The human body needs adequate dietary fiber (25 g per day) to sustain efficient digestion and cardiovascular function. Some foods that are high in fiber, such as blueberries, kidney beans and sweet potatoes, are associated with longevity and the prevention of chronic diseases.
Getting enough fiber from your diet is simple if you choose a variety of healthy foods, especially fruits, grains and vegetables. You'll get the biggest boost from a serving (1 cup, unless otherwise noted) of foods that have 20% or more of the full daily value (DV) of fiber. All the following healthy foods do.
Vegetables
You'll find some of the highest dietary fiber counts in legumes, such as cooked navy beans (19 g), split peas (16 g) and lentils (15 g). Garbanzo, lima, kidney, black and pinto beans are all high in fiber (13 g to 15 g). So are artichokes (14 g), cooked spinach and sauerkraut (7 g).
Brussels sprouts, parsnips, sweet potatoes and squash all have about 6 g of dietary fiber; pumpkin has 7 g. Turnip greens, collard greens, broccoli and okra all contain about 5 g. Even a large serving of fast food French fries might be considered healthy, with 6 g of the daily fiber your body needs.
Grains
Certain ready-to-eat cereals are high in fiber, including Wheatena (7 g); Kellogg's All-Bran (1/2 cup, 9 g), Raisin Bran (7 g) and Frosted Mini-Wheats (6 g); and General Mills Total Raisin Bran (5 g) and Wheaties (5 g).
Healthy foods for side dishes that are high in fiber include bulgur (8 g) and barley (6 g). Flour and pasta made from many grains contain substantial fiber. Increase your fiber count by eating foods prepared with wheat, rye or buckwheat flour, oat bran, cornmeal, couscous, spaghetti noodles and spinach noodles.
Fruits and Nuts
Some concentrated fruit products, such as tomato paste (11 g), stewed prunes (8 g), dates (14 g) and raisins (5 g), have much higher fiber counts than the individual raw fruits from which they come. Among raw fruits, Asian pears (1 fruit, 10 g) have the highest fiber count, followed by blueberries, raspberries and blackberries (8 g). Papayas (1 fruit, 6 g) and domestic pears (1 fruit, 5 g) have high dietary fiber as well. European chestnuts (7 g) are considered high-fiber nuts.
Apricots, apples, bananas, oranges, mangoes, peaches and strawberries contain about 3 g of your daily dose of fiber, and even lower-fiber kiwifruits, honeydews, cantaloupes, nectarines and pineapples still have a gram or two of this essential nutrient to add to your diet. Almonds, coconut and pistachios, with about 3 g in a 1-oz. serving, are also good sources of fiber.
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