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40 Fiber-filled Foods to Buy at the Grocery Store

  • Apr 12
  • 3 min read

After posting my list of healthy & convenient grocery store foods last week, I thought we'd keep the lists going!


One of my favorite things to talk about with my clients (or anyone who will listen) is fiber. It's arguably the best thing we can consume for everything from maintaining a healthy gut microbiome to maintaining healthy blood levels of cholesterol.


If you want to talk more about why fiber is important and how you can lower your cholesterol by increasing the fiber in your diet, I'd love to chat with you about that! Don't hesitate to reach out to me here.


If you just want the bullet points, here you go:

  • Fibers are generally classified as soluble and insoluble, meaning it can or can't dissolve in water. These two fibers play different parts in our gut; feeding our microbiome or making sure we stay regular. The gut microbiome piece is important considering it can dictate the efficacy of our immune system and regulate our mood.

  • Fiber binds to blood cholesterol, eventually passing the excess in our stool. When someone comes to me for high cholesterol, first we add fiber.


So, what grocery store foods are highest in fiber?


Let's start with whole foods first!

Fruits

  • Raspberries (1 cup) = 8 g fiber

  • Pear (1 medium) = 5.5 g fiber

  • Apple (1 medium) 4.5 g fiber

  • Banana (1 medium) 3 g fiber

  • Orange (1 medium) 3 g fiber

  • Strawberries (1 cup) 3 g fiber


Vegetables

  • Green peas (1 cup) = 9 g fiber

  • Broccoli (1 cup chopped) = 5 g fiber

  • Turnip greens (1 cup) = 5 g fiber

  • Brussels sprouts (1 cup) = 4.5 g fiber

  • Potato, with skin, baked (1 medium) = 4 g fiber

  • Sweet corn, boiled (1 cup) = 4 g fiber

  • Cauliflower, raw (1 cup chopped) = 2 g fiber

  • Carrot, raw (1 medium) = 1.5 g fiber


Grains

  • Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked (1 cup) = 6 g fiber

  • Barley, pearled, cooked (1 cup) = 6 g fiber

  • Bran flakes (3/4 cup) = 5.5 g fiber

  • Quinoa, cooked (1 cup) = 5 g fiber

  • Oatmeal, instant, cooked (1 cup) = 4 g fiber

  • Popcorn, air-popped (3 cups) = 3.5 g fiber

  • Brown rice, cooked (1 cup) = 3.5 g fiber

  • Bread, whole-wheat, generic (1 slice) = 2 g fiber

  • Bread, rye (1 slice) = 2 g fiber


Legumes/Nuts/Seeds

  • Split peas, boiled (1 cup) = 16 g fiber

  • Lentils, boiled (1 cup) = 15.5 g fiber

  • Black beans, boiled (1 cup) = 15 g fiber

  • Cannellini, Navy, Great Northern beans, canned (1 cup) = 13 g fiber

  • Chia seeds (1 ounce) = 10 g fiber

  • Almonds (1 ounce, about 23 nuts) = 3.5 g fiber

  • Pistachios (1 ounce, about 49 nuts) = 3 g fiber

  • Sunflower kernels (1/4 cup) = 3 g fiber


In addition to the above, here are some of my personal favs!


Dietitian tip: If you want to increase your intake of fiber, I recommend doing it slowly! Check this list to see how many of these foods you already eat. If it's not many, I recommend increasing your fiber intake by no more than five grams per week. If you are really low in the fiber department, I suggest starting as low as 3 grams weekly for the first few weeks.


Why? An increase in fiber is great for your digestive system, but a drastic change can cause discomfort. By increasing your intake slowly, you are giving your body time to adjust, keep fluids in balance and minimize gas and bloating. Don't forget to also make sure you're drinking 2-3 liters of water per day.



 
 
 

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