When we talk about weight losing or healthy eating, fiber is always one of the favorite and best choices. Fiber makes you feel full when you need to feed up your stomach longer. There are two different types of fiber — soluble and insoluble.
- Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion. This slows digestion. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables. It is also found in psyllium, a common fiber supplement. Some types of soluble fiber may help lower risk of heart disease (MedlinePlus).
- Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. It adds bulk to the stool and appears to help Both are important for our health, digestion, and preventing diseases. The benefits are from efficient to bowel movement (digest system), to reducing the risk of stroke, hypertension, and heart diseases.
So, do you have enough of it? And what are the foods that contain fiber in our daily food?
Here are some foods that contain high fiber, low fiber, or somewhat fiber:
- Fruits: bananas, oranges, apples, mangoes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, avocados, pears, fig
- Vegetables: dark color vegetables (such as: broccoli, collard greens, Swiss chard, spinach, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, Kales), peas, sweet potatoes
- Beans & Legumes: split peas, lentils, black beans, lima beans
- Breads & Grains: dark rye, cracked wheat, pumpernickel, bulgur wheat, brown rice, wild rice, barley, bran flakes, oats
Most of the bread or grains on the store shelves are labeled with their ingredients, or their nutrition facts. Select the most suitable ones for your purposes and health.
5. Nuts/Seeds: Almonds, chia seeds, pistachios, walnuts
- food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines (MedlinePlus).
FYI: in a “Today’s Dietitian” article (The Top Fiber-Rich Foods List), lists the top fiber-rich foods as reference when choosing foods that suit your needs/purposes.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also provides The US Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020 to the US-style eating patterns to the public.
The chart below is from the US Dietary Guidelines:
References:
- MedlinePlus: Soluble vs. Insoluble fiber
- Today’s Dietitian: The Top Fiber-Rich Foods List
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: The US Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020
- Mayo Clinic: Chart of high-fiber foods
- Metamucil: High-Fibre Foods
- Today’s Dietitian: The Top Fiber-Rich Foods List
- eatthis.com: The 43 Best Foods for Fiber
