Foods High in Dietary Fiber

Fiber is a valuable food for body function…

Eating a balanced diet which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals will give you adequate fiber and help to promote a healthy life-style.

Dietary fiber is the indigestible part of plants that has a definite benefit in treating and preventing constipation. Eating more foods which are high in dietary fiber has also been linked to preventing and treating other health problems such as colon cancer and diverticular disease, but evidence is incomplete and inconclusive at this time.

Fiber is in many foods…

Dietary fiber occurs naturally in all plant foods including grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, peas and beans. People in developed countries generally eat fewer foods with dietary fiber, mainly because they eat less cereal grain. Although fiber adds no real nutrients to the body, it does play an important role in the diet.

Foods which are high in fiber include: peas and beans; fresh, raw fruits and vegetables (especially sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes cooked in their skins); end whole rain breads and cereals. Bran, one of the most common types of dietary fiber, is found in whole grain breads and cereals. Cereals that are one hundred percent bran usually have about seven grams of fiber per ounce. Cereals with bran in the name contain less, but they do have more fiber than do other cereals.

Eating a balanced diet which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals will give you adequate fiber and help to promote a healthy life-style.

For more information on foods high in dietary fiber, contact your local county Extension office.