High Fiber Food Chart List
This high fiber food chart will help you understand which foods are high in fiber. All fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains have fiber, though in different amounts. Fiber is neither absorbed nor digested and there are two types of fiber; soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Both types are important for a healthy digestive system. Soluble fiber, as the name suggests is a type of fiber that is partly soluble in water. It digest slowly, so keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Insoluble fiber passes undigested through the system and helps your body get rid of waste.
Benefits Of A High Fiber Diet
Fiber is important to our overall health and well-being. A high fiber diet helps maintain blood glucose and cholesterol levels at healthy levels. Therefore, it can lower the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Fiber also helps with weight control as it keeps you feeling full for longer. For a healthy system, we need to consume at lease 25-30 grams of fiber a day. Soluble fiber reduces fat absorption and lowers LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels. Lack of fiber in the diet can lead to constipation which in turn can lead to diverticulitis, a disease associated with the colon. Insoluble fiber, such as bran, has a major role in adding bulk to stool and helps prevent constipation by preventing hard stools. Other diseases associated with low fiber diets include, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, haemorrhoids, diabetes and certain cancers. A high fiber food chart can help you obtain the recommended 25-30 grams of fiber you need each day. It is important to note that your high fiber diet should be accompanied by fluid intake. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to keep your system healthy.
What Are High Fiber Foods?
Food can be divided in three main groups, those rich in fiber, those which contain a minimum amount of fiber and those which have none or very little fiber. A food is regarded as having high fiber content if it has more than 5g of fiber per serving. Foods rich in fiber are numerous and easy to include in everyday meals. Fruits and vegetables have high fiber content and this content increases if eaten unpeeled. Nuts, seeds and pulses are also rich in fiber and can be included in everyday meals. Cereals such as bread, pasta and rice have high fiber content but this varies on how the cereal has been processed. The outer layer of the grain is the richest source of the fiber. Highly processed cereals have this outer layer removed and thus have lower fiber content than the unprocessed cereal. The high fiber food chart below illustrates which foods contain higher fiber.
High Fiber Food Chart List
The chart below compares the amount of fiber in 1 cup of different foods.
Fiber Content in Grams
In conclusion, by using the high fiber food chart you can increase the amount of fiber in your diet, in turn you will be adapting a healthier diet, preventing the risk of developing chronic diseases and it can also be used as a way to help you lose weight. Switch to a high fiber diet gradually to give your body time to adapt, a rapid switch may cause abdominal discomfort and this may be avoided by increasing the fiber content in your diet slowly everyday.
