What to Eat in a High Fiber Diet?

List of High Fiber Foods
This list of high fiber foods with fiber content is vitally important to your health. It makes it easy to increase the high fiber foods in your diet.

You need 30 to 40 grams of fiber a day for optimum health.

List of High Fiber Foods
(The fiber count for most packaged foods can be found on the label.)

FRUIT AMOUNT FIBER (grams)
Apples with skin 1 medium 5.00
Apricot 3 medium 0.98
Apricots, dried 5 pieces 2.89
Banana 1 medium 3.92
Blueberries 1 cup 4.18
Cantaloupe, cubes 1 cup 1.28
Figs, dried 2 medium 3.74
Grapefruit 1/2 medium 6.12
Orange, navel 1 medium 3.40
Peach 1 medium 2.00
Peaches, dried 3 pieces 3.18
Pear 1 medium 5.08
Plum 1 medium 1.00
Raisins 1.5 oz box 1.60
Raspberries 1 cup 8.34
Strawberries 1 cup 3.98

VEGETABLES AMOUNT FIBER (grams)
Avocado (fruit) 1 medium 11.84
Beets, cooked 1 cup 2.85
Beet greens 1 cup 4.20
Bok choy, cooked 1 cup 2.76
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 4.5
Brussels sprouts 1 cup 2.84
Cabbage, cooked 1 cup 4.20
Carrot 1 medium 2.00
Carrot, cooked 1 cup 5.22
Cauliflower, cooked 1 cup 3.43
Cole slaw 1 cup 4.00
Collard greens, cooked 1 cup 2.58
Corn, sweet 1 cup 4.66
Green beans 1 cup 3.95
Celery 1 stalk 1.02
Kale, cooked 1 cup 7.20
Onions, raw 1 cup 2.88
Peas, cooked 1 cup 8.84
Peppers, sweet 1 cup 2.62
Pop corn, air-popped 3 cups 3.60
Potato, baked w/skin 1 medium 4.80
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 4.32
Summer squash, cooked 1 cup 2.52
Sweet potato, cooked 1 cup 5.94
Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 3.68
Tomato 1 medium 1.00
Winter squash, cooked 1 cup
5.74
Zucchini, cooked 1 cup
2.63

CEREAL, GRAINS, PASTA AMOUNT FIBER (grams)
Bran cereal 1 cup
19.94
Bread, whole wheat 1 slice
2.00
Oats, rolled dry 1 cup
12.00
Pasta, whole wheat 1 cup
6.34
Rice, dry brown 1 cup
7.98

BEANS, NUTS, SEEDS AMOUNT
FIBER (grams)
Almonds 1 oz
4.22
Black beans, cooked 1 cup
14.92
Cashews 1 oz
1.00
Flax seeds 3 tbs
6.97
Garbanzo beans, cooked 1 cup
5.80
Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup
13.33
Lentils, red cooked 1 cup
15.64
Lima beans, cooked 1 cup
13.16
Peanuts 1 oz
2.30
Pistachio nuts 1 oz
3.10
Pumpkin seeds 1/4 cup
4.12
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup
7.62
Sunflower seeds 1/4 cup
3.00
Walnuts 1 oz
3.08

7 moms found this helpful

There are some good listings here already on food. I agree that soluble and insoluble fiber AT THE SAME TIME are important. This is almost impossible to get through food. I would not take a fiber product you get in stores - they have a lot of junk in them you don't need. Also, don't take any pills that purport to have fiber in them. Pills are not dissolved very much -- you've probably seen all the reports in the news over the last few years about our water supply being contaminated with undigested pills of every sort. These pass through our intestines unfortunately - unappetizing but true. I take a patented fiber supplement that cleanses the colon gradually (no diarrhea or anything like that) and my colon walls are cleaned of the sludge most Americans carry around - average of 10 pounds - of toxins, bacteria, remnants of food that should have been eliminated but is just stuck, poisoning our bodies and preventing absorption of nutrients - this can cause gas and bloating, weight gain, and more. Even if people are "regular" it doesn't mean the colon walls are clean. My check-up yesterday was awesome - my physician is thrilled as this fiber product and its sister nutrition have lowered my cholesterol, increased my Vitamin D and iron levels, stabilized my blood sugars, gotten rid of my allergies, and boosted my immune system. My physician is blown away by how improved I am every year. I'd be happy to give you more info! But don't buy the stuff you find in stores, even health food stores, if you haven't had some education first. That's the key.

2 moms found this helpful

Every morning I start the day with a bran cereal and skim milk. I mix it with my favorite cereal, Cranberry Almond Crunch. I think its the perfect breakfast. All fruits and veggies have fiber too. For lunch, have a sandwich on high fiber bread. I also suggest 3-4 small meals a day instead of 2-3 large ones. Try to stay away from anything white. That is, except cauliflower!

1 mom found this helpful

I eat lots of fruit, berries, veggies and beans. Prunes actually are good! I also drink a protein shake form Shaklee for breakfast that has fiber.
Make sure you get soluble fiber as well as insoluble for heart health. Some cereals have up to 18 grams of fiber, but it is all insoluble. If the fiber content is not broken out into both soluble and insoluble, it is all insoluble.
God bless,
V.

1 mom found this helpful

Don't forget that with the addition of fiber, you will need to make sure you are hydrated. Drink plenty of water because all of that fiber soaks up fluids in your body and if the solid waste matter gets to your colon without much water in it you'll have hard stools - and no one wants that, right? :)

1 mom found this helpful

Beans are incredibly high in fiber.

1 mom found this helpful

All the suggestions below are good. I have been eating Fiber One cereal- but I mix it half and half with Special K Red Berries. It just adds a nice crunch and that way I still get to eat my 'favorite' cereal- but with a lot more fiber added in!

I also have started just throwing a cup of it into cookie dough and things like that. It just bakes a nice crunch into them and everyone liked them and had no idea they were getting more fiber!

Just reach for an apple or a handful of broccoli or something for a snack- its easy to work more in if you just think about it a little ahead of time and make sure you have the right foods around!

1 mom found this helpful

With all this added fiber, and if you are prone to bloating, be sure to take some beano during the transition while your body adjusts - LOL!
Good advice here. Keep us posted on how it helps:)

1 mom found this helpful

Hi Loving---The answer is quite simple. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes/beans, nuts and seeds. We should be getting, at minimum, 50 grams of fiber per day to reduce our risks of disease. Do add fiber gradually in order to allow your digestive system to get used to the increased traffic, and adequate water is essential. All of these foods contain soluble as well as insoluble fiber. The foamy part of the inside of a pepper is insoluble fiber as well as alot of oatmeal. The pith on an orange is also insoluble fiber. Think of insoluble fiber as the scrubber for the blood vessels. It asbsorbs excess cholesterol and estrogens from the bloodstream. Soluble fiber scrubs the intestines, need I say more. A high fiber diet keeps things moving, which keeps toxins and excess chemicals the body excretes from being reabsorbed. I often consult with people wanting to lose weight that it is far more important to count grams of fiber rather than calories. For every additional 10 grams of fiber you eat each day, you consume 200-300 fewer calories.

When buying cereals and other boxed/processed foods, look for a carb to fiber ratio of 4 or 5 to 1 gram of fiber. As for added fiber, freshly ground flax is a superfood. It contains lots of it, as well as protein, vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and cancer fighting compounds called lignans. Consuming flax oil misses out on lots of great nutrition.

Good luck...talk to you later. D.

1 mom found this helpful

Potatoes, veggies, berries, beans, brown rice, fiber one bars, lowfat popcorn, fish. Weight watchers is based around high fiber diet. Fiber one has a lot of stuff you can buy. I lost 40lbs of baby weight with high fiber. I had a really flat belly, Im pregnant now but plan to get back on it. Be careful though, fiber causes a lot of gas! Beware. lol!

1 mom found this helpful

Get the book the F-Factor Diet.

This book is written by a nutritionist and is all about getting enough Fiber! It is the only "diet" that I have ever used that worked! My husband and I both lost weight and kept it off, and continue to eat a high-fiber diet (got the book last summer).

Even if you don't do everything the way the author suggests the reason this book is so great is because it is full of high-fiber recipes and gives lists of tons of high-fiber food.

It is an easy to read book that really explains how are body processes food in a simple easy to understand manner.

I add Arbonne's Fiber Booster it is tastless and not gritty at all you can't even tell it is in whatever you are drinking or eating pluse it doesn't give you any bloating or gas! I also drink the Protein Shakes thay are really yummy I love both the Chocolate and the Vanilla I also like to put in fresh and frozen fruit sometimes I put in some Peanut Butter with the chocolate. Both of these things help with weight loss. PM me for more info about Arbonne and my web site link.

Fruits and vegetables are usually a good source of fiber. Anything that is made with whole wheat flour (should be the first ingredient listed on the package) is high in fiber also. Brown right and quinoa (cooks like couscous) is also a good choice as well.

Good luck on the diet.

In the weight management class that I lead, we talk about this too. You want to eat whole grains with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Lots of vegis and fruit (no more than 3 servings per day). If you google fiber content in foods, you will get a list of great choices. OR, send me your e-mail address and I will send you the document that I share with my students.

Be well!

S.

If you can get 3 fresh fruits and 5 fresh vegetables (frozen are fine too) per day, and eat whole wheat instead of white refined flour, you should be in great shape. Also use brown instead of white rice, and whole wheat pasta instead of white.

Fiber is found in unprocessed plant foods. I would strongly urge you to avoid fiber supplements. If you take too much it expands in your intestines and can actually cause constipation!

Some great ways to get extra is to eat breakfast cereals high in fiber, things like oatmeal, multi-grain hot cereal or even Fiber One cereal.

Another thing is to limit the meat, dairy and eggs in your diet (along with refined foods, i.e. nearly everything that's made in a factory). These foods contain barely any fiber, and even if you're eating fresh stuff, you'd have to eat more to balance out the negative affect of this other stuff. You can get protein from vegetables, especially beans and nuts, but broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower and huge. And even though its not "complete" protein, your body connects them from the other foods you eat. So unless you eat just broccoli all day long, you should be in good shape there. :)

Bottom line, you can eat a typical american dinner of meat, potatoes and vegetables. Just keep the fresh stuff to about 80% of your intake and you'll be doing great!

Best wishes!

great question...I learned a lot from other responses!!