The power of apples extends beyond their ability to provide an energy surge from carbohydrates, promote good health through antioxidants, and boost immunity with vitamin C; it also lies in their fiber content. What sets this macronutrient apart?
Apart from its role in maintaining regular bowel movements, dietary fiber is an impressive hunger tamer. By creating a feeling of satiety, regulating the rate at which other foods are digested, and stabilizing blood sugar levels to sustain consistent energy levels throughout the day, high-fiber foods effectively minimize the occurrence of hunger pangs. This can be immensely beneficial for those striving to shed extra pounds.
As an additional advantage, specific types of dietary fibers can attach themselves to harmful substances, such as cholesterol, aiding in their elimination from your body. The outcome?
A reduced risk of heart disease and an extended lifespan! While apples are incredibly beneficial, they’re not the sole means by which you can enhance digestive regularity and satisfaction, crucial for targeting fat loss. In fact, we’ve discovered a range of underappreciated superfoods that surpass apples in delivering this waistline-trimming element.
To ensure fair comparison, we maintained a consistent, standard serving size for each food. Presented below are some of the finest sources of dietary fiber, arranged in order from those with lower nutrient density to those with the highest potency.
The next time you’re shopping, consider stocking up on these items to stay on course with your body-related objectives. It’s worth noting that while these foods are rich in fiber, they aren’t the only fiber-packed options that promote health.
The “best prebiotic foods” we’ve highlighted might not boast exceptionally high fiber content, but they do contain a type of fiber—prebiotic, soluble fiber—that has been scientifically proven to enhance gut health. This, in turn, has links to making the process of weight loss even more achievable.
The Standard: An Apple
Fiber Payout: 4.4 grams per medium apple, with skin
Apples serve multiple purposes – not only do they offer a convenient on-the-go snack option but they also possess remarkable fat-fighting properties.
Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN emphasizes their significance as a beneficial choice for those with diabetes and insulin resistance due to their high fiber content that effectively slows down spikes in blood sugar levels.
It is crucial to retain the apple’s skin while consuming it as this simple action increases dietary fiber intake from a mere 2.1 grams to a more substantial amount for an apple of the same size.
1. Russet Potato
Fiber Payout: 4.5 grams per medium Russet potato baked, flesh and skin
These maligned spuds are undeservedly singled out by critics of carbohydrates. Although they may be white and commonly associated with nutrient-deficient refined carbs, russet potatoes possess a few noteworthy qualities. To begin with, they provide a significant amount of satiating fiber.
In fact, a study conducted in Australia and published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition ranked potatoes as the most filling food on Earth. If that’s not enough to persuade you, these tubers also serve as an excellent source of B vitamins along with essential electrolytes such as potassium and copper.
2. Sweet Potato
Fiber Payout: 4.5 grams per medium baked potato, flesh, and skin
Why settle for Russets when you can go beyond? Increase your fiber intake by indulging in the skin of a thoroughly-cleaned sweet potato, which not only offers added health advantages but also boasts a rich supply of carotenoids. These antioxidants play a crucial role in stabilizing blood sugar levels, minimizing insulin resistance, and granting your skin an enviable natural glow.
3. Artichoke Hearts
Fiber Yield: Approximately 4.8 grams per ½ cup of cooked artichoke hearts.
Should you find yourself in a zealous culinary mood, feel free to embark on the journey of crafting this veggie brimming with antioxidants from scratch.
However, if your goal is a swift fiber infusion that requires no more time than twisting open a lid, we propose selecting the jarred iteration of artichoke hearts.
Introducing these hearts into your salads, pasta dishes, or chicken ensembles will grant you a tad under 5 grams of fiber within a half-cup serving, effectively taming those voracious hunger pangs.
4. Chickpeas
While chickpeas might not fulfill the role of a fiber superhero as we initially hoped, they unquestionably stand out as one of the most nourishing and adaptable legumes.
Integrate these peas into a quinoa bowl, incorporate a can into a curry, or transform them into creamy hummus or flavorful falafel through blending.
Regardless of your preference, it’s essential to moderate your intake to less than half a cup to avoid excessive calorie consumption. Fiber Content: 4.8 grams per ½ cup when cooked.
5. Whole-Grain Pasta
The fiber content fluctuates depending on the pasta’s form, as evident. To maximize the advantages, consider preparing whole grain spaghetti carbonara instead of simply drizzling marinara sauce over rotini.
Irrespective of your choice, whole grain pasta options provide no less than an additional 3 grams of this figure-friendly nutrient compared to their white flour counterparts.
- Rotini (cooked): 4.9 grams per cup
- Spaghetti (cooked): 6.8 grams per cup
6. Whole Grain Breads
Fiber Content: 4-5 grams per slice
Don’t fret. Adhering to a diet doesn’t imply you must bid farewell to the joy of a slice of bread. This is because not all breads are those highly processed, white carbohydrate bombs that frequently thwart your body goals.
Opting for whole grain bread, such as those from the selection of [Dave’s Killer Bread], offers a substantial supply of the brain-nourishing B Vitamin, folate, along with nourishing grains and seeds like barley and millet.
7. Rolled Oats
Fiber Content: 5 grams per ¼ cup (dry)
Rolled oats, quicker to cook than their steel-cut counterparts, remain a reliable source of dietary fiber. Just veer away from the instant variety, which is not only more thinly rolled but is also pre-cooked to break down the carbohydrates before consumption. These oats are a perfect addition to your overnight oats routine.
8. Steel-Cut Oats
Fiber Content: 5 grams per ¼ cup (dry)
Thick and coarse, steel-cut oats represent the least processed type of oats—crafted from whole oat groats that are roughly chopped into smaller fragments.
This places them closest to whole grains, resulting in the highest protein and fiber content among oat varieties. Oats contain both insoluble and soluble fiber, with the latter being especially beneficial.
Since our bodies can’t fully digest soluble fiber, it occupies space in your stomach without being absorbed into the bloodstream, leaving you feeling satiated without excessive calories. Furthermore, it acts as a prebiotic, nourishing your beneficial gut bacteria, which then ferment it into anti-inflammatory compounds.
9. Chia Seeds
A quick look at how chia seeds expand when added to puddings or smoothie bowls provides insight into their behavior within our digestive systems. These high-fiber foods expand in our intestines, contributing to a sense of fullness without the calorie load. Fiber Content: 5.1 grams per tablespoon.
10. Broccoli
Beyond its capacity to satiate and aid digestion, broccoli boasts an additional potent compound: sulforaphane. Despite its challenging pronunciation, its benefits are evident—the compound functions at a genetic level to effectively “turn off” cancer-related genes, leading to targeted elimination of cancer cells and a deceleration of disease progression.
To harness these advantages, combine broccoli with foods containing myrosinase, an enzyme that activates sulforaphane: options like mustard, horseradish, wasabi, or peppery arugula. Fiber Content: 5.1 grams per cup (cooked, chopped)
11. Quinoa
Fiber Payout: 5.2 grams per cup, cooked We know you’ve likely eaten this ancient grain in quinoa bowls, but did you know how much protein and fiber was packed into these little granules? You can see the fiber listed above, obviously, but get this: quinoa contains more protein than an egg.
12. Pear
A single medium apple, skin intact, provides a quarter of your daily fiber requirement. Fiber isn’t the sole reason why indulging in a pear can help suppress your appetite. This autumn fruit contains pectin, a soluble fiber that attracts water and forms a gel-like substance, slowing down digestion.
According to Jennifer Glockner, RDN, this property might aid in reducing blood cholesterol levels, along with lowering the risk of heart disease and colon cancer. Fiber Content: 5.5 grams per medium fruit, including skin
13. Parsnip
This root vegetable, found alongside carrots at your local grocery store, is ideal for crafting carrot-parsnip soup. The paler counterpart to Bugs Bunny’s favorite snack delivers a notable 5.6 grams of fiber per cup.
Incorporate it into soup or roast parsnips, similar to preparing potatoes. Fiber Content: 5.6 grams per cup, cooked and sliced
14. Pomegranate
While pomegranate stands out for its high fiber and antioxidant content among fruits, it’s important to be mindful of its sugar content. Half a pomegranate contains nearly 20 grams of sugar.
Consider pairing it with yogurt or using it as a topping for pork to benefit from its digestion-slowing protein. Fiber Content: 5.6 grams per seeds in ½ pomegranate
15. Pearled Barley
Enhance your favorite soups and stews by adding this nutritious grain, or feature it as a high-fiber side dish. Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, notes that barley’s 6 grams of fiber consists mainly of soluble fiber, associated with reduced cholesterol, improved blood sugar control, and increased satiety.
Additionally, barley boasts numerous health advantages, including reduced inflammation and stabilized blood sugar levels. Incorporate it into your lunch to stay on track during the challenging 3 pm slump. Pearled Barley Fiber Content: 6.0 grams per cup, cooked
16. Wheat Bran
Wheat Bran Fiber Content: 6.2 grams per ¼ cup
Renowned as a fiber powerhouse, wheat bran offers muscle-building protein and abundant bloat-fighting fiber. Derived from the dense outer hull of wheat grains, this slimming powder can be incorporated into muffins, waffles, smoothies, pancakes, or homemade bread to add a sweet, nutty flavor.
If you’re seeking relief from bloating, discover methods to address this concern. Wheat Bran Fiber Content: 6.2 grams per ¼ cup
17. Butternut Squash
Looking to enhance your vision? Opt for butternut squash, a fall vegetable rich in vitamins A, C, and E—essential antioxidants for maintaining healthy eyes.
Roast it and combine with arugula, quinoa, walnuts, and apple cider vinaigrette, or blend it into a soup with baked apples. Butternut squash’s versatility, particularly in terms of fiber content, won’t disappoint. Butternut Squash Fiber Content: 6.6 grams per cup, baked and cube
18. Avocado
Beyond being a source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, avocados provide a significant amount of fiber and more potassium than a banana. This well-rounded fruit is also rich in vitamin K, a micronutrient that supports bone health.
Incorporate a few avocado slices into your salad, spread them on toast, or create a chocolate avocado chia pudding for a satisfying mix of fiber, protein, and fats to keep hunger at bay. Avocado Fiber Content: 6.7 grams per ½ fruit
19. Teff
Lisa Moskovitz, RD, suggests that teff is gaining recognition as a superfood and might even outpace quinoa due to its complete amino acid profile.
Teff offers more protein than quinoa and is also a good fiber source, along with containing 30 percent of the daily recommended iron intake. Enhanced fiber and protein content contribute to better appetite control. Use teff to make porridge or prepare it similarly to risotto. Fiber Content: 7.1 grams per cup, cooked
20. Green Peas
While you might commonly use them for fried rice or chicken pot pie, knowing that green peas contain a substantial 7 grams of digestion-boosting fiber might change your perspective. Elevate these peas to the forefront of your dish.
Combine them with risotto and a hint of lemon zest, or sauté them with chicken broth, grated Parmesan cheese, and crispy prosciutto. Enhance your meal with one of these healthy chicken recipes. Fiber Content: 7.2 grams per cup, cooked
21. Blackberries
With more fiber than sugar, these antioxidant-rich blackberries make for a guilt-free snack that aligns with your weight-loss objectives. High in anthocyanins, a group of antioxidants also found in blueberries, blackberries offer protection against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cognitive decline.
Add them to salads, overnight oats, or blend them into smoothies to enjoy their benefits. Fiber Content: 7.6 grams per cup
22. Collard Greens
Collard greens, often associated with Southern cuisine, offer more health benefits than one might think. A study in Nutrition Research compared steamed collards to the prescription drug Cholestyramine and found that collards improved the body’s cholesterol-blocking process by 13 percent more than the drug did.
The credit partially goes to their high fiber content, which binds to bile acids in the digestive tract, aiding their excretion from the body. Fiber Content: 7.6 grams per cup, cooke
23. Lentils
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, legumes are standouts in the fiber department. Among them, lentils shine as one of the most well-rounded options. Experts applaud these tiny pulses for their ability to boost fat metabolism, reduce inflammation, curb appetites, and lower cholesterol.
What’s more, lentils offer resistant starch—a slow-digesting fiber that triggers the release of acetate, a gut molecule that signals the brain when it’s time to stop eating.
A favorite preparation involves sautéing a mix of onions, carrots, and celery, adding a touch of tomato paste, tossing in green lentils, and crowning the dish with seared wild salmon. Fiber Content: 7.6 grams per ½ cup, cooked
24. Raspberries
Don’t underestimate the power of these petite and absolutely delicious berries. Beyond their diminutive size, raspberries boast both low sugar content and the highest fiber count among popular fruits.
This high fiber content enhances feelings of fullness without any negative impact on your waistline. Enjoy them on their own, mix them into Greek yogurt, or pair them with an ounce of dark chocolate—the combination of fruit and cacao accelerates the release of butyrate, a compound produced in the large intestine that signals your fat-storage genes to take a break. Raspberries Fiber Content: 8.0 grams per cup
25. Edamame
Don’t let your aversion to squishy tofu or unwarranted concerns about soy affecting your physique discourage you from indulging in this protein and fiber-rich legume. Opt for a GMO-free pack of edamame! Beyond their notable fiber content, these beans are a wellspring of energy-boosting B-vitamins, all essential amino acids (making it a complete protein), and muscle-building protein.
Experts recommend enjoying lightly salted edamame after a challenging workout; their unique nutrient profile aids in replenishing energy reserves and promoting muscle growth, while the sodium aids in electrolyte replacement. Fiber Content: 8.1 grams per cup
26. Split Peas
The dried and halved counterparts of those little green spheres you may have pushed around your plate as a child, split peas provide even more fiber per serving. Utilize them in the timeless classic of split pea soup or experiment with them in various pulse-based recipes. Fiber Content: 8.1 grams er ½ cup, cooked
Frequently Asked Questions
What has more fiber than an apple?
An average medium-sized apple (about 182 grams) contains around 4 grams of fiber. If you’re looking for foods with more fiber than an apple, here are a few examples:
- Raspberries: One cup contains around 8 grams of fiber.
- Pears: A medium pear has about 6 grams of fiber.
- Avocados: Half an avocado has about 5 grams of fiber.
- Chia Seeds: Just one ounce (about 2 tablespoons) contains 10 grams of fiber.
- Sweet Potatoes: One medium-sized sweet potato (with skin) contains around 5 grams of fiber.
- Broccoli: One cup of cooked broccoli has about 5 grams of fiber.
What Nigerian food is high in fiber?
Most of the Nigerian food contains fiber, especially when it comes to grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Here are some traditional Nigerian foods that are high in fiber:
1. Beans (Ewa, Akara, Moi Moi)
- Beans are a fantastic source of fiber. They are commonly used in dishes like Ewa Agoyin (steamed beans), Akara (bean cakes), and Moi Moi (steamed bean pudding).
- One cup of cooked beans contains about 12-15 grams of fiber, depending on the type of bean.
2. Yam (with Skin)
- Yams are a staple in Nigerian diets. If you eat them with the skin on, they provide more fiber. Dishes like Pounded Yam or Yam porridge can be made with it.
- One medium-sized yam can provide around 4-5 grams of fiber.
3. Plantains
- Plantains are rich in dietary fiber, especially when they are not overly ripe (green plantains are higher in fiber). They’re typically used in dodo (fried plantains), plantain porridge, and plantain frittata.
- One medium plantain can have about 3-4 grams of fiber.
4. Cucumber
- Although often used as a salad vegetable, cucumber is quite high in fiber, especially when you eat the skin. It’s often eaten with Nigerian pepper sauce or as part of gala sandwiches.
- One medium cucumber can have around 2 grams of fiber.
5. Cassava (Garri, Fufu)
- Cassava in its unprocessed form contains fiber, and traditional dishes like Garri (fermented cassava) or Fufu (boiled cassava) retain some of that fiber. Fufu and Garri are staples often eaten with soups like Egusi or Efo Riro.
- 1 cup of cooked cassava can provide around 4-5 grams of fiber.
6. Spinach (Ewedu)
- Ewedu (a type of slimy green vegetable used in soups like Lagos-style Ewedu soup) is another great source of fiber and vitamins.
- 1 cup of cooked Ewedu contains about 2-3 grams of fiber.
7. Okra (Lady’s Finger)
- Okra is commonly used in Nigerian soups like Okra soup and Ibo-style vegetable soups. It’s a good source of fiber, and its slimy texture helps in digestion.
- One cup of cooked okra provides about 3 grams of fiber.
8. Fluted Pumpkin (Ugu)
- Ugu (fluted pumpkin leaves) is often used in soups like Ofe Onugbu (bitter leaf soup) and Edikang Ikong. It’s rich in fiber and contributes to digestion.
- 1 cup of cooked ugu leaves provides around 3-4 grams of fiber.
9. Tigernuts (Ofio)
- Tigernuts (or Ofio) are a great snack, often enjoyed as a traditional snack in Nigeria. They are rich in fiber and have a slightly sweet flavor.
- A 1-ounce serving of tigernuts contains about 5-6 grams of fiber.
10. Fruits like Papaya (Pawpaw) and Guava
- Guava is incredibly high in fiber, with one medium fruit providing around 5 grams of fiber. Papaya (Pawpaw) is also a good source of fiber, with 1 cup providing about 2.5-3 grams of fiber.
11. Moringa Leaves (Ewe Moringa)
- Moringa is highly nutritious and can be added to soups or smoothies. Moringa leaves are a good source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants.
- 1 cup of fresh moringa leaves provides about 2-3 grams of fiber.
How to Maximize Fiber Intake
For optimal fiber intake, you can mix and match these foods. For instance, you could enjoy beans with some plantains, or add spinach and okra to a hearty soup. Many Nigerian dishes are rich in both fiber and protein, making them excellent for digestion and overall health.