Adding fiber-rich foods to your shopping cart during your weekly trip to the supermarket can do wonders for your health. Fiber plays a key role in your digestive health, while also preventing your blood sugar from spiking rapidly. High-fiber foods can help you work toward the recommended daily intake of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.
Fiber-Rich Plant Foods
Plant-derived foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds are often high in fiber. High-fiber fruits include apples, with 2.8 grams per small apple, and raspberries, with 3.3 grams per cup. Cooked turnip and green peas are also high, with 4.8 and 4.3 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup, respectively. A 1/2-cup serving of light red kidney beans has 7.9 grams of fiber, 1/2 cup of wheat bran has 12.3 grams of fiber and 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds has 3.3 grams of fiber. Many types of breakfast cereal, especially those with bran, also provide a valuable source of fiber.
Example of a High Fiber Diet
Dietary fiber comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and plays a role in lowering cholesterol and glucose. Soluble fiber is found naturally in oats, beans, peas, apples, citrus, carrots and psyllium. Insoluble fiber is instrumental in helping move food through the digestive system. Good sources of insoluble fiber include whole wheat, vegetables, nuts and whole bran.