Healthy Diet - Best Fiber Rich Foods

Dietary fiber is an essential nutrient of our daily diet that is required for proper digestion of food, proper functioning of digestive system and make you feel full for longer. In recent times, the question what are the best fiber rich foods is becoming very important.

We consume lots of refined food products like white bread, pasta and rice. Refined ingredients get clogged in the colon and hence cause grief, flatulence and restricted bowel movement. So, high fiber foods are essential to keep colon healthy. On an average a women requires 25g of fiber and men require 38g of fiber daily. Deficiency of fiber leads to constipation, hemorrhoids, and elevates level of sugar and cholesterol in blood. On the other hand excess of fiber leads to bowel obstruction, diarrhea and dehydration. So if you increase the intake of fiber then you should increase the intake of water as well.

Here we list some of the top fiber rich foods:

• Bran: Bran is high in fiber and a good source of iron and magnesium. Bran is found in whole grain breads, oats, brown rice, corn and barley. Consuming a quarter cup of whole grains gives u 2 to 6 grams of fiber. You can include oats in your breakfast along with fresh fruits, rotis or brown rice in your meals, etc.


• Vegetables: Vegetables like spinach, sweet potato, cabbage, turnips, potato, beans, pumpkin, lady finger, etc. are a rich source of fiber. You get two to eight grams of fiber by consuming these vegetables. Eat lots of raw vegetables and vegetable salad to get the fiber.


• Seeds and Nuts: Nuts and seeds are always a good option to be consumed as snacks between the meals. Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, groundnuts and seeds such as flax seeds, roasted sesame seeds are a good source of fiber. 28 grams of seeds and nuts provides you from one to eight grams of fiber.


• Fruits: Berries like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries are a rich source of fiber. One cup of berries can provide four to eight grams of dietary fiber. You can have fruits as such or as Greek yogurt fruit salad or as snacks. Other fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, banana, figs, melons, peaches, prunes, etc. are also good source of dietary fiber.


• Beans: White, navy, kidney, navy beans are another good source of fiber. Indian kitchen is legume friendly and the legume that is best source of fiber is Bengal gram or chana. Green peas are also a good source of dietary fiber. One cup of these beans or legumes can provide 14 to 18 grams of fiber. The legumes are a rich source of proteins and vitamins as well.

Include these top sources of fiber in your daily diet and keep your digestive system healthy.