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Many food manufacturers have jumped on the high fiber bandwagon, adding fiber to highly processed foods that come in boxes. We’re not calling these foods bad. But as a general rule, adding processed high fiber foods to what you eat won’t fill you up or help you lose weight.
Few kids would say they crave a good fiber-rich meal. Although the thought of fiber might bring gags and groans from kids, many appetizing foods are actually great sources of fiber — from fruits to whole-grain cereals.
Foods with fiber are not just for the senior-citizen crowd. They're beneficial to everyone because they're filling, which helps discourage overeating — even though fiber itself adds no calories. Along with adequate fluid intake, fiber helps move food through the digestive system and can help relieve and prevent constipation. It also may lower LDL cholesterol ('bad' cholesterol) and help prevent diabetes and heart disease.
Figuring Out Fiber
Dietary fiber is found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains. In packaged foods, the amount of fiber per serving is listed on food labels under total carbohydrates.
Some of the best fiber sources are:
- whole-grain breads and cereals
- apples
- oranges
- bananas
- berries
- prunes
- pears
- green peas
- legumes (dried beans, split peas, lentils, etc.)
- artichokes
- almonds
A high-fiber food has 5 grams or more of fiber per serving; a good source of fiber is one that provides 2.5 to 4.9 grams per serving. Here's how some fiber-friendly foods stack up:
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) of cooked beans (kidney, white, black, pinto, lima) (6.2-9.6 grams of fiber)
- 1 medium baked sweet potato with peel (3.8 grams)
- 1 whole-wheat English muffin (4.4 grams)
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) of cooked green peas (4.4 grams)
- 1 medium pear with skin (5.5 grams)
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) of raspberries (4 grams)
- 1 medium baked potato with skin (3 grams)
- 1/3 cup (79 milliliters) of bran cereal (9.1 grams)
- 1 ounce (28 grams) of almonds (3.5 grams)
- 1 small apple with skin (3.6 grams)
- ¼ cup (59 milliliters) of dried figs (3.7 grams)
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) of edamame (3.8 grams)
- 1 medium orange (3.1 grams)
- 1 medium banana (3.1 grams)
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) canned sauerkraut (3.4 grams)
How Much Should Kids Get?
- Toddlers (1-3 years old) should get 19 grams of fiber each day.
- Kids 4-8 years old should get 25 grams a day.
- Older girls (9-13) and teen girls (14-18) should get 26 grams of fiber a day.
- Older boys (9-13) should get 31 grams and teen boys (14-18) should get 38 grams per day.
Adding Fiber to Your Family's Diet
Here are some creative, fun, and tasty ways to incorporate more fiber-rich foods into your family's diet:
Breakfast
- Make oatmeal (a whole grain) part of morning meals.
- Choose whole-grain cereals that have 3 grams or more fiber per serving.
- Make pancakes with whole-grain (or buckwheat) pancake mix and top with apples, berries, or raisins.
- Serve bran or whole grain waffles topped with fruit.
- Offer whole-wheat bagels or English muffins, instead of white toast.
- Top fiber-rich cereal with apples, oranges, berries, or bananas. Add almonds to pack even more fiber punch.
- Mix kid-favorite cereals with fiber-rich ones or top with a tablespoon of bran.
Lunch and Dinner
- Make sandwiches with whole-grain breads instead of white.
- Make a fiber-rich sandwich with whole-grain bread, peanut butter, and bananas.
- Serve whole-grain rolls with dinner instead of white rolls.
- Use whole-grain pastas instead of white.
- Serve wild or brown rice with meals instead of white rice. Add beans (kidney, black, navy, and pinto) to rice dishes for even more fiber.
- Spice up salads with berries and almonds, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and beans (kidney, black, navy, or pinto).
- Use whole-grain (corn or whole wheat) soft-taco shells or tortillas to make burritos or wraps. Fill them with eggs and cheese for breakfast; turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and light dressing for lunch; and beans, salsa, taco sauce, and cheese for dinner.
- Add lentils or whole-grain barley to soups.
- Create mini-pizzas by topping whole-wheat English muffins or bagels with pizza sauce, low-fat cheese, mushrooms, and pieces of grilled chicken.
- Add bran to meatloaf or burgers. (But not too much bran or your family might catch on!)
- Serve sweet potatoes with the skins as tasty side dishes. Regular baked potatoes with the skins are good sources of fiber, too.
- Top low-fat hot dogs or veggie dogs with sauerkraut and serve them on whole-wheat hot dog buns.
- Pack fresh fruit or vegetables in school lunches.
Snacks and Treats
- Bake cookies or muffins using whole-wheat flour instead of regular. Or use some whole-wheat and some regular flour, so that the texture of your baked treats won't be drastically different. Add raisins, berries, bananas, or chopped or pureed apples to the mix for even more fiber.
- Add bran to baking items such as cookies and muffins.
- Top whole-wheat crackers with peanut butter or low-fat cheese.
- Offer air-popped popcorn — a whole-grain food — as a midday treat or while kids watch TV or movies. (However, only give popcorn to kids over 4 years old because it can be a choking hazard.)
- Top ice cream, frozen yogurt, or low-fat yogurt with whole-grain cereal, berries, or almonds for some added nutrition and crunch.
- Serve apples topped with peanut butter.
- Make fruit salad with pears, apples, bananas, oranges, and berries. Top with almonds for added crunch. Serve as a side dish with meals or alone as a snack.
- Make low-fat breads, muffins, or cookies with canned pumpkin.
- Leave the skins on when serving fruits and veggies as snacks or as part of a meal.
Make gradual changes that will add up to a diet that's higher in fiber over time. And keep offering a variety of foods that are good sources of fiber — fruits like pears and berries; vegetables like spinach and green peas; lentils and kidney, white, or black beans; and whole-grain breakfast cereals and breads. Kids will get the fiber they need, and you'll set the tone for a lifetime of healthy eating.
Date reviewed: September 2014
In This Article
Table of Contents
- Does Fiber Count?
- Foods to Eat
- Guidelines
Finding foods that are low in carbohydrate yet high in fiber may seem like a challenge. However, almost all non-starchy vegetables and low-sugar fruits are also the highest in both fiber and nutrients.
A well-constructed low-carb diet emphasizes vegetables and other sources of fiber. You can get the recommended daily amount of fiber on a low-carb diet by choosing those items.
Does Fiber Count as a Carbohydrate?
Although most fiber sources are carbohydrates, fiber doesn’t raise blood glucose, so low-carb diets don’t “count” fiber. Fiber can provide calories, not as glucose, but as products of fermentation in the colon.
In fact, fiber helps to moderate the effect of “usable carbs” in your bloodstream, so it furthers the goals of low-carb diets. To the extent that it creates satiety, it may also help prevent weight gain and aid in weight loss.
Fiber is good for your digestive system and the prevention of hypertension as well. It can also maintain healthy levels of LDL cholesterol and blood glucose.
How to Count Carbs for Health or Wellness
![High Fiber Foods High Fiber Foods](/uploads/1/2/5/5/125543008/535051244.jpg)
Recommended Daily Fiber
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that adult women consume 25 grams of total fiber per day and adult men consume 38 grams. In both cases, 10 to 15 grams should come from soluble fiber. You need less fiber as you age. Over age 50, women should consume 21 grams and men should consume 30 grams. Most people have a much lower fiber intake than is recommended, however.
Humanity's prehistoric ancestors probably ate upwards of 100 grams of fiber per day, so you can probably handle very high amounts of fiber without difficulty.
High-Fiber and Low-Carb Foods
If you are limiting carbs, look at the ratio of usable carb (or effective or net carb) compared to fiber. In other words, how much carbohydrate do you have to eat to get a gram of fiber? Here is a list, roughly in order on this carb/fiber scale.
Almost All Fiber
Two types of seeds are excellent sources of fiber and have very few carbs to worry about. They're great additions to your diet and can be eaten in multiple ways.
- Flax Seeds: There is almost no usable carbohydrate in flax seeds. They are very high in both soluble and insoluble fiber (about one-third of the fiber is soluble). Flax is high in nutrients and could be the ultimate low-carb fiber source. One tablespoon ground flax has 2 grams of carbohydrate, 1.9 of which is fiber.
- Chia Seeds: These have a fiber and carb profile similar to flax seeds. Chia seeds can be used in many ways, including as a yogurt additive or salad topping.
Vegetables that are almost all fiber include mustard greens, chicory, and endive.
More Fiber Than Usable Carbohydrate
The following foods have more fiber than usable carbohydrate, so they're also great choices for a low-carb diet.
- Wheat Bran: 1/2cup raw wheat bran has 3 grams usable carb, 6 grams fiber
- Unsweetened Coconut and Coconut Flour: 1 ounce unsweetened coconut has 2 grams usable carb, 5 grams fiber
- High-Fiber Cereals: Check the labels carefully, but some high fiber cereals are also low or fairly low in carbohydrate.
- Collard Greens: 1 cup chopped, cooked collard greens has 4 grams usable carb, 5 grams fiber
- Hass Avocado: 1 medium avocado has 3 grams usable carb, 12 grams fiber
- Spinach and Chard (cooked): One cup of chopped, cooked spinach has 3 grams usable carb and 4 grams fiber. You will need 6 cups of raw spinach or chard to produce about 1 cup after cooking.
- Spinach (frozen): One 10-ounce package of spinach has 3 grams usable carb and 8 grams fiber.
- Broccoli (cooked): 1/2 cup chopped, cooked broccoli has 1 gram usable carb, 3 grams fiber
- Broccoli (raw): 1 cup of chopped, raw broccoli has 4 grams usable carb, 2 grams fiber
- Cauliflower (cooked): 1/2 cup chopped, cooked cauliflower has 1 gram usable carb, 2 grams fiber
- Cauliflower (raw): 1 cup raw cauliflower has 2 grams usable carb, 2.5 grams fiber
- Blackberries: 1 cup raw blackberries has 6 grams usable carb, 8 grams fiber
About as Much Usable Carb as Fiber
These foods have an equal amount of usable carbs and fiber. They offer a perfect balance of the two and are also good choices for your diet.
- Asparagus: 1 cup chopped asparagus has 2 grams usable carbs, 2 grams fiber
- Celery: 1 cup chopped celery has 1.5 grams usable carb, 1.5 grams fiber
- Eggplant (raw): 1 cup cubed, raw eggplant has 2 grams usable carb, 3 grams fiber
- Eggplant (cooked): 1 cup cubed and cooked eggplant has 5 grams usable carb, 3 grams fiber
- Mushrooms: 1 cup raw sliced mushrooms has 1 gram usable carb, 1 gram fiber
- Radishes: 1 cup raw sliced radishes has 2 grams usable carb, 2 grams fiber
- Red Raspberries: 1 cup red raspberries has 7 grams usable carb, 8 grams fiber
- Romaine lettuce: 1 cup shredded Romaine lettuce has 0.5 gram usable carbs, 1 gram fiber
High Fiber but Less Than Usable Carb
Even though these foods are high-fiber, they offer less fiber than usable carbs. They're still healthy, but you do want to keep the carb counts in mind.
- Rice Bran: 1/4 cup rice bran has 8 grams usable carb, 6 grams fiber
- Cabbage (raw): 1 cup raw chopped cabbage has 3 grams usable carb, 2 grams fiber
- Cabbage (cooked): 1/2 cup cooked chopped cabbage has 2 grams usable carb, 1 gram fiber
- Bell Peppers: 1 cup raw, chopped bell peppers has 4 grams usable carb, 3 grams fiber
- Snow Peas (edible pod): 1 cup whole, raw snow peas has 3 grams usable carb, 2 grams fiber
- Zucchini Squash and Other Summer Squash: 1 cup cooked, sliced summer squash has 4 grams usable carb, 3 grams fiber
- Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds vary, but most are high in fiber.
- Strawberries: 1/2 cup sliced strawberries has 5 grams usable carb, 2 grams fiber
Fiber Supplements
In some circumstances, fiber supplements can be helpful additions to a high-quality, nutritious diet. However, they should never take the place of eating high-fiber foods, which are also rich in antioxidants and other nutrients essential to health.
There is some evidence that simply taking pure fiber as a pill or sprinkling high-fiber additions over your food doesn’t carry all the same benefits as when it is in food. Also, some high-fiber additives such as wheat bran contain compounds (phytates). These can block the absorption of some nutrients, so large amounts of phytates should be avoided.
Chitin and chitosan are common fiber supplements. However, it is derived from the shells of crustaceans and should be avoided anyone who is allergic to seafood.
Guidelines for Consuming Fiber
![High fiber foods for ibs High fiber foods for ibs](/uploads/1/2/5/5/125543008/818623007.jpg)
While fiber is essential to a healthy diet, there are some precautions to consider when increasing your intake.
- If you are not used to eating a lot of fiber, increase the amount gradually to prevent intestinal distress.
- Make sure you drink lots of water when taking fiber supplements or eating high-fiber foods because all fiber absorbs at least some water. Fiber can, in rare cases, cause choking or constipation if eaten with insufficient fluid.
- Since large amounts of fiber can reduce absorption of some medications, it is best to take medication either an hour before or two hours after the fiber.
A Word From Verywell
You won't lack for good sources of fiber when you are on a low-carb diet if you incorporate more vegetables, fruit, and bran in your meal plans. Your plate will be more colorful and appealing and you can enjoy a great variety of food.
- Improving Your Health With Fiber. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/improving-your-health-with-fiber.
- USDA Food Composition Database. United States Department of Agriculture. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list.
- Dahl WJ, Stewart ML. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Health Implications of Dietary Fiber. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2015;115(11):1861-1870. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2015.09.003.
- Mcrorie JW. Evidence-Based Approach to Fiber Supplements and Clinically Meaningful Health Benefits, Part 2. Nutrition Today. 2015;50(2):90-97. doi:10.1097/nt.0000000000000089.
- Wald A. Patient Education: High-fiber diet (Beyond the Basics). UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/high-fiber-diet-beyond-the-basics.
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