Highest Fiber Food Chart [Free Download]

“Highest Fiber Food Chart [Free Download]” was written by Mitzi de Maa. Edited/reviewed by Katie Dodd, MS, RDN, CSG, LD, FAND. Mitzi is a dietetic intern based out of Florida.

Highest Fiber Food Introduction

Have you been wondering what foods are highest in fiber? In this article you will learn all about the health benefits of fiber, what a day of high fiber meals looks like, and tips on how to get more fiber into your diet.

Plus, we are including a free PDF of our highest fiber food chart so you can print it and share it with loved ones.  

A Fun Fiber Fact

Did you know populations that consume more dietary fiber have less chronic disease? (1) This shows us some of the great benefits of a high fiber diet.

Let’s learn more about how beneficial fiber is and what the highest fiber foods are.

What is Fiber?

Fiber is a carbohydrate found in plants that cannot be digested by the human body.

This means that it passes through the body without being digested (basically unchanged). However, this does not mean that it does not leave a trace of health benefits which we will learn about in this article.

Fibers are divided into two categories, soluble and insoluble (2). Many high fiber foods contain both types of fiber.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fibers dissolve in water during digestion and form a gel that helps slow down digestion and makes you feel fuller for a longer period of time. 

Benefits of Soluble Fiber:

• Slows down digestion
• Lowers blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels
• It feeds our good gut bacteria which can lower inflammation in the body (2).

Examples of Soluble Fiber:

• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Onion
• Artichoke
• Bananas
• Berries
• Apples
• Pears
• Legumes
• Oats
• Barley

Insoluble Fiber 

Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water but absorb it. And as a result, forms bulkier stools which help prevent constipation. 

Benefits of Insoluble Fiber:

• Helps move food through your digestive system (and in turn help you go to the bathroom with more regularity)
• Prevents and treats constipation

Examples of Insoluble Fiber:

• Whole grains
• Wheat
• Bran
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Cauliflower
• Green beans
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Berries

Benefits of a High Fiber Diet

There are many benefits of a high fiber diet, including:

• Reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases by reducing blood cholesterol (3)
  
• Treatment and prevention constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticulosis
  
• Increased satiety which can help with weight management
  
• Feeding our good gut bacteria which can lower inflammation in the body
  
• Slows down the body’s absorption of glucose (sugar) which is helpful for conditions like diabetes 

Daily Fiber General Recommendations

Fiber Fact:

Did you know that most Americans consume 15 grams of fiber on average every day?

This is less than half of the recommended amount for men ages 18-50 and 10g under the recommended amount for women ages 18-50 (4). 

A Day Eating the Highest Fiber Foods

Below you will find an example of what a full day of high fiber meals looks like. 

High Fiber Breakfast

Cereal bowl with a high fiber cereal

A cereal bowl for breakfast can be packed with fiber!

You can get 18g of fiber from ⅔ cup of Fiber One cereal and 4g of fiber from ½ cup of raspberries. Make sure to add your milk of choice and enjoy your breakfast! 

Learn more at our article: The Ultimate List of Cereals that are High in Fiber.

High Fiber Snack

Popcorn with apple slices

You can get 4g of fiber from 3 cups of air-popped popcorn and 5.4g of fiber from 1 large apple with its skin.

High Fiber Lunch

Vegetable lentil soup

A homemade or store-bought vegetable lentil soup is a delicious and satisfying lunch.

This soup can provide 8g of fiber from ½ cup of cooked lentils and approximately another 4g of fiber from the vegetables in the soup (cooked carrots and green beans, for example).

High Fiber Snack

Hummus with carrots

This delicious snack provides 1.83g of fiber from 2 tablespoons of hummus and 3.6g of fiber from 1 cup of raw carrots.

High Fiber Dinner 

Chicken fajita tacos with guacamole and pico de gallo

2 whole-wheat tortillas have approximately 8g of fiber, ⅓ of a medium avocado provides 3g of fiber and 1 cup of pico de gallo has approximately 1g of fiber.

Important Fiber Recommendations

• It is important to start introducing high fiber foods in our daily diet slowly to avoid bloating, gas or distention.
  
• Water and fiber are good friends! Water helps fiber pass smoothly through our digestive tract so make sure to drink enough fluids when eating high fiber foods.  

Which Foods are Highest in Fiber?

To recognize how much fiber we are getting from a certain food we can look at the nutrition facts label in the back of the product to understand more.

As an example, let’s take the nutrition facts label of chia seeds which is a food high in fiber and packed with nutrients:

According to the nutrition label above, we see that 2 tablespoons (24 grams) of chia seeds provide 8g of Dietary Fiber (as shown in the pink circles).

This is an excellent amount of fiber considering the daily recommendations described above. 

If you are interested in learning more about how much fiber each food product has, you can always look at the nutrition facts label.

Remember to pay attention to the serving size to know exactly how much fiber that exact serving size contains.

Highest Fiber Food Charts (by food group)

The tables below are referenced from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines (5)

Highest Fiber Fruits

Highest Fiber Vegetables

Highest Fiber Beans

Highest Fiber Cereals

Highest Fiber Grains

Highest Fiber Seeds and Nuts

Highest Fiber Food Chart [Free Download]

As promised, here is the Highest Fiber Food Chart so you can print it and put it in your fridge, take it grocery shopping, and share it with your loved ones! 

CLICK HERE to download your free copy. 

If you’re interested in knowing the list of low fiber foods, check out our Low Fiber Food List Free Download. 

Practical Tips To Eat More Fiber

Now that you know the highest fiber foods, you may think, “but how can I actually apply this knowledge in my life?”

Here are some practical tips that you might find helpful to start adding more fiber-rich foods to your daily diet!

1. Add chia seeds to your yogurt, toast, salads, or smoothies. 

Chia seeds are a powerhouse. In just 2 tablespoons you can get 8g of fiber! They have a mild flavor and can be added to foods such as yogurt, toast, salads, or smoothies. 

2. Add beans to soups or salads 

As you learned above, beans are fiber-packed and can be paired with many different foods. An easy way to eat more beans in your daily diet is by adding canned beans to soups or salads. You can store cans in the pantry and use them at your convenience.

3. Snack on fruits and nuts

Feeling hungry in between meals? Don’t hesitate to get a snack to give your body the energy it needs. A great way to add more high fiber foods into your day is by snacking with high fiber options.

For example, you can make a plate with apple slices with the skin, whole-grain crackers, and hummus.

4. Make more smoothies

Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to pack nutrients into one drink.

To make your smoothie more fiber-licious, add vegetables, berries such as frozen raspberries or blueberries, chia seeds, and flax seeds. 

Remember: Although it may feel like you are making small changes, every little step forward is positively impacting your health and they add up in the long run. Each step counts!  

Conclusion: Highest Fiber Food Chart 

We hope that after reading this article you feel inspired and empowered to start eating more fiber-rich foods every day.

Don’t forget to download your Highest Fiber Food Chart HERE. 

References

1. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Health Implications of Dietary Fiber. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(15)01386-6/fulltext. Accessed March 24, 2022. 
2. Soliman GA. Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1155. Published 2019 May 23. doi:10.3390/nu11051155
3. Facts about fiber. IFAS Extension University of Florida. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FY849. Accessed March 24, 2022. 
4. Farvid, Eliassen, E C, X L, WY C, Willett. Fiber. The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/#:~:text=Fiber%20helps%20regulate%20the%20body%27s,%2C%20whole%20grains%2C%20and%20beans. Published October 28, 2019. Accessed March 24, 2022. 
5. Food Sources of Dietary Fiber | Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Dietaryguidelines.gov. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials/food-sources-select-nutrients/food-0. Published 2022. Accessed March 28, 2022.