Fiber is an essential nutrient that every person must get daily. Humans require fiber to help keep their bowels regular, thus reducing the risk of developing hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, as well as keeping their digestion system healthy from the inside out.
The best way to get fiber is from fruits and vegetables. Here’s a list of 50 high-fiber foods that will help you get the recommended amount of 25 grams per day.
Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Beans and legumes
Fiber is the part of plant foods that your body cannot digest. You need fiber to stay healthy, but many Americans get far less than they need.
Fiber is found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Fiber may help prevent heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and some cancers. Fiber is also important for regular bowel movements and digestive health.
The following table lists the top 50 high-fiber foods in order of fiber content by serving size. It also provides information on serving size (the amount of food you should eat at one time), calories per serving and whether the food is an excellent source of fiber or contains no fiber at all.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. It passes through your stomach and intestines and helps you to feel full. Fiber also helps to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar and promote regularity.
Vegetables and fruits are good sources of fiber. The following table lists the top 50 high-fiber foods, as well as how much fiber each food contains per serving size.
Foods Containing Fiber (in grams)
Food Serving Size Grams of Fiber Per Serving
Dried beans and peas (cooked) 1 cup 16-18
Cooked oatmeal 1 cup 6-9
Whole wheat bread 1 slice 3-5
Brown rice 1/2 cup 3-5
Popcorn 2 cups popped 2-3
Bran flakes 1 cup 1/2-1
Oatmeal 1 packet instant or quick cooking (dry) 1/2 cup cooked 0-0
High-fiber foods are good for your health and can help with weight loss.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant foods. It’s known as roughage because it resists digestion, and it helps keep you full longer. Fiber is also important for digestive health and regularity, which may help prevent conditions like constipation. A high-fiber diet may also reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as certain types of cancer.
The recommended daily amount (RDA) of fiber for adults is 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women. However, most Americans consume less than half that amount — about 15 grams per day — on average. Getting enough fiber in your diet can be challenging; many foods are naturally low in fiber or have had much of their fiber removed during processing. But there are many high-fiber foods that can easily be added to your diet or eaten more frequently to help you reach that goal.
The fiber content of fruits and vegetables varies widely. A half cup of cooked broccoli has 2 grams, while a half cup of cooked peas has 10 grams. The best way to get fiber is by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in the amounts recommended in the USDA food pyramid.
Here is a list of high-fiber foods:
Vegetables
1 cup cooked spinach (5 grams)
1/2&cup cooked broccoli (2.5 grams)
1/2 cup cooked Brussels sprouts (3 grams)
1/2 cup cooked peas (10 grams)
1/2 cup cooked green beans (4 grams)
Fruits
1 medium apple with skin (4 grams)
1 medium pear with skin (5 grams)
Here are some high-fiber foods that you can add to your diet to increase your fiber intake.
Top 50 High-Fiber Foods
1. Artichokes: 7 grams per medium artichoke
2. Barley: 5 grams per cooked cup
3. Beans (legumes): 8-10 grams per cooked cup
4. Berries (all varieties): 4-5 grams per cup
5. Broccoli: 3 grams per stalk, raw or cooked; 2 grams per cup, chopped, raw or cooked (boiled)
6. Brown rice: 3 grams per cooked cup
7. Buckwheat (kasha): 4 grams per cooked cup (boiled)
8. Cabbage: 2 grams per cup, shredded raw; 1 gram per chopped raw head; 3 grams per cup shredded boiled cabbage; 6 grams per cup shredded raw sauerkraut; 1 gram per sliced raw head; 2 grams in ½ cup shredded raw sauerkraut juice from a jar or can; 5 milligrams in 2 tablespoons sauerkraut juice from a jar or can
High-Fiber Foods List
Vegetables and fruits are the best way to get fiber. The following table lists high-fiber foods. A serving is 1/2 cup unless otherwise noted. The daily value for fiber is 25 grams for a 2,000 calorie diet.
Food Serving Size Grams of Fiber (DV)
Amaranth leaves boiled 1 cup 4.8
Artichoke hearts canned 1 cup 3.7
Asparagus boiled 1 cup 3.3
Beans: black, kidney, lima, navy, pinto, red, snap or waxed 1/2 cup 2.6 – 4.5*
Beets boiled 1 cup 2.9
Broccoli raw chopped 1 cup 2.5
Brussels sprouts boiled 1 cup 2.3
Cabbage raw shredded 1 cup 2.1 – 3.6*
Carrots raw sliced or diced 1 medium 2 – 4*
Cauliflower raw chopped 1 cup 2.*
Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet. They are low in fat and calories and rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.
Fiber is the part of plant foods that your body can’t digest. Some types of fiber may help lower your blood cholesterol level, which helps reduce your risk for heart disease. Other types help keep you regular by adding bulk to your stool.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that men consume 38 grams of fiber per day and women eat 25 grams daily. Here’s how much fiber is in some common high-fiber foods:
Amaranth (1 cup cooked) — 5 grams
Artichoke (one medium artichoke) — 10 grams
Barley (1/2 cup cooked) — 7 grams
Beans (cooked) — 8 to 15 grams; 1/2 cup cooked beans provides 8 to 9 grams of fiber; 1/2 cup baked beans contains 12 grams of fiber; 1/2 cup dried beans provides 20 to 25 grams protein depending on type (kidney beans contain more protein than other varieties); 1/2 cup lentils contains 18 grams protein; lentils provide more nutrients per calorie than any other vegetable or grain
The best way to get fiber is to eat a variety of foods.
The following table lists some high-fiber foods. The daily fiber recommendations for adults are between 25 and 38 grams.
Food Name Amount of Fiber Per Serving (grams)
Baked beans, canned 1/2 cup 6.7
Beans (black, kidney, lima, pinto), cooked 1/2 cup 5.6
Lentils, cooked 1/2 cup 4.0
Navy beans, cooked 1/2 cup 3.8
Split peas, cooked 1/2 cup 3.3
Peas & carrots salad* 2 cups 3.3
Broccoli (raw)1/2cup 2.9
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), canned 1/2 cup 2.8
Whole wheat bread 2 slices 2.6
Lima beans (baby), frozen 1/2 cup 2.5
Pearl barley, cooked 1/4 cup 2.5
Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that are essential for good health.
Fruits and vegetables can be eaten raw or cooked. They are low in fat and calories yet high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
The following list of fruits and vegetables provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value (DV) for fiber:
Artichokes
Asparagus
Avocado
Bananas
Beans(all types),(kidney beans, navy beans),(pinto beans, lima beans),(black beans),(chickpeas/garbanzo beans/besan)(green peas)*(lentils),(split peas)’Dried peas,Chia seeds,Flaxseeds,Psyllium husks,Soybeans