List of High Fiber Foods (Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grain Foods)

Dietary fiber refers to the cell wall components in plants: namely, pectin, beta-glucans,
hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, fructans, and gums. Therefore, all foods of plant origin such
as vegetables and fruits are sources of dietary fiber. The fiber content and composition,
however, varies depending on the plant part harvested for food, fruit or vegetable type,
maturity, and the growing environment of the plant.

For good health, the National Cancer Institute and American Diabetes Association
recommend daily consumption of high fiber foods. Both agencies suggest daily high dietary
fiber intake amounting to 20 – 35 g per day. The USDA 2005 dietary guidelines recommend 5
to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, and a minimum of 1.5 whole grain food servings (for
babies of 2 -3 years old) per day to meet our daily dietary fiber requirements. The number of
all fiber food servings increases with age. For a person of 9 years and older, the recommended
whole grain serving is 3 – 6 per day. Read this list of dietary recommended allowance (RDA)
for dietary fiber for all ages.

The following are examples of one dietary fiber servings.

Example 1: One fruit and vegetables fiber servings:

 a small glass of 100% fruit or vegetable juice (3/4 cup or 6 oz)

 a medium-size piece of fruit (an orange, small banana, medium-size apple)
 1 cup of raw salad greens
 ½ cup of cooked vegetables
 1/2 cup of cut-up fruit or vegetables
 1/4 cup of dried fruit
 1/2 cup of dried beans or peas

Example 2: Whole grain fiber servings :

 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cooked cereal

 1 ounce dry pasta, rice or other dry grain
 1 slice bread
 1 small muffin (weighing one ounce)
 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flake

Table 1: A list of high fiber food sources and estimates of their fiber content (listed high to
low). The chart includes top 50 foods high in fiber content from about 850 food products
analysed by the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory.

Fiber content
Dietary fiber food sources (g/100 g edible
food portion)
Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG,
29.33
KELLOGG'S ALL-BRAN Original
Bulgur, dry 18.29
Barley, pearled, raw 15.60
Oat bran, raw 15.43
Wheat flour, whole-grain 12.17
Beans, navy, mature seeds, cooked, boiled,
10.49
without salt
Buckwheat flour, whole-groat 10.00
Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled,
9.01
without salt
Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled,
8.72
without salt
Peas, split, mature seeds, cooked, boiled,
8.32
without salt
Dates, deglet noor 7.98
Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled,
7.88
without salt
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram),
7.62
mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked,
7.40
boiled, without salt
Cornmeal, degermed, enriched, yellow 7.39
Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow 7.30
Cornmeal, self-rising, degermed, enriched,
7.10
yellow
Lima beans, large, mature seeds, cooked,
7.02
boiled, without salt
Beans, great northern, mature seeds, cooked,
7.01
boiled, without salt
Beans, baked, canned, with franks 6.91
Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder,
southern), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, 6.51
without salt
Cowpeas (blackeyes), immature seeds,
6.41
frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, canned 6.41
Lima beans, immature seeds, frozen, baby,
6.00
cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Soybeans, mature cooked, boiled, without
5.99
salt
Candies, semisweet chocolate 5.89
Lima beans, immature seeds, frozen,
fordhook, cooked, boiled, drained, without 5.82
salt
Peas, green, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, 5.50
without salt
Artichokes, (globe or french), cooked, boiled,
5.42
drained, without salt
Refried beans, canned (includes USDA
5.32
commodity)
Cowpeas (Blackeyes), immature seeds,
5.03
cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Couscous, dry 5.03
Lima beans, large, mature seeds, canned 4.81
Beans, white, mature seeds, canned 4.81
Soup, bean with ham, canned, chunky, ready-
4.61
to-serve, commercial
Bulgur, cooked 4.51
Tomato products, canned, paste, without salt
4.50
added
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram),
4.42
mature seeds, canned
Raspberries, frozen, red, sweetened 4.40
Beans, baked, canned, with pork and sweet
4.19
sauce
Beans, baked, canned, plain or vegetarian 4.09
Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato
3.99
sauce
Chili con carne with beans, canned entree 3.92
Pears, asian, raw 3.60
Soup, bean with pork, canned, prepared with
3.40
equal volume water, commercial
High fiber foods list source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference,
Release 18 (2005).

Depending on the composition of the fiber in the food, that is the proportion of pectin,
hemicellulose, cellulose or lignin, he nutritional value and physiological effect of dietary fiber
foods can vary.

Vegetables harvested at younger growth stage are likely to contain higher pectin and
hemicellulose (soluble fibers) and less cellulose and lignin (insoluble fibers) than when
harvested at later growth stages. Generally, the concentration of the insoluble fiber
components increases with maturity of the vegetable or fruit, where as the reverse is true to
the soluble fiber components. Overall, the later the maturity of the vegetable or fruit at harvest
time, the higher is the total fiber content.

Dietary fiber can be partly digestible or completely indigestible by the bacteria in the colon.
The dietary fiber components that are partly digestible in the colon include pectin,
hemicellulose and cellulose. Lignin is not digestible at all by the bacterial enzymes in the
colon. Lignin also lowers the digestibility of the other fiber components.

High fiber foods generally contain low or zero contents of fat, especially saturated fatty acids
and cholesterol.

For health benefits of consuming high fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables and cereals, read:
Dietaty fiber food and health.