Which Is the Higher Source of Fiber: Carrots or Bran Flake Cereal?

Dietary fiber is an essential component of nutritional health. Eating between 30 and 40 g of fiber per day is beneficial to digestion, heart health, and weight control, among other important functions. Knowing the fiber content of certain foods helps in obtaining the optimal amount of fiber to maintain a healthy diet. Carrots and bran flake cereal are two high-fiber foods, but one provides more than the other.

Carrots

• Carrots

  A medium-sized raw carrot contains about 2 g of fiber. The fiber content of this vegetable increases with cooking. One cup of cooked carrots contains between 5 and 6 g of fiber.

Bran Flake Cereal

• Wheat bran

  The fiber content of bran flakes and other bran cereals varies depending on the cereal type. One cup of plain bran flakes offers 5 of fiber. Other cereals specially designed for digestive health, such as Kellogg's All-Bran, contains around 20 g of fiber.

Comparison

• At the most basic level, a serving of plain bran flakes contains three more grams of fiber than an uncooked carrot. Cooking the carrot makes the fiber content of it roughly equal to that of a cup of bran flakes.

Further Steps

• There are ways to increase the fiber content of many foods that already have levels of fiber. For example, 1 tbsp. raisins contains 1 g of fiber, and can easily be added to cereal or even prepared carrot dishes. The same is true of flax seed, which has a a little over 2 g of fiber in 1 tbsp.