List of Common Foods High in Fiber

This list of common foods high in fiber will help you find foods to reach the recommended daily amount of fiber one should consume to improve digestion, eliminate common discomforts and maintain long term health.  Dietary fiber comes from plant foods and is available in vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, wheat bran, nuts and seeds.  There are two types of fiber; soluble fiber that dissolves in water and helps your body absorb less fats and sugars, and insoluble fiber which does not dissolve as easily and is responsible for moving food through your intestines.  Good sources of soluble fiber are oats, beans, peas, seeds, fruits and vegetables, while good sources of insoluble fiber include wheat bran, whole grain and vegetables.  The daily consumption of both types of fiber is important in order to assist your body in getting rid of unwanted waste and absorbing less of the fats and sugars that can lead to high cholesterol and diabetes.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recommends that a person should consume at least 25 grams of dietary fiber daily based on a 2,000 calorie diet.  Studies show though that the average person only consumes about 10 - 13 grams of fiber a day, and barely gets 50% of the recommended amount of fiber. The amount of dietary fiber recommended daily is related to the amount of calories from food a person consumes in a day. The American Dietetic Association recommends that women should consume 25 grams of dietary fiber each day while men should consume 38 grams of dietary fiber daily, since men usually consume more calories of food per day compared to women. This list of common foods high in fiber is intended to help you construct a diet that will quickly increase the amount of fiber you consume without increasing the amount of calories or the amount of food you eat in order to reach the recommended amount of fiber.

Foods high in fiber will help your body digest and process the nutrients from foods, relieve or reduce many common digestive discomforts, and prevent future, long term health conditions.  Common digestive conditions like constipation, hemorrhoids, rectal bleeding, and high blood sugar levels can all be reduced by eating foods high in fiber.  Foods high in fiber will also benefit you in the future by preventing the occurrence of more serious health conditions like colon cancer, diverticulitis, heart disease, and diabetes.

Below is a list of common foods high in fiber that are separated into the food categories of "fruits", "vegetables", "beans, nuts and seeds", and "grains and cereal":

It is best to include at least one food product that is high in fiber during all of your meals and snacks throughout the daily to reach the recommended amount of daily fiber.  Here is a sample diet that includes some of the foods high in fiber from the list above, contains sources of both soluble and insoluble types of fiber, and has a total of approximately 28.2 grams of fiber and 1813 calories.

• Breakfast
  • Cereal: Corn Pops (3 grams of fiber, 150 calories)
  • Banana (3.1 grams of fiber, 105 calories)
  • Low Fat Milk (102 calories)
• Snack
  • Apple (4.4 grams of fiber, 95 calories)
  • Low Fat Yogurt (about 140 calories)
• Lunch
  • Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread (3.8 grams of fiber, about 400 calories)
• Snack
  • Handful of Almonds (3.5 grams of fiber, 160 calories)
  • Handful of Raisins (1.5 grams of fiber, 75 calories)
• Dinner
  • Baked Potato (3.8 grams of fiber, 161 calories)
  • Broccoli (5.1 grams of fiber, 55 calories)
  • Fish or Meat (about 370 calories)