Chances are you're not getting enough fiber in your diet. Most Americans only manage to get about half the recommended 25 to 35 g of fiber each day. Fiber doesn't just prevent constipation -- it's also credited with reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and diverticular disease. To boost your intake, include the top natural fiber sources in your daily diet.
Berries
Raise your fiber intake with raspberries and blackberries, the highest-fiber fruits. Raspberries and blackberries are excellent fruit sources of soluble fiber; the fiber that dissolves into a gel-like consistency and helps lower your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Although raspberries and blackberries take the lead in the fruit category with 8 g of fiber per cup, other high-fiber fruits include avocados, figs and pears, which have about 5 g of fiber per serving. Eat whole fruits instead of fruit juice to get the benefits of fiber.
Legumes
Red beans, adzuki beans, soybeans and split peas -- all legumes -- are some of nature's highest-fiber foods, containing about 16 g of fiber per cup, or about half the daily recommended amount. In fact, all legumes are excellent sources of fiber. Lentils have 15.5 g of fiber per cup, while black beans contain 15 g per cup. Lima beans have 13 g per cup, and baked beans, garbanzo beans and cannelini beans all have approximately 10 g per cup. Legumes are rich sources of soluble fiber.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are excellent sources of insoluble fiber, the type of fiber called roughage that helps food move along the digestive tract. Whole grains are absorbed slowly during digestion because of their high fiber content, keeping blood sugar levels stable and providing protection against type 2 diabetes. Barley is the top grain when it comes to fiber, with 7 g per cup. Regular oatmeal has 4 g of fiber per cup and brown rice has 3.5 g per cup. Some foods made with whole grains are rich in fiber. A cup of whole wheat spaghetti has 6 g of fiber in a cup. Read labels to find high-fiber, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, such as Kellogg's All-Bran Extra Fiber cereal, which contains 13 g of fiber in just a 1/2 cup.
Vegetables
One medium artichoke has 7 to 10 g of fiber, making it one of the highest-fiber vegetables. A cup of cooked peas has nearly 9 g of fiber. Both broccoli and turnip greens have 5 g per cup. A 1/2 cup of baked acorn squash and a baked sweet potato both contain 5 g of fiber, and a cup of sweet corn or Brussels sprouts each have 4 g of fiber. Vegetables provide roughage, or insoluble fiber.
Seeds
Seeds are another good source of natural fiber. Flax seeds contain 5 g of fiber per 2 tbsp. Sunflower seed kernels pack 4 g of fiber into a 1/4 cup. Pumpkin seeds have 5 g of fiber per ounce. Seeds also provide protein and healthy unsaturated fats.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber: Start Roughing It!
- MayoClinic.com; High-Fiber Foods; November 17, 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; November 19, 2009
- Boise State University; Fiber Rich Foods; Hilary Horton-Brown, R.D., L.D., C.P.T.
- American Dietetic Association: How Do I Toast Pumpkin Seeds?
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