What Vegetables Have A Lot Of Fiber? Green vegetables are a great addition to any healthy diet. They offer fiber, vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants. Green vegetables also contain little fat and sodium, both of which are found in high amounts in red meats. Fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods that travels through your digestive tract without being digested or absorbed. Fiber plays an important role in promoting health.
Your Ultimate High-Fiber Grocery List
The next time you go food shopping, put these items in your cart. They’re great sources of fiber, which can cut your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, is good for your digestion, and helps you feel full. (Related: What is sulfur, and why does your body need it?)
Fruits and Vegetables
- Apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries all have around 3 to 4 grams of fiber. (Eat the apple peels — that’s where the most fiber is!)
- Raspberries win the fiber race at 8 grams per cup.
- Exotic fruits are also good sources of fiber: A mango has 5 grams, a persimmon has 6, and 1 cup of guava has about 9.
- Dark-colored vegetables. In general, the darker the color of the vegetable, the higher the fiber content. Carrots, beets, and broccoli are fiber-rich. Collard greens and Swiss chard have 4 grams of fiber per cup. Artichokes are among the highest-fiber veggies, at 10 grams for a medium-sized one.
- Potatoes. Russet, red, and sweet potatoes all have at least 3 grams of fiber in a medium-sized spud, if you eat the skin and all.
Dry and Canned Goods
- Stock up on beans. Navy and white beans are the most fiber-rich, but all beans are fiber-packed. Any of these is a good choice for your shopping cart: garbanzo, kidney, lima, or pinto beans. They make great soups and chilis, and are a flavorful addition to salads. Beans are also high in protein, so if you’re cutting back on red meat, they’re a healthy, filling substitute.
- Include other legumes. Peas, soybeans (edamame), and lentils are also high in fiber.
Bread and Grains
- Check cereal labels. Most cereals have at least some fiber content, but they’re not all created equal. Any cereal with 5 or more grams of fiber per serving is a good source.
- Whole-grain breads. Seven-grain, dark rye, cracked wheat, and pumpernickel breads are good choices.
- Whole grains. Bulgur wheat, brown rice, wild rice, and barley are all tasty substitutions for white rice.
High-Fiber Foods to Up Your Daily Fiber Intake
Your gut needs help to move and remove the waste in your digestive system. That’s where fiber can help. You can get good sources of fiber from food you already eat. The dietary fiber you get from supplements, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in your daily diet doesn’t just keep you regular. Some fiber, like psyllium, can also give you important health benefits.
Keep reading to learn about high fiber foods, fiber supplements, types of fiber, and daily recommended fiber intake.
HOW MUCH FIBER DO YOU NEED EVERY DAY?
The recommended daily fiber intake is 28 grams, with variations based on age and gender. However, most Americans consume only about 16 grams each day. The reality: Less than 5% of Americans get enough daily fiber.
What can you expect if you don’t eat enough fiber? In the short-term you might occasionally feel constipated and sluggish. But over time, a diet consistently low in fiber may increase your risk for more serious issues, like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If you have any concerns, reach out to your healthcare provider.
A well-balanced diet that includes plenty of whole plant foods is the best way to get all of the nutrients your body needs to function at its best, including fiber. But that’s not always possible with our day-to-day busy, demanding schedules.
Fiber supplements like Metamucil can help increase your daily fiber intake. One serving of Metamucil’s Sugar Free and Real Sugar Powders give you 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving. New Metamucil users should start with one serving per day, and gradually increase to desired daily intake.
9 HIGH FIBER FOODS TO ADD TO YOUR DIET
You may already be eating high fiber foods every day. Or you may find that some foods you eat have delicious high fiber food alternatives. But do you know if you’re reaching the 28 grams of daily recommended fiber intake, every day? This high-fiber food guide can help you determine how much fiber you are getting. Taking Metamucil every day can also help ensure you get the recommended amount of daily fiber along with the high-fiber foods you add to your diet.
VEGETABLES
1. Broccoli Flowerets
It takes about 9 cups of broccoli flowerets to reach the daily recommended fiber intake. High in sulforaphane, broccoli also adds 3.2 grams of fiber per cup. And it’s low in calories, so add an extra helping of broccoli to help reach your fiber goals.
2. Brussels sprouts
These mini cabbages can be boiled, broiled, pan fried, or sliced up raw in a brussels sprout slaw. With 4 grams of fiber per cup, it takes about 7 cups of brussels sprouts to reach the daily recommended fiber intake.
3. Asparagus
Have you ever seen 83 asparagus spears on one plate? Probably not, unless it’s a family-style meal. That’s how many raw asparagus spears it takes to hit the 28 grams of fiber recommended for your diet. As an alternative to steamed asparagus try adding thinly sliced raw asparagus spears to salads or sandwiches for a sweet, crunchy flavor.
4. Artichokes
Artichokes taste great on pizza, paired with spinach in a delicious vegetable dip, or steamed to perfection. But can you eat 4 artichokes in a day?
5. Acorn squash
Simply cut out the stem, scoop the seeds and bake until tender. Or prepare stuffed acorn squash using wild rice, quinoa, or ground beef. You’ll need to eat about 3 cups of acorn squash to reach your fiber goals.
6. Green peas
With 9 grams of fiber per cup, help yourself to bigger helpings to add more fiber to your diet. You’ll need about 3 cups of green peas to get the daily recommended fiber intake. Flavorful and healthy, green peas are a great source of iron, manganese, and vitamins A and C.
7. Turnip greens
An excellent source of beta carotene and vitamin K, turnip greens have a mild flavor. They can be used like spinach and other leafy greens, blended into green smoothies, or juiced. It takes about 5.5 cups of turnip greens to reach your fiber goals.
8. Carrots
Lightly steamed carrots will release more of their beta carotene, but, whether you enjoy them raw or cooked, you’ll get all the benefits of 4.68 grams of fiber in each cup. It takes about 6 cups of carrots to reach the daily recommended fiber intake.
9. Cauliflower
Riced cauliflower is a popular low-carb alternative to starchy vegetables and can be made into pizza crust and chips. It’s great way to add fiber to your diet, but it may not get you to the 28 grams of daily recommended fiber every day. That would mean eating about 8.5 cups of cooked cauliflower, every day.
Chart of high-fiber foods
Looking to add more fiber to your diet? Fiber — along with adequate fluid intake — moves quickly and relatively easily through your digestive tract and helps it function properly. A high-fiber diet may also help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Women should try to eat at least 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day, while men should aim for 30 to 38 grams a day.
Here’s a look at how much dietary fiber is found in some common foods. When buying packaged foods, check the Nutrition Facts label for fiber content. It can vary among brands.
| Fruits | Serving size | Total fiber (grams)* |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 8.0 |
| Pear | 1 medium | 5.5 |
| Apple, with skin | 1 medium | 4.5 |
| Banana | 1 medium | 3.0 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 3.0 |
| Strawberries | 1 cup | 3.0 |
| Vegetables | Serving size | Total fiber (grams)* |
|---|---|---|
| Green peas, boiled | 1 cup | 9.0 |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1 cup chopped | 5.0 |
| Turnip greens, boiled | 1 cup | 5.0 |
| Brussels sprouts, boiled | 1 cup | 4.0 |
| Potato, with skin, baked | 1 medium | 4.0 |
| Sweet corn, boiled | 1 cup | 3.5 |
| Cauliflower, raw | 1 cup chopped | 2.0 |
| Carrot, raw | 1 medium | 1.5 |
Top 10 High-Fiber Foods
Getting your fill of fiber can seem tough, especially if you’re not in the mood for vegetables. But did you know popcorn has fiber? Keep reading for more high-fiber foods that you’ll actually want to eat
1. Beans
Lentils and other beans are an easy way to sneak fiber into your diet in soups, stews and salads. Some beans, like edamame (which is a steamed soy bean), are even a great fiber-filled snack. There are 9 grams of fiber in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame.A bonus? All of these provide a source of plant protein, too. Some bakers have even started including beans or bean flours in their baked goods, which research suggests can still make quality cakes.
2. Broccoli
This veggie can get pigeonholed as the fiber vegetable. Its cruciferous nature—meaning it’s from the Brassica genus of plants along with cauliflower, cabbage and kale—makes it rich in many nutrients in addition to fiber. Studies have shown that broccoli’s 5 grams of fiber per cup can positively support the bacteria in the gut, which may help your gut stay healthy and balanced.
3. Berries
Berries get a lot of attention for their antioxidants, but they’re full of fiber, too. Just a cup of fresh blueberries can give you almost 4 grams of fiber, and there is nearly the same amount of fiber in a cup of frozen unsweetened blueberries. Blackberries, strawberries and raspberries are also great sources of fiber. Of course, one of the biggest benefits of berries is that they’re naturally low in calories, too.
4. Avocados
Avocados pretty much go with everything—toast, salads, entrees, eggs—and while they’re often recognized for their hefty dose of healthy fats, there are 10 grams of fiber in one cup of avocado (so just imagine how much is in your guacamole).
5. Popcorn
There’s one gram of fiber in one cup of popcorn, and the snack (when natural and not covered in butter, like at the movies) is a whole grain that can satiate cravings with a hit of fiber.It’s even been called the King of Snack Foods.
6. Whole Grains
Good news for bread lovers: Real whole rains, found in 100% whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and oats, have fiber. One tip to watch out for: as required by The Food and Drug Administration, whole grains should be the first ingredient on a food package in order for it to be considered a real whole grain.
7. Apples
That old saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” isn’t necessarily true, according to research, but the fruit can boost your fiber intake. There are about 4 grams of fiber in an apple, depending on its size. And, of course, they’re a nice and crunchy snack.
8. Dried Fruits
Dried fruits like figs, prunes and dates can boost your fiber intake dramatically and are recommended for those struggling with occasional constipation The sugar called sorbitol, which naturally occurs in these fruits, can help your bowels and lead to more comfort. However, eating too many can lead to cramping or diarrhea, so try a small serving and see how you feel once you’ve digested them, before noshing on too many more.
9. Potatoes
Sweet potatoes, red potatoes, purple potatoes and even the plain old white potato are all good sources of fiber; one small potato with skin can provide close to 3 grams of fiber. The veggie has a bad reputation for running in the wrong crowds—fries and chips, to name a few. However, when not fried in oil and slathered in salt, potatoes can provide many benefits.
10. Nuts
Nuts aren’t just a great source of protein and healthy fats—sunflower seeds and almonds each have more than 3 grams of fiber in a serving. They can help you reach the 25-gram intake of fiber recommended by the FDA for women and 38-gram recommendation for men. Raw or dry-roasted nuts are preferred over the pre-packaged variety (which are usually cooked in oils that can add extra, unnecessary calories.) Even nut butters can pack a punch of fiber.
11 High-Fiber Foods You Should Be Eating
You may not think much about fiber — until you find yourself dealing with an, er, irregular situation.
Indeed, dietary fiber is a magic ingredient that keeps you regular. But thwarting constipation is not its only job. Fiber helps lower cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. It also helps reduce the risk of other diseases like colorectal cancer. Plus, it keeps your blood sugar levels from spiking and makes you feel full longer, which can help you lose weight.
“Fiber does lots of cool stuff in the body,” says registered dietitian Anna Taylor, RD.
Here’s where to get it — and why these foods are best for a high-fiber diet.
High-fiber foods you should be eating
Fiber comes from plants, so don’t bother looking for it in your chicken dinner. But the plant kingdom has a lot to offer, and the best sources of dietary fiber might surprise you.
Taylor suggests aiming for 25 grams (g) to 35 grams of fiber a day. Here are her top 11 foods to work into your diet right now.
1. Whole-wheat pasta
Carbs get a bad rap, but whole grains are a great source of fiber and are also rich in healthy phytonutrients (believed to help prevent various diseases), Taylor says. Skip the white pasta (which has been stripped of all the good stuff), and go for whole-wheat instead.
Amount of fiber: 1 cup cooked = 7g fiber
2. Barley
“Barley is a delicious grain that’s often overlooked,” Taylor says. Try tossing it in soups or mix up a grain bowl with your favorite meat and veggies.
Amount of fiber: 1 cup cooked = 6g fiber
3. Chickpeas
“Legumes are star players. They’re some of the best sources of protein and fiber, they help keep you full, and they have amazing nutrient composition,” Taylor says. Chickpeas are a fiber-full favorite from the legume list. Add them to soups or salads, snack on chickpea hummus or roast them whole for a crunchy, shelf-stable snack.
Amount of fiber: 1/2 cup cooked = 6g fiber
4. Edamame
Edamame, or immature soybeans, have a mild flavor and pleasing texture. They’re also one of the few plant sources that contain all the amino acids your body needs, so they’re a great choice for vegans and vegetarians. You can find them in the frozen food section, still in the pod or already shelled. Add edamame to salads and stir-fries, Taylor suggests. (Edamame is often a big hit for kids to snack on, too.)
Amount of fiber: 1/2 cup boiled and shelled = 4g fiber
5. Lentils and split peas
These two legumes have similar nutrition profiles and are used in similar ways. “Lentils and split peas are nutritional powerhouses,” says Taylor. They cook quickly and are great in soups. Try swapping lentils for some of the meat in your chili to boost the plant-powered goodness.
Amount of fiber:
Lentils, 1/2 cup cooked = 8g fiber
Split peas, 1/2 cup boiled = 8g fiber
6. Berries
“All berries are good for you, but blackberries and raspberries have the most fiber,” Taylor explains. They’re also delicious. Fresh berries can be expensive, but frozen are often more economical. If you don’t love the mushy texture of thawed berries, blend them into a smoothie or stir them into your oatmeal. “You can also cook them down and put them on waffles in place of syrup,” she says.
Amount of fiber: 1 cup = 8g fiber
7. Pears
Another fruit, pears are a fantastic source of fiber, Taylor notes. And compared to many other fruits, they’re particularly high in soluble fiber, which slows digestion and lowers cholesterol.
Amount of fiber: 1 medium pear = 6g fiber
8. Artichokes hearts
Artichoke hearts are packed with fiber. Add them to salads or pile them on pizza. If dealing with these spiky veggies is too daunting, try the canned kind. (But if you’re eating canned, keep an eye on sodium levels so you don’t go overboard.)
Amount of fiber: 1/2 cup cooked = 7g fiber
9. Brussels sprouts
If you’ve been avoiding Brussels sprouts since you were a kid, they’re worth a second look. “Brussels sprouts are awesome,” Taylor says. They’re delicious roasted or sautéed. (Plus, they’re cute.)
Amount of fiber: 1 cup cooked = 5g fiber
10. Chia seeds
A spoonful of chia seeds can go a long way. “They’re incredibly rich in fiber, contain omega-3 fatty acids and have a nice protein punch, too,” Taylor says. “You can throw them in oatmeal, yogurt, pudding, cereal, salads and smoothies.”
Many people love the jelly-like texture. If you aren’t one of them, try mixing them into a smoothie or yogurt right before you eat it, so they don’t have as much time to absorb water and plump up.
Amount of fiber: 2 tablespoons = 10g fiber
11. Haas avocados
Haas avocados are a great source of healthy fats. And unlike most fiber-rich foods, you can use them as a condiment, Taylor says. “You can spread avocado on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise or put it on your toast if you’re a true Millennial.” Guacamole (with whole-grain crackers or paired with raw veggies) is another delicious way to get your daily fiber.
Amount of fiber: 1/2 avocado = 5g fiber