The Best High Fiber Fruits

One of the major problems with the average person's diet in today's busy world is a severe deficiency in dietary fiber, which is vital for mainaining healthy bowel function, stable blood sugar levels, and a desirable bodyweight. According to Creations Magazine, the average American's daily fiber intake of 10-15 grams falls well short of the 30 grams recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We find ourselves in this situation because the fast food and other processed products that we consume in large quantities typically have had most or all of the fiber stripped from them, and many people find eating large amounts of vegetables or high fiber grains to be inconvenient or unpalatable. Luckily, Mother Nature provides use with a ready solution to this problem, one which affords a wide variety of convenient fiber sources to satisfy just about any taste: high fiber fruit!

The undisputed king of high fiber fruits is the ubiquitous apple. According to the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, a typical large apple packs 5 grams of fiber among its 34 grams of total carbohydrate (130 calories total). It's not just the high fiber content that makes the apple a winner, though. There isn't a much more convenient snack than the good ol' apple: just wash it in the morning, put it in your pocket, purse, or backpack, and you'll have a quick and nutritious fiber hit whenever you get the munchies. With countless varieties to choose from, the apple can satisfy just about any taste fancy that strikes you, whether you're looking for something sweet, sour, hard, or soft. Of course, if you just have to have some junk food, take some solace in the fact that a slice of delicious apple pie is going to have at least a bit of fiber.

Not far behind the apple is the pear, which actually offers more fiber than its more spherical cousin, checking in with 6 grams, along with 20 grams of other carbohydrate and 100 calories. Nutritionally, then, the pear gives you the best bang for your calorie buck, but it falls short of the apple in terms of versatility and overall taste. Truthfully, some people just don't like the way pears taste, and there aren't nearly as many varieties available to the average consumer as is the case with apples. If you like pears, though, they are hard to beat as a sweet high fiber source.

Other tasty fruits which can provide a healthy dose of fiber and are readily available in grocery stores (and even in some convenience stores) include bananas, kiwifruit, strawberries, and oranges. At the low end of the fruit fiber scale are the various melons, including watermelons, cantaloupes, and honeydew melons. Even these choices, though, give you a dash of fiber while keeping your taste buds dancing.

An interesting option for those seeking to boost their fiber intake through fruit consumption is the avocado, which provides only one gram of fiber, but also contains no sugar whatsoever in a serving, which the FDA puts at 1/5 of a whole fruit. According to WebMD.com, the avocado is high in monounsaturated fat, which is generally considered to have positive health effects. All things considered, the avocado's unique nutritional profile make it a good occasional candidate for helping to boost your fiber intake while also providing you with some good fat.

As you can see, the options for getting more fiber in your diet are limited only by your imagination. To help you choose the best high fiber fruit sources for you, the FDA has put together a chart of nutritional values for many common fruits, which you can access at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/nutinfo.html.

Happy (and healthy) munching!

Sources:
Victoria Boutenko Fiber: "The Magic Sponge", Creations Magazine

"The Avocado Advantage", WebMD.com

"Nutrition Information for Raw Fruits, Vegetables, and Fish", US FDA/CFSAN