Bulking Up on Fiber
Fiber. You know you need to eat it. You are pretty sure it is good for you. But what is fiber,
really? And why is it good for you?
What Are the Facts?
Soluble Fiber
Insoluble Fiber
How Much Fiber Do I Need?
| Food | Serving size |
Total Fiber
(grams) |
Soluble Fiber | Insoluble Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | ||||
| Broccoli, cooked | ½ cup | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Brussels sprouts, cooked | ½ cup | 4.5 | 3.0 | 1.5 |
| Carrots, cooked | ½ cup | 2.5 | 1 | 1.4 |
| Artichoke, fresh | ½ cup | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Fruits | ||||
| Apple | 1 medium | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Banana | 1 medium | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Blackberries | ½ cup | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Nectarine | 1 medium | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Citrus fruit (orange, grapefruit) | 1 medium | 2-3 | 1 | 1-2 |
| Peach | 1 medium | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Pears | 1 medium | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Plums | 1 medium | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Prunes | ¼ cup | 3 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Legumes | ||||
| Black beans, cooked | ½ cup | 5.5 | 2 | 3.5 |
| Kidney beans, cooked | ½ cup | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Lima beans, cooked | ½ cup | 6.5 | 3.5 | 3 |
| Navy beans, cooked | ½ cup | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Northern beans, cooked | ½ cup | 5.5 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Pinto beans, cooked | ½ cup | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| Lentils, cooked | ½ cup | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| Peas, cooked | ½ cup | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Whole grain cereals | ||||
| All Bran cereal | 1/3 cup | 8 | 0.7 | 7.3 |
| Oatmeal, cooked | ½ cup | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Oat bran | ½ cup | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Shredded wheat | 2/3 cup | 3 | 0.3 | 2.7 |
| Wheat germ | 2/3 cup | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| Pearl barley, cooked | ½ cup | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Brown rice | ½ cup | 4 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| Seeds | ||||
| Psyllium seeds | 1 tablespoon | 6 | 5 | 1 |
How Do I Increase the Amount of Fiber in My Diet?
- Try a whole grain cereal that contains at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Slice a banana on top, or add some raisins or berries to increase the fiber even more.
- Sprinkle a few teaspoons of wheat germ, ground psyllium, or ground flaxseed on your food.
- Try eating some vegetables raw. Cooking can break down some of the fiber content. If you do cook vegetables, steam them lightly, so they are tender but still firm.
- Leave the skin on fruits and vegetables. Just make sure you rinse them well with warm water to remove any dirt or bacteria.
- Eat the whole fruit or vegetable instead of drinking the juice made from it. Juice does not contain the skin or membrane of the fruit or vegetable, and therefore its fiber content is substantially reduced.
- Try adding whole, unprocessed grain to your diet. Substitute brown rice for white rice. Or opt for whole wheat bread or pasta.
- Add beans to your soups, salads, and stews. Throw some beans on top of a salad or add lentils to soup while cooking.
- Snack on fresh and dried fruit. Chomp some raisins or dried apricots in the afternoon, instead of a bag of potato chips or pretzels.
RESOURCES
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics http://www.eatright.org
US Department of Agriculture Choose My Plate http://www.choosemyplate.gov
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Canada's Food Guide http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca
References
Dietary guidelines for Americans 2010. US Department of Health and Human Services website. Available at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf. Accessed January 31, 2013.
Eat 3 or more whole grain foods every day. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/WeightManagement/LosingWeight/Eat-3-or-More-Whole-Grain-Foods-Every-Day%5FUCM%5F320264%5FArticle.jsp. Updated December 23, 2010. Accessed January 31, 2013.
Fiber. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. Available at: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6796&terms=fiber. Updated January 2013. Accessed January 31, 2013.
Shamliyan T, Jacobs D, Raatz S, Nordstrom D, Keenan J. Are your patients with risk of CVD getting the viscous soluble fiber they need? J Fam Prac. 2006;9:761-769.
3/28/2011 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance: Park Y, Subar AF, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A. Dietary Fiber Intake and Mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Arch Intern Med. 2011 Feb 14. [Epub ahead of print]
Whole grains and fiber. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Whole-Grains-and-Fiber%5FUCM%5F303249%5FArticle.jsp. Updated January 24, 2011. Accessed January 31, 2013.