Here is some quick and handy info on fiber.
My rule of thumb is that when buying items is, I dont buy it if it says 'enriched' in the first five ingredients, there are exceptions but far and few between. Many foods claim to be 'whole wheat, whole grain' etc etc but they are processed, then nutrients vitamins etc added back by 'enriching'. The enriched type of fiber speeds through your digestion much quicker and adds only a fraction of the benefit of 'true' fiber.
Did you know a belly full of fiber will literally bind with the fat and hold onto some of it through the digestive process thus it never gets processed and added to your waistline? Seriously I'm not making this up.
Here are some resources--happy fiber eating!
Top 10 Sources of Fiber
Beyond bran cereal: Many foods are fiber-rich
By Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature
Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
Fiber helps you lose weight, and here's why. "It fills your belly, it acts like a sponge, it's slower to be digested and absorbed, so it makes you feel full," says WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Dietitian Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD. "It also provides bulk, which aids elimination, and it helps lower blood cholesterol."
So where's the fiber?
1. Beans. Think three-bean salad, bean burritos, chili, soup.
2. Whole grains. That means whole-wheat bread, pasta, etc.
3. Brown rice. White rice doesn't offer much fiber.
4. Popcorn. It's a great source of fiber.
5. Nuts. Almonds, pecans, and walnuts have more fiber than other nuts.
6. Baked potato with skin. It's the skin that's important here.
7. Berries. All those seeds, plus the skin, give great fiber to any berry.
8. Bran cereal. Actually, any cereal that has 5 grams of fiber or more in a serving counts as high fiber.
9. Oatmeal. Whether its microwaved or stove-cooked, oatmeal is good fiber.
10. Vegetables. The crunchier, the better.
Fiber
Fiber is the structural part of plant foods that can not be digested by humans. The total fiber of a food consists of two types: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.
INSOLUBLE FIBER
• Found in vegetables, wheat, and cereal
• May be beneficial for:
• Constipation
• Prevention of colon cancer and diverticular disease
• Slowing the absorption of glucose
SOLUBLE FIBER
• Found in fruits, oats, barley, and legumes
• May be beneficial for:
• Lowering cholesterol
• Slowing the absorption of glucose
A total fiber daily intake of at least 20-30 grams is recommended.
Fiber Content of Selected Foods
Grains Total Fiber (g) Soluble Fiber (g)
Bran, Wheat, dry ¼ cup 6 Trace
Barley, cooked ½ cup 4 1
Bulgur, cooked ½ cup 4 1
Spaghetti Noodles Whole Wheat 1 cup 4 1
Wheat Germ, Ready to eat ¼ cup 4 1
Cracked Wheat, cooked ½ cup 3 Trace
Multigrain, or Granola Bread 1 slice 2 Trace
Rice, Brown, cooked ½ cup 2 Trace
Spaghetti Noodles 1 cup 2 1
Whole Wheat Bread 1 slice 2 Trace
White Bread 1 slice 1 Trace
Legumes and Nuts Total Fiber (g) Soluble Fiber (g)
Lentils, cooked ½ cup 8 1
Lima Beans ½ cup 7 3
Beans, baked ½ cup 6 3
Kidney Beans ½ cup 6 3
Navy Beans ½ cup 6 2
Pigeon peas, cooked ½ cup 6 1
Green Peas, cooked ½ cup 4 1
Peanuts, dry roasted ¼ cup 3 1
Walnuts ¼ cup 2 Trace
Filberts, raw 10 nuts 1 Trace
Fruits Total Fiber (g) Soluble Fiber (g)
Pear, fresh 1 large 5 3
Apple, fresh 1 medium 4 1
Blueberries, fresh 1 cup 4 Trace
Plum, fresh 5 small 4 2
Strawberries, fresh 1 cup 4 1
Apricot, fresh 3 fruits 3 1
Banana, fresh 1 medium 3 1
Orange, fresh 1 medium 3 1
Apricot, dried 5 half 2 1
Cherries, fresh 10 fruits 2 Trace
Dates 3 fruits 2 Trace
Peach, fresh 1 medium 2 1
Prune, dried 3 fruits 2 1
Raisins, ¼ cup 2 Trace
Cantaloupe ¼ medium 1 Trace
Grapefruit ½ medium 1 1
Grapes, fresh, without seeds 20 fruits 1 Trace
Pineapple, fresh ½ cup 1 Trace
Vegetables Total Fiber (g) Soluble Fiber (g)
Parsnips, cooked ½ cup 4 2
Carrots, cooked ½ cup 3 1
Brussels sprouts, cooked ½ cup 3 2
Potato, baked with skin 1 medium 3 1
Spinach, cooked ½ cup 3 1
Squash, Winter, cooked ½ cup 3 2
Beans, string ½ cup 2 1
Cabbage, cooked ½ cup 2 1
Cauliflower, cooked ½ cup 2 Trace
Corn, cooked ½ cup 2 Trace
Sweet potato, baked ½ medium 2 1
Turnip, cooked ½ cup 2 1
Broccoli, cooked ½ cup 1 1
Kale, cooked ½ cup 1 1
Squash, Summer, cooked ½ cup 1 Trace
Tomato, raw 1 medium 1 Trace
Zucchini, cooked ½ cup 1 1
Cereals Total Fiber (g) Soluble Fiber (g)
Fiber One ½ cup 14 1
All-bran 2/3 cup 13 1
All-bran with extra fiber ½ cup 13 1
100% Bran ½ cup 12 1
Bran Buds 1/3 cup 12 3
Raisin Bran ¾ cup 6 1
Bran Flakes, without Raisins ¾ cup 5 Trace
Complete Bran Flakes ¾ cup 5 Trace
Wheat Chex 2/3 cup 5 1
Bran Chex, Multi 2/3 cup 4 Trace
Grape-Nuts Flakes 1 cup 4 1
Nutri-Grain-Golden Wheat ¾ cup 4 Trace
Oatmeal 1 cup 4 2
Total 1 cup 4 1
Cheerios 1 ¼ cup 4 1
Frosted Mini-Wheats 4 pieces 4 1
Basic 4 ¾ cup 3 1
Complete Oat Bran Flakes 2/3 cup 3 1
Cracklin’ Oat Bran 1/3 cup 3 Trace
Mueslix, Raisin, Almond, Dates ½ cup 3 1
Shredded Wheat 2/3 cup 3 Trace
Granola, low fat with raisins ½ cup 3 1
Grape-Nuts ¼ cup 2 Trace
Heartland Granola ¼ cup 2 1
Just Right Fruit and Nut ¾ cup 2 Trace
Smart Start 1 cup 2 Trace
Wheaties 1 cup 2 1
Corn Flakes 1 ¼ cup 1 Trace
Smacks ¾ cup 1 Trace
Special K 1 1/3 cups 1 Trace
