|  | Diet Nutrition | Healthy Eating

Do Oranges Have Lots of Fiber?

While oranges are well-known for providing large amounts of vitamin C -- one medium orange has more than a day's worth -- this isn't the only benefit you'll get from including this sweet, juicy fruit in your diet. At only 62 calories each, oranges also have significant amounts of folate and fiber, so eating them can help you meet the recommended intake for these essential nutrients.

  1. Benefits of Fiber

    • Dietary fiber, which makes food bulkier but isn't digestible, has a number of health benefits. Getting plenty of fiber in your diet will help you lower your risk for both heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Fiber also improves your digestive health and limits your risk for constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. You may have an easier time losing weight if you follow a high-fiber diet, because high-fiber foods are very filling and take longer to eat than low-fiber foods, which can help you stay within your daily calorie limit.

    Fiber Content

    • Oranges are a good source of fiber -- one medium orange contains 3.1 grams of fiber. This is out of the recommended 21 to 25 grams per day for women and the 30 to 38 grams for men. Opting for a large orange instead will make it even easier to meet your fiber goals, as you'll be consuming 4.4 grams of fiber.

    Soluble and Insoluble Fiber

    • About 62 percent of the fiber in oranges is soluble, and 38 percent is insoluble. Insoluble fiber adds bulk and keeps food moving smoothly through your digestive tract. Soluble fiber absorbs water to form a gel that slows down the emptying of the stomach, lowers your cholesterol and helps you control your blood glucose levels.

    Uses

    • If you want to get the most fiber out of your orange, eat the whole orange rather than just drinking the juice. The easiest way to consume oranges is to peel them and eat them by hand. You can also add sliced oranges to fruit salads or smoothies. Use them to top off a salad of spinach, walnuts and blue cheese, or mix them into a salad with greens, cranberries, feta and almonds. Make a cranberry sauce with apples, oranges, pears and pecans, or mix cilantro, oranges, lime juice, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and red onions for a salsa to serve with chicken or fish.

Healthy Eating - Related Articles