FDA: The Most Fibrous Foods

Diets high in fiber can reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. The Mayo Clinic recommends women get 25 g of fiber per day and that men get 30 to 38 g. Fiber plays a key role in digestion because it does not break down in the body and moves quickly through the digestive system. High fiber diets prevent constipation and promote good health by helping the body remove waste and toxins from your system before they have a negative effect on the body. There are several choices of food high in fiber that will improve your diet.

Beans

• Beans are a big source of fiber with black beans topping the chart a 15 g of fiber per cooked cup. Lima beans follow closely with 13.2 g per cup. Refer to the label of your favorite bean for serving size and amount of fiber.

Vegetables

• Broccoli weighs in at 5.1 g of fiber per cooked cup, behind peas at 8.8 g, artichokes at 10.3 g and split peas 16.3 g. Besides being high in fiber, these vegetables are high in antioxidants that help detoxify the body.

Fruits

• Raspberries are the number one source of fiber among fruits at 8 g per cup, pears and apples are around 5 g, depending on size. Avoid pealing the skin off apples or pears because many of the vitamins and nutrients are in the skin. Buy organic if you can.

Grains

• Start your day with a cup bran flakes at 5.3 g of fiber, or a cup of oatmeal and you will get 4 g of fiber. Substitute whole-grain breads for white bread and get 1.9 g of fiber per slice. Air popped popcorn has 3.5 g of fiber per three cups. And brown rice contains 3.5 g per cooked cup.

Nuts and Seeds

• Sunflower seeds are a great snack and tasty in salads. About 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds contain 3.9 g of fiber. Almonds contain 3.5 g of fiber per serving and are also used to suppress the appetite.