How to Best Increase Your Daily Fiber Intake

Getting all of your required fiber in per day is not an easy challenge. However, it can be done! The easiest way to tackle this is to figure out how much fiber is in each food item you might be thinking about eating, and to start out with some simple additions to your diet. In this post you will learn how to do both!

Start with Some of These High Fiber Foods

The table below gives you detailed information on fiber content in certain foods. It also allows you to display each food in order of the type of food, and by total fiber content. Included is a list of 100 food items that are high in fiber.  For the complete Fiber Content of Common Foods table click the link! The complete table will allow you to search even more in depth for more foods!

Hopefully this will give you some ideas on what kinds of foods to add into your diet, as well as provide you with some hope that switching up your diet doesn’t have to be a bad thing! You can still find really tasty foods that are high in fiber, and you don’t need to view your new diet as just having a plate of lettuce and carrots for dinner. You might be surprised what you find out below!

Food Item	Food Type	Measurement/Size	Total Fiber (grams)	Insoluble Fiber (grams)	Soluble Fiber (grams)
Bran, Corn, dry	Bran	1 cup	63.2	61.2	2
All-Bran Buds (Kellogg's)	Cereal	1 cup	36.0	28.0	8
Coconut, fresh	Fruit/Nut	1 Medium	35.7	31.8	3.9
Barley, dry	Grain	1 cup	31.0	24.0	7
Beans, soybeans, roasted	Legume	1 cup	30.4	16.7	13.7
Amaranth, dry	Grain	1 cup	30.0	20.0	10
Black Turtle Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	28.0	-	-
Fiber One (General Mills)	Cereal	1 cup	27.9	26.6	1.3
Wheat Bran (Arrowhead Mills)	Cereal	1 cup	27.4	25.2	2.2
All-Bran with Extra Fiber (Kellogg's)	Cereal	1 cup	27.0	25.0	2
Teff, dry	Grain	1 cup	26.7	21.7	5
Sorghum	Vegetable	1 cup	26.5	18.5	8
Bulgur, dry	Unknown	1 cup	25.6	21.3	4.3
Flax Seed	Seed	1 cup	25.5	11.7	13.8
Bran (Nabisco) 100%	Bran	1 cup	24.8	22.4	2.4
Bran, Rice, dry	Bran	1 cup	24.8	21.6	3.2
Bran, wheat (unprocessed)	Bran	1 cup	24.8	22.9	1.9
Figs, dried, uncooked	Fruit	1 cup	24.3	16.3	8
Corn Bran, raw	Grain	1 oz	22.0	-	-
All-Bran (Kellogg's)	Cereal	1 cup	20.0	18.0	2
Flour, triticale, whole grain	Flour	1 cup	19.0	15.5	3.5
Navy Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	19.0	-	-
White Beans, small, cooked	Legume	1 cup	19.0	-	-
Yellow Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	18.0	-	-
Pea (green) undiluted	Vegetable	1 cup	17.6	15.2	2.4
Flour, soy, defatted	Flour	1 cup	17.5	9.6	7.9
Adzuki Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	17.0	-	-
French Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	17.0	-	-
Millet, dry	Grain	1 cup	17.0	13.8	3.2
Buckwheat groats, dry	Unknown	1 cup	16.9	14.6	2.3
Chestnuts	Nuts	1 cup	16.7	13.2	3.5
Split Pea with ham or bacon, undiluted	Soup	1 cup	16.5	14.1	2.4
Wheat, cracked whole wheat	Grain	1 cup	16.5	14.0	2.5
Prune, cooked, unsweetened	Fruit	1 cup	16.4	12.2	4.2
Pear, dried, cooked, unsweetened	Fruit	1 cup	16.3	7.5	8.8
Peas, split, yellow, green, canned	Vegetable	1 cup	16.3	14.1	2.2
Peas, split, yellow, green, cooked dried	Vegetable	1 cup	16.3	14.1	2.2
Almonds	Nuts	1 cup	16.0	14.0	2
Cranberry Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	16.0	-	-
Kidney Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	16.0	-	-
Lentils, cooked	Legume	1 cup	16.0	-	-
Peas, split, cooked	Vegetable	1 cup	16.0	-	-
Lentils, cooked from dried	Legume	1 cup	15.6	14.4	1.2
Erewhon #9 Granola with Bran (US Mills)	Cereal	1 cup	15.1	9.2	5.9
Flour, barley	Flour	1 cup	15.0	11.7	3.3
Mung Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	15.0	-	-
Pinto Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	15.0	-	-
Flour, rye	Flour	1 cup	14.9	10.9	4
Kretschmer Honey Crunch Wheat Germ (Quaker)	Cereal	1 cup	14.8	11.1	3.7
Beans, Pinto, cooked dried	Legume	1 cup	14.7	10.9	3.8
Flour, whole-wheat	Flour	1 cup	14.6	12.5	2.1
Pine nuts - pignolias	Nuts	1 cup	14.6	13.1	1.5
Wheat, germ	Grain	1 cup	14.6	11.0	3.6
Bran, Oat Bran, dry	Bran	1 cup	14.5	7.7	6.8
Fiber One Bran Cereal	Grain	1/2 cup	14.0	-	-
Lima Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	14.0	-	-
Peas, green, frozen	Vegetable	1 cup	14.0	-	-
Pine nuts - pinyon	Nuts	1 cup	13.9	12.5	1.4
Sapodilla	Fruit	1 medium	13.9	9.0	4.9
Pistachio nuts	Nuts	1 cup	13.8	10.4	3.4
Wheat, spelt	Grain	1 cup	13.7	12.1	1.6
Pear, dried	Fruit	1 cup	13.5	8.1	5.4
Beans, Refried, canned	Legume	1 cup	13.4	9.2	4.2
Dates	Fruit	1 cup	13.4	11.2	2.2
Sunflower seeds	Seeds	1 cup	13.4	10.7	2.7
Beans, Lima, cooked dry	Legume	1 cup	13.2	6.2	7
Peanuts	Nuts	1 cup	13.2	10.5	2.7
Peach, dried	Fruit	1 cup	13.1	7.0	6.1
Beans, baked with pork in brown sugar	Legume	1 cup	13.0	8.0	5
Beans, baked, vegetarian	Legume	1 cup	13.0	8.0	5
Coconut unsweetened	Fruit/Nut	1 cup	13.0	11.9	1.1
Golden Flax (Health Valley)	Cereal	1 cup	12.9	9.4	3.5
Mixed nuts with peanuts	Nuts	1 cup	12.8	10.2	2.6
Poppy seeds	Seeds	1 cup	12.7	1.4	11.3
Erewhon New England Style Granola- Maple (US Mills)	Cereal	1 cup	12.6	7.2	5.4
Beans, garbanzo	Legume	1 cup	12.5	10.0	2.5
Macadamia nuts	Nuts	1 cup	12.5	9.9	2.6
Erewhon Sunflower Crunch Granola (US Mills)	Cereal	1 cup	12.4	7.1	5.3
Wheat, gluten	Grain	1 cup	12.4	-	-
Erewhon New England Style Granola-Date Nut (US Mills)	Cereal	1 cup	12.1	6.9	5.2
Prune	Fruit	1 cup	12.1	5.6	6.5
Beans, baked with pork in tomato sauce	Legume	1 cup	12.0	7.0	5
Flour, buckwheat	Flour	1 cup	12.0	10.3	1.7
Garbanzo Beans, cooked	Legume	1 cup	12.0	-	-
Gnu Foods High Fiber Bar	Grain	1 bar	12.0	-	-
Oat Bran, raw	Bran	1 oz	12.0	-	-
Pinon nuts	Nuts	1 oz	12.0	-	-
Prunes, dried	Fruit	1 cup	12.0	-	-
Wheat Bran, raw	Grain	1 oz	12.0	-	-
Erewhon Spiced Apple Granola (US Mills)	Cereal	1 cup	11.9	6.8	5.1
Beans, Navy, cooked dried	Legume	1 cup	11.7	7.3	4.4
Sesame seeds	Seed	1 cup	11.7	8.8	2.9
Erewhon New England Style Granola-Honey Almond (US Mills)	Cereal	1 cup	11.6	6.6	5
Flour, barley malt	Flour	1 cup	11.5	9.0	2.5
Beans, kidney, cooked dry	Legume	1 cup	11.4	5.7	5.7
Bran Cereal with Apples and Cinnamon (Health Valley)	Cereal	1 cup	11.4	9.8	1.6
Peas, cowpeas, cooked dried	Vegetable	1 cup	11.2	9.8	1.4
Beans, Northern, cooked dried	Legume	1 cup	11.1	8.3	2.8
Trail mix	Dessert	1 cup	11.1	9.1	2
Breadfruit	Fruit	1 cup	11.0	-	-

 

Two key things I encourage you to do with this table:

 

1) Sort the items according to their total fiber content. This will allow you to see which items are the highest in fiber and will allow you to see which things are your best bets to add to your diet

2) Sort the items according to their food type. You are then able to see the fiber contents of some of your favorite food groups!

It is very important to remember one key piece of advice when adding fiber into your diet- to be sure to drink plenty of water! If you eat too much fiber too soon it can mess with your system and cause digestion issues. Increased water intake can regulate this and ease stomach woes. Regardless, it will still be a shock to your body when you start eating more fiber, but you can definitely aid in the transition by keeping yourself hydrated!

 

Fiber is an amazing part of many healthy foods. It can help you-

1)Lose weight.

2)Maintain bowel regularity.

3) Speed up the elimination of toxic wastes in the colon.

4) Has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels.

5) Control blood sugar levels.

Secondly, to give your diet an immediate boost, start with the following high fiber foods!

1) Apples-

Apples are so simple and yet so awesome for you. Apples come in many different varieties and tastes, but they all have one thing in common… Yup! You guessed it! They are very high in fiber!

A lot of people wonder just how much fiber is in an apple. This number will inevitably vary between apple varieties, how you prepare the apple, and whether or not the apple has been cooked (into a pie or dessert, etc), but most apples have just about 4 grams of total fiber.

The fiber content in apples rests mostly in the peel so be sure to eat that as well! If you are like a lot of people, you may not like the peel very much, and that is okay, as apples still are a great addition to any diet even without the skin! However, if you are shooting for a increase in fiber, leave the peel on!

Other benefits of eating apples can be found on this post from Best Health Magazine.

2) Raisin Bran Cereal-

Raisin Bran is a popular cereal that packs about 7 grams of fiber per cup! It is a wonderful addition to any high fiber diet, and will really give you that boost that you need to start to up your daily fiber intake.

Raisin Bran is also high in potassium, protein and has a plethora of essential vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy. Start your day out with a bowl and reap the benefits!

3) Almonds-

Almonds are a definitely a fiber super food. They are extremely high in fiber at 8 grams per 1/2 cup, and include many other health benefits. They are indeed high in fat, but don’t let this deter you, as these fats are healthy fats. Adding these to your high fiber diet is a simple first step to hitting your daily fiber goals.

Almonds can be found in just about any supermarket and there are plenty of different varieties. Plain almonds are great as they will be low in sugar and other additives, but you might want to try the roasted and salted almonds first. Wonderful Almonds are a great brand, and these nuts always tastes excellent.

4) Green Peas-

While not everyone’s favorite vegetable. Peas are packed with fiber at 7 grams per cup. Peas are a simple side you can add to just about any meal. Peas are also high in vitamin C which promotes a healthy immune system.

5) Beans-

Beans are truly a magical part of any diet. Beans are commonly known as the food that makes you pass gas, and this is indeed true, especially if you are adding them to a diet that didn’t have a lot of fiber to begin with! However beans are an easy and essential part of any high fiber diet. They are also extremely high in protein, antioxidants, and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Hopefully you can now answer the question of what your daily fiber intake might look like. I also hope you are convinced that you need to start looking into upping your fiber intake. Fiber is an extremely important part of a balanced diet and it can help to change your life if it is incorporated into your daily regime.

Above everything written here, remember to listen to your body. Make small changes and up your fiber intake over time, and you will definitely reap the benefits!

 

Remember these key steps-

1) Slowly increase your fiber intake over time and allow your body to adjust. Focus on small changes! An example of a good small change is to add flax seeds into your diet. They are very small and you can increase these in very small dosages and see how your body does with the new addition. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids which are very good, heart-healthy fats.

2) Drink LOTS of water when making these changes to aid in your body’s digestion.

3) Listen to your body and don’t over do it with fiber (too much of anything can be a bad thing).

4) Remember to check my post of How Much Fiber Per Day Do You Actually Need to determine your daily fiber requirements because they are different for each person. For most of you that are reading this you will need either 38 grams per day if you are a male or 25 grams per day if you are a female. This does change depending on age so make sure you are getting the right level for your dietary needs.

Good luck with your quest to up your daily fiber intake!