Dietary fiber — found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes — is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. But high fiber foods can provide other health benefits as well, such as helping to maintain a healthy weight and lowering your risk of diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.
Selecting tasty foods that provide fiber isn't difficult. Find out how much dietary fiber you need, the high-fiber foods , and how to add them to meals and snacks.
What is Fiber ?
Fiber is a blanket term that applies to any type of carbohydrate that your body can't digest.
High-Fiber Food Benefits :
Maintains bowel movements: Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool.
Lowers cholesterol levels : Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels.
High Fiber foods Controls blood sugar : In people with diabetes, fiber — particularly soluble fiber — can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Helps live longer : Studies suggest that increasing your dietary fiber intake — especially cereal fiber — is associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and all cancers.
Weight Loss : Fiber-rich foods not only fill you up faster and keep you satisfied longer, they also prevent your body from absorbing some of the calories in the foods you eat. "Fiber binds with fat and sugar molecules as they travel through your digestive tract, which reduces the number of calories you actually get.
Fruits
Whole fresh fruits are extremely nutritious and healthy in no small part to being high in fiber.
Banana
Orange
Apple
Vegetables
Vegetables are arguably the healthiest of all the food groups and are a great source of fiber.
Potato
Kale
Carrots
Spinach
Beans
Dry Fruits
By weight, dried fruit contains up to 3.5 times the fiber, vitamins and minerals of fresh fruit.
Apricot
Fig
Dates
Fast-Food
Opting for foods that are grilled or baked rather than fried can significantly reduce the calories and fat in your meal.
Whole wheat bread sandwich
Baked Potato
Potato Chips
How can I add more
fiber to my diet?
Eat a minimum of three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit every day.
Include fruits, vegetables, or both with every meal.
Eat pulses (the seeds of plants in the legume family), such as beans, lentils, and peas, at least three times a week.
Rely on nuts, seeds, and fruit for snacks.
Replace refined grains like white rice with whole grains like brown rice, wild rice, or bulgur.
Check nutrition fact labels for the amount of dietary fiber.