Is Fiber Important? YES!!!

Recommended Dietary Fiber Intake

Adults – 25 to 35 grams of total fiber (both soluble and insoluble) per day.
Children – 10 grams plus the child’s age. Example, an 8 year old child would need 10 grams + 8 years = 18 grams per day.

Remember… when increasing the fiber content of your diet, it’s best to take it slow. Add just a few grams at a time to allow the intestinal tract to adjust, otherwise, abdominal cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea or constipation may result. Drink at least 2 liters – 8 cups – of fluid daily.

Some high fiber foods include:

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta

14 grams – Fiber One bran cereal original – 1/2 cup
11 grams – Fiber One raisin bran clusters cereal – 1 cup
10.4 grams – All Bran cereal – 1/2 cup
10.4 grams – Bran Buds – 1/2 cup
6 grams – Spaghetti – whole wheat, with tomato sauce – 1 cup
5.6 grams – Spaghetti – whole wheat, with meat sauce – 1 cup
5 grams – Bran Flakes – 3/4 cup
4.4 grams – Shredded Wheat Spoon Size – 1 cup
3.4 grams – Cornbread 1 square – 2 and 1/2 inch
3 grams – Oatmeal – plain cooked – 3/4 cup
2.5 grams – Rice Brown – cooked – 1 cup
2.2 grams – Shredded Wheat – One large biscuit
2.2 grams – Wheat Thins – 6
2 grams – Bread, Whole wheat – 1 slice
1.4 grams – Graham Crackers – 2
1 gram – Corn flake cereal – insoluble – 1 cup
1 gram – Rice White – cooked – 1 cup
1.5 grams insoluble fiber and 0.5 grams soluble fiber – English muffin – 1

Fruits

4.6 grams – Raspberries – fresh or frozen – 1/2 cup
4 grams – Apple – raw – 1 medium
4 grams – Pear – raw – 1 medium
2 grams – Apple sauce – unsweetened – 1/2 cup
2 grams – Peach – raw – 1 medium
2 grams – Tangerine – raw – 1 medium
1.7 grams – Avocado – diced – 1/4 cup
1.5 grams insoluble fiber and 0.5 grams soluble fiber – Banana – 1 medium
1 gram – Strawberries – insoluble – 1/2 cup
1 gram – Raisins – 1 tablespoon
1 gram – Cranberry Sauce – whole, canned – 1/4 cup

Vegetables

6.8 grams – Yams – orange fleshed sweet potato, cooked or baked in skin – 1 medium (6 ounces)
6 grams – Squash – winter, cooked – 1 cup
3.1 grams – Sauerkraut – canned – 2/3 cup
3 grams – Squash – summer, cooked – 1 cup
3 grams – Squash zucchini – raw or cooked – 1/2 cup
3 grams – Corn – whole kernel canned – 1/2 cup
3 grams – Potato – 1 medium
2.5 grams – Broccoli – 1/2 cup
2.5 grams – Carrots – 1/2 cup
2 grams – Spinach – 1/2 cup
1.5 grams – Cabbage – 1/2 cup
1.5 grams – Cauliflower – 1/2 cup
1 gram – Asparagus – 4 spears
1 gram – Romaine lettuce – 1 cup
1 gram – Tomato – raw – 1

Legumes

8 grams – Kidney beans – 1/2 cup
8 grams – Peas- black eyed frozen – canned – 1/2 cup
7 grams – Garbanzo Beans – canned – 1/2 cup
6.5 grams – Baked beans – canned, plain – 1/2 cup
6 grams – Pork and Beans – canned – 1/2 cup
4 grams – Lima Beans – canned – 1/2 cup
4 grams – Peas – canned – 1/2 cup
2 grams – Green Beans – canned – 1/2 cup

Nuts and Seeds

3.1 grams – Almonds – 1 ounce
2.2 grams – Peanuts – 1 ounce
2 grams – Peanut Butter Creamy – 2 tablespoons
1.3 grams – Walnuts – 1 ounce
1 gram – Popcorn – 1 cup

Soluble fiber dissolves easily in water and takes on a soft, gel like texture in the intestines. Soluble fiber is not broken down until it reaches the large intestine where digestion causes gas (flatulence). Soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol and may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. You can get soluble fiber from oat bran, oatmeal, apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, cabbage, green peas, corn and legumes (dry beans, lentils or peas).

Insoluble fiber, often called roughage, provides the “bulk” needed for proper functioning of the stomach and intestines. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, and it passes essentially unchanged through the intestines and produces little gas. Insouble fiber helps move waste through the digestive tract decreasing the time that potentially harmful substances may stay in the colon. Insoluble fiber promotes healthy intestinal action and prevents constipation and intestinal disease. Insoluble fiber is found in whole grain breads and cereals and some vegetables. Examples of insoluble fiber include 100% whole wheat bread and 100% bran flakes, fruit with edible peels or seeds, and vegetables.

Nutrition Facts Label

The amount of fiber in foods is listed on the Nutrition Facts label on food products. Fiber is listed as Dietary Fiber, and the amount is given in grams (g) and Percent Daily Value. Nutrition facts labels list percentages that are based on recommended daily allowances – meaning the amount of nutrients a person should get each day.

These numbers tell you the Percent Daily Value that one serving of this food provides as a percentage of established standards. For example, a label may show that a serving of the food provides 30 percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber. This means you still need another 70 percent to meet the recommended goal. Percent Daily Value is based on a 2,000 calorie diet for adults older than 18.

Whole grains are a great source of fiber, and are infinitely better than refined grains from a nutritional standpoint.

Note:
The exact total fiber grams content is approximate due to other added ingredients in products, also, vegetables and fruits, because of its complexity and size of the “average” fruit or vegetable unit sold in stores.

Most internet information seems to vary from one site to the next. When shopping for food, look on all lables for exact fiber gram content.