20 Healthy Foods That Have Fiber in Them

Do you want to increase your fiber intake? Or do you just want to learn about fibre-rich foods? Whichever it is, this article on foods that have fiber has everything to enrich your diet.

Besides helping to lower the risk of many diseases, like stroke, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease, fiber is a major player in digestive health.

Not only does it regulate bowel movements, but certain fibers like prebiotics present in oats, apples, and bananas also feed the helpful bacteria in the gut.

Healthy Foods That Have Fiber in Them

Below is a list of the top 20 foods that have fiber for a fiber-filled diet.

1. Green Beans

Green beans are a cheap and simple way to enrich your meal with soluble fiber. They’re a good source of potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants that prevent long-term cell damage. A cup of green beans contains 25% of the recommended vitamin C daily intake.

Green beans can be eaten raw, but digest more easily when stir-fried, steamed, or roasted. A cup of cooked green beans has roughly 1g of soluble fiber.

2. Carrots

Eating fruits and vegetables filled with plant-based compounds called phytonutrients has a lot of health benefits. Carrots have a type of phytonutrient known as carotenoids that are great for the eyes. Carotenoids are also needed by the body to make vitamin A.

Carrots have a good blend of soluble and insoluble fiber. A grated carrot or chopped contains no fewer than 2.4g of soluble fiber.

When carrots are cooked, they become more digestible than when eaten raw. Cooking root vegetables doesn’t really affect their fiber content.

3. Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are a good source of insoluble and soluble fiber. A serving is filled with sufficient vitamin C to meet your daily needs.

Many people are scared of Brussels sprouts out of fear it will make them gassy. But even people down with IBS can cope with small servings and still get the benefit of this fiber-filled vegetable. Brussels sprouts are easier to digest when cooked.

A cup of cooked Brussels sprouts has about 2g of soluble fiber. Raw Brussels sprouts, like those used in shaved salads, have slightly more.

4. Chickpeas

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are filled with protein and fiber. They are also a great source of folate and vitamin B6, providing about 14% of the daily requirement in one cup serving.

Chickpeas can be added to soup and sauces, spread on salads, or roasted in olive oil. One cup of cooked chickpeas has more than 4g of soluble fiber.

5. Potatoes

Potatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, protein, magnesium, and vitamin B16. They are also laden with soluble and insoluble fiber. They have different species like yellow-skinned, red-skinned, and purple potatoes.

A cup of cooked potatoes gives 3.6g of soluble fiber and about the same quantity of insoluble fiber. Discard the skin to lower your intake of insoluble fiber.

6. Lentils

Like chickpeas, lentil is another legume that is nutrient and fiber-rich. When lentils are cooked, they give 20% of the daily needed potassium, 36% of the daily needed protein, and a whopping 64% of the daily needed fiber per cup.

A cup of cooked lentils has an amazing 8g of soluble fiber. Rinsing and soaking the beans prior to cooking lowers their gassiness.

7. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are another amazing way to satiate your sweet tooth while getting the benefits of soluble fiber and nutrients such as vitamin B6 and potassium.

Unlike potatoes, sweet potatoes are filled with a type of sugar called mannitol that gives sweetness without really raising a person’s blood sugar level. This makes them safe for diabetes patients.

A cup of cooked sweet potato offers about 6g of soluble fiber.

8. Eggplant

Eggplant has low calories and is a great source of folate, potassium, and manganese. It is also a great option for people on a low-protein diet, offering bulk with only 0.8g of protein in one cup serving.

When cooked, eggplants have about 2.5g of insoluble fiber and 2.5g of soluble fiber per cup. Peeling the skin removes some of the insoluble fiber. Eggplant is both tasty and easier to digest when roasted in olive oil.

9. Summer Squash and Zucchini

Summer squash and zucchini are all rich in vitamin B6, potassium, and vitamin C.

They also contain lutein, a carotenoid that protects the eyes, and an antioxidant called zeaxanthin that neutralizes free radicals that damage cells.

A cup of cooked summer squash or zucchini gives 2.4g of soluble fiber.

10. Avocados

Avocados are a wonderful source of healthy fats, vitamins, protein, and soluble fiber. Just one avocado offers 4g of polyunsaturated fat and 15g of monounsaturated fat, both of which are good for the heart.

Avocados are best taken raw as the antioxidant called lycopene is destroyed when avocados are cooked.

A cup of avocado provides one-third of the daily recommended fiber intake, though, most of it is insoluble. The quantity of soluble fiber in a cup of avocado is 3g.

11. Okra

Okra is a good source of soluble fiber and lots of other nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and calcium. As with Brussels sprouts and green beans, okra could cause gas if eaten in excess.

Okra has a high amount of fructan, a sugar that is fermentable and prebiotic (meaning during digestion they create probiotic bacteria).

A cup of cooked okra offers about 2g of soluble fiber.

12. Bananas

Bananas have a lot of nice qualities: they can be gotten all year round, are portable, and are filled with nutrients and fiber. One banana provides about 33% of the recommended daily intake of potassium and vitamin B6.

A cup of banana (about two medium-sized bananas) provides 4g of soluble fiber and roughly half as much insoluble fiber.

13. Blueberries

Blueberries are a rich source of fiber. They are filled with fructan and anthocyanins, an antioxidant that gives blueberries their blue color.

While blueberries satiate a sweet tooth, they don’t really increase blood sugar because of their fiber content. A cup of fresh blueberries is filled with roughly 1.8g of soluble fiber.

Blueberries are best eaten fresh but can also be frozen and still keep their nutritional value.

14. Oranges

Oranges are a rich source of fiber and one of the best all-around vitamin C sources. They are also a wonderful source of folate, calcium, and potassium. A medium-sized orange provides 93% of the recommended daily vitamin C intake.

A cup of fresh, whole-fruit oranges gives about 3.6g of soluble fiber. Whole fruit is a lot better juice, specifically strained juices without the pulp.

15. Kiwi

Kiwis are filled with vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. A medium-sized kiwi fruit provides 83% of the daily recommended vitamin C intake.

Kiwis also have high amounts of three important carotenoids (beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and since they have high fiber content, kiwis could help manage blood sugar.

A cup of fresh kiwi (about four medium-sized berries) gives 6g of insoluble fiber and 6g of soluble fiber.

16. Strawberries

Strawberries consist mostly of water (91%) and carbohydrates (8%) with only a small amount of fat and protein. About 26% of the carbohydrate count is obtained from fiber.

A cup of fresh strawberries provides almost the same amount of fiber as raspberries (1.8g soluble and 3.2g insoluble).

Strawberries are great sources of manganese, folate, vitamin C, and potassium. Strawberries eaten fresh have more nutritional value than when cooked.

17. Raspberries

Raspberries are wonderful sources of vitamin C and soluble fiber. Fresh or frozen, raspberries have more fructan than blueberries.

A cup of raspberries gives about one-third of the total recommended daily fiber requirement. Raspberries about the same quantity of soluble fiber per cup as blueberries (1.8g) but with more insoluble fiber (3.2g).

18. Oatmeal

Oats are rich sources of fiber and are thought to be good for the heart.

Oats have a lot of other benefits, giving 64% of manganese, 15% of vitamin B1, and 13% of potassium, magnesium, and zinc daily recommended intake

Oats also have antioxidants called avenanthramides believed to reduce blood pressure

Oats can be eaten raw, but digestible more easily when cooked. A cup of cooked oatmeal has about 3g of soluble fiber.

19. Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds make a great on-the-go snack.

They’re filled with protein, iron, fiber, vitamin B6, and magnesium. Sunflower seeds are particularly rich in vitamin E, selenium, and manganese, giving 30% or more of the daily recommended intake per 1/4 cup serving.

One cup of sunflower seeds has a whopping 12g of soluble fiber.

Besides being added to snacks, sunflower seeds can be sprinkled on mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables, and salads.

20. Peanuts

Portable, tasty, and filled with nutrients like folate. They are also heavy with prebiotic fructans and have a good blend of insoluble and soluble fiber.

Peanuts are also laden with polyunsaturated fat and healthy monosaturated (16g and 24g respectively).

Eating 20 big peanuts will give about 0.6g of soluble fiber. Similarly, a tablespoon of peanut butter gives roughly 0.3g of fiber and 8g of protein.

Summary

There it is, a list of the top 20 foods that have fiber, filled with amazing foods that will inspire you to add more of the good stuff to your diet

But before you jump on the ‘more fiber’ bandwagon, be sure to introduce it slowly to your diet. Eating too much fiber could cause bloating and cramping if your body is not used to it.