Foods High in Fiber

Fiber is a very important part of our diet, and a must in order for the colon to stay functional and healthy. Fiber adds bulk to stool so that they are easier to pass, and helps in preventing constipation. For people that have constipation problems, fiber is most likely lacking in their diet.

There are two types of fiber. Insoluble and soluble. Soluble fiber is the fiber that actually can help lower your blood cholesterol level, and it also plays some roles in regulation of blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber is the one that really promotes regulation of the bowels.

There are certain foods that are exceptionally high in fiber. A lot of the foods that are extremely high in this nutrient are in the legumes category. One food from that category is navy beans. These have 11.65 grams of fiber per one cup. You can eat navy beans in chili recipes, or as part of a salad for instance to dress it up. Navy beans are not only filled with fiber, but they have folate, which helps to process homocystine, an amino acid in the body, protein, and many other nutrients.

Another legume that is really high in fiber is the black bean. Black beans have 14.96 grams of fiber, in just one cup. They also have many other nutrients and vitamins too, and are excellent in brown rice served with lite kielbasa, or as a side dish.

Another super high fiber food is barley, which has 13.60 grams of fiber per one cup. This grain is usually used in soups, in certain bread and muffin recipes, and also cracked to make hot cereal.

Oatmeal provides a person with nearly four grams of fiber at 3.98 per one cup serving. Oatmeal is about one of my very favorite foods, and it can add a nice start to your day for breakfast. Top it off with blueberries, which have another 3.92 grams of fiber in one cup.

Instead of cooking up regular spaghetti pasta, try whole wheat pasta in spaghetti. This pasta contains 6.3 grams of fiber in it. To round out a meal even higher in fiber, add a slice of whole wheat bread to it, which totals at least 2 grams of fiber.

Fruits other than blueberries that are high in fiber are one cup raspberries, at 8.36 grams of fiber per cup, apples at 5 grams of fiber, and pears, which have 5.02 grams of fiber each one serving. The next best fruit with fiber is prunes which have a little over 3 grams of fiber per serving. Oranges are also good for fiber at 4 grams per serving.

Vegetables that are high in fiber are collard greens, which total 5.32 grams of fiber, spinach at 4.32 grams, sweet potatoes at 3.14 grams, and broccoli at 4.68 grams each cup serving.