Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of dietary fiber. Many fruits and vegetables provide soluble fiber which, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Library (NAL), can help lower blood cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Fruits with edible peels or seeds, and many vegetables, also contain insoluble fiber, which promotes intestinal health. Daily USDA fiber intake recommendations for adults are 25 to 30 grams of total fiber, both soluble and insoluble.
High-Fiber Fruits
The following fruits are high in fiber content: pears contain 5.1 grams of fiber a serving; blueberries, 3.5 grams; apples with skin, 3.3 grams; strawberries, 3.3 grams; oranges, 3.1 grams; bananas, 3.0 grams; dried apricots, 2.6 grams; and raisins, 2.5 grams.
High-Fiber Vegetables
Legumes, such as beans, lentils and peas, provide the most dietary fiber of the vegetables. Lentils top the list, offering up 15.6 grams of fiber a serving; black beans, 15.0 grams; lima beans, 13.2 grams; canned baked beans, 10.4 grams; and peas, 8.8 grams. Other good vegetable sources of fiber are baked potatoes with the skin, 4.4 grams; corn, 4.2 grams; air-popped popcorn, 3.6 grams; tomato paste, 3.0 grams; and carrots, 2.0 grams.
Benefits of Fiber in Fruit and Vegetables
UCLA's Student Nutrition Awareness Campaign (SNAC) outlines many of the positive effects of fiber in fruits and vegetables. In addition to lowering cholesterol and promoting heart health, SNAC reports that the fiber helps stabilize blood sugar, may decrease the risk of colon cancer, and reduces constipation and hemorrhoids. It also fills you up for very few calories.
Side Effects of Fruit and Vegetable Fiber
Cramping, diarrhea, and intestinal gas are some of the possible side effects of a rapid switch to a high-fiber fruit and vegetable diet. Some individuals may experience these symptoms even with a gradual increase, although they usually disappear after a few days. SNAC recommends increasing fiber intake gradually over a period of six to eight weeks, while adding more water to your diet to minimize the side effects. An excessive fiber intake, usually resulting from overuse of fiber supplements, can cause an unhealthy elimination of essential minerals from the body; however, it is difficult to get too much fiber from foods.
Tips to Increase Fiber Intake from Fruits and Vegetables
According to the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), you can take some very simple steps to get more fiber from fruit and vegetables. Choose whole fruits instead of juice. "Whole apples and whole oranges are packed with a lot more fiber and a lot fewer calories than their liquid counterparts," reports the HSPH. Another tip is to begin each day on a high-fiber note by adding fruit to your breakfast. Finally, eating more beans is a great way to add fiber to your diet. Besides being packed with fiber, beans are also cheap, tasty, and high in protein and other essential nutrients.
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