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High-Fiber Diet

What Is It?

Fiber can't be digested by humans. All plants have it, such as fruits, veggies, grains, and beans and peas. It is often put into two types:

The soluble type draws water into the gut. It can help slow digestion. Some of foods that are high in it are oatmeal, oat bran, barley, beans and peas, apples, and strawberries.
The insoluble type speeds digestion. It can also add bulk to the stool. Some of foods that are high in it are whole-wheat products, wheat bran, cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes.

Why Should I Eat This Way?

You may be told to eat this way so you don't get constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and colon cancer.

Eating like this can also help your cholesterol levels, lower your risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, and lower your weight. For people with type 1 or 2 diabetes, it can also help steady blood sugar levels.

How Much Should I Eat?

You should eat 20-35 grams a day. Most people eat only 15 grams per day.

Start Off Slow

It can take your body time to get used to eating more of these foods. If you don't start off slow, you may have gas, cramping, belly swelling, and loose stools. Add these foods slowly. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids each day.

Tips to Eat More

Choose whole grains over refined grains.
Add lots of grains to your eating plan, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, quinoa, and bulgur.
Eat more vegetarian-based meals. They can be black bean burgers, eggplant lasagna, and veggie tofu stir-fry.
Choose fruits, popcorn, whole-grain crackers, and nuts when you need a snack.
Make whole-grain cereal or whole-grain toast part of your daily breakfast.
When eating out, whether ordering a sandwich or dinner, ask for extra veggies.
When baking, replace part of the white flour with whole-wheat flour. Whole-wheat flour is very easy to add into a meal.

Foods You Should Eat

Food Type	List of Foods	Notes
Grains	Whole-grain breads, muffins, bagels, or pita bread Rye bread Whole-wheat crackers or crisp breads Whole-grain or bran cereals Oatmeal, oat bran, or grits Wheat germ Whole-wheat pasta and brown rice	Read food labels. Look for products that list "whole" as the first item (whole-wheat, whole oats). Choose cereals with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.
Veggies	All veggies, such as asparagus, bean sprouts, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, greens, green beans, green pepper, onions, peas, potatoes (with skin), snow peas, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini	Eat the peels of fruits and veggies—just be sure to wash them well first.
Fruits	All fruits, such as apples, berries, grapefruits, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, peaches, pears, dried fruits (figs, dates, prunes, raisins)	Choose raw fruits and veggies over juice, cooked, or canned. Dried fruit is also a good source.
Milk	Dairy foods have little fiber. Yogurt with inulin has it, though.	Add more by topping your yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit, whole grain or bran cereals, nuts, or seeds.

Meats and Beans	All beans and peas, such as garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, split peas, and pinto beans All nuts and seeds, such as almonds, peanuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, peanut butter, walnuts, sesame and sunflower seeds All meat, poultry, fish, and eggs	Add pinto beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, bran, or oatmeal to meat dishes. If you are on a low-fat diet, limit nuts and seeds.
Fats and Oils	Limit	Fats and oils do not have fiber.
Snacks, Sweets, and Condiments	Fruit Nuts Popcorn, whole-wheat pretzels, or trail mix made with dried fruits, nuts, and seeds Cakes, breads, and cookies made with oatmeal or whole-wheat flour	Most snack foods do not provide much fiber. Choose snacks with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

RESOURCES:

Eat Right—Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
http://www.eatright.org

Nutrition.gov—US Department of Agriculture
http://www.nutrition.gov

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

REFERENCES:

Colorectal cancer prevention. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/prevention/colorectal-cancer-prevention. Accessed February 4, 2021.

Dietary, functional, and total fiber. National Institute of Medicine website. Available at: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10490&page=339. Accessed February 4, 2021.

Fiber. The Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center website. Available at: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/other-nutrients/fiber. Accessed February 4, 2021.

Last reviewed December 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN Last Updated: 2/4/2021

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