Finding Fiber in our Foods! A Comprehensive List of Foods and their Typical Fiber Content

THERE REALLY ARE PLENTY OF SOURCES OF FIBER IN OUR FOOD

Ok let’s get the spiel out of the way - since we wouldn't want to be accused of advocating a fiber-only diet (could you imagine such a treacherous and "windy" path to go down!). Your diet should be balanced and include at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, plus whole grains.
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Adults should aim to eat 18g (0.6oz) to 30g (1.05oz) of fiber a day, depending on their height and weight. Your health specialist / doctor can provide a more specific target for those more concerned for health reasons. 

So what foods contain Fiber?

In brief, fiber is found in:

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Nuts
• Breakfast cereals – but check fiber content as some are very low
• Starchy foods – such as brown bread, rice and pasta

Ok so what about this food then? Lets break this down a bit shall we? After all, what's the point of a dedicated article if we don't put some numbers to it!? Below you will find the listed foods each with the amount of fiber typically found in the given portion.

Fresh Fruit

Good sources of fiber in fresh fruit include:

• Avocado – a medium-sized avocado - 4.9g of fiber
• Pear (with skin) – a medium-sized pear - 3.7g of fiber
• Orange – a medium-sized orange - 2.7g of fiber
• Apple (with skin) – a medium-sized apple - 2g of fiber
• Raspberries – two handfuls of raspberries (80g) - 2g of fiber
• Banana – a medium-sized banana - 1.7g of fiber
• Tomato juice – one small glass of tomato juice (200ml) - 1.2g of fiber

Dried Fruit

Good sources of fiber in dried fruit include:

• Apricots – three whole apricots - 5g of fiber
• Prunes – three whole prunes - 4.6g of fiber

Vegetables

Good sources of fiber in vegetables include:

• Baked beans – a half can of baked beans (200g) - 7.4g of fiber
• Kidney beans – three tablespoons of red kidney beans - 5.4g of fiber
• Peas – three heaped tablespoons of peas - 3.6g of fiber
• French beans (boiled) – four heaped tablespoons of French beans - 3.3g of fiber
• Brussel sprouts (boiled) – eight Brussel sprouts - 2.5g of fiber
• Potatoes  – one medium-sized potato - 2.4g of fiber
• Spring greens – four heaped tablespoons of Spring greens - 2.1g of fiber
• Carrots – three heaped tablespoons of carrots - 2g of fiber

Nuts

Good sources of fiber in nuts include:

• Almonds – 20 almonds - 2.4g of fiber
• Peanuts (plain) – a tablespoon of peanuts - 1.6g of fiber
• Mixed nuts – a tablespoon of mixed nuts - 1.5g of fiber
• Brazil nuts – 10 Brazil nuts - 1.4g of fiber

Breakfast Cereals

​Good sources of fiber in breakfast cereals include:

• All-Bran – a medium-sized bowl of All-Bran - 9.8g of fiber
• Shredded Wheat – two pieces of Shredded wheat - 4.3g of fiber
• Bran Flakes – one medium-sized bowl of Bran flakes - 3.9g of fiber
• Weetabix – two Weetabix - 3.6g of fiber
• Muesli (no added sugar) – one medium-sized bowl of muesli - 3.4g of fiber
  
• Porridge (milk or water) – one medium-sized bowl of porridge - 2.3g of fiber

Starchy Foods

Good sources of fiber in starchy food include:

• Crispbread – four crispbreads - 4.2g of fiber
• Pitta bread (wholemeal) – one piece (75g) - 3.9g of fiber
• Pasta – one medium portion of pasta (200g) - 3.8g of fiber
• Wholemeal bread – two slices of wholemeal bread - 3.5g of fiber
• Naan bread – one piece of naan bread - 3.2g of fiber
• Brown bread – two slices of brown bread - 2.5g of fiber
• Brown rice – one medium portion of brown rice (200g) - 1.6g of fiber

So what's so important about Fiber?

By including a range of fiber sources in our daily and weerkly intake we get access to both soluble and insoluble fiber types. 

Soluble fiber dissolves in the water in your digestive system. It helps to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood. If you have constipation, gradually increasing sources of soluble fiber can help soften your stools and make them easier to pass.

Insoluble fiber doesn't dissolve in water. It passes through your gut without being broken down and helps other foods move through your digestive system more easily. Insoluble fiber keeps your bowels healthy and helps prevent digestive problems.

In general, a diet with adequate fiber helps to prevent heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, some cancers and improves digestive health. It is an excellent dietary focal point for many intestinal problems due to its ability to cleanse and flush the system, particularly for conditions such as Diverticulosis - check out our article on Diverticulitis, Juices and Smoothies for more on this.

​But don't suddenly start eating loads to make up for lost time! A sudden increase in fiber intake is a one way ticket to some heavy flatulence. Don't say we didn't warn you!