pasta, and sugary sweets tend to be low in fiber.

Changing Your Fiber Intake

You can use fiber supplements or foods with added fiber to increase your fiber intake, but the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center states that you may not get the same benefits as from natural food sources of fiber. The Mayo Clinic states that you may need to avoid fiber and follow a low-fiber diet if you have irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal problems. Only increase your fiber intake if your doctor recommends it, and do it gradually.