🌾 Foods Highest in Dietary Fiber — TOP 30(per 100g)
Supports digestive health and helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. FDA Daily Value: 28g.
1–30 of 4,078 foods
What Dietary Fiber Does
Dietary fiber is the part of plant carbohydrate that human enzymes cannot break down. It slows glucose absorption, feeds gut bacteria, adds stool bulk, and is consistently linked with lower cardiovascular and colorectal disease risk.
The ranking is led by isolated plant fractions — corn bran at 79g per 100g, seed gums at 77.3g, dried cloud ear fungus at 70.1g. Bran and gums are ingredients; dried fungi are rehydrated before eating.
For meals, cooked legumes are the reliable workhorses: small white beans 10.4g, kidney beans 9.3g, pinto beans 9.0g, black beans 8.7g per 100g. Whole grains, vegetables, and fruit fill in the rest.
Daily intake reference (FDA Daily Value)
FDA Daily Value: 28g per day. US average intake sits closer to 15g, making fiber one of the most consistently under-consumed nutrients in the American diet.
Getting Enough Dietary Fiber
One cup of beans does most of the work
A cup of almost any cooked legume delivers roughly 15g of fiber — over half the Daily Value from a single side dish, plus about 15g of protein alongside it.
Increase gradually and drink water
A sudden jump in fiber commonly causes bloating and gas. Raise intake over a couple of weeks and keep fluid intake up, since fiber works partly by holding water.
Keep the skins and the whole grain
Peeling produce and refining grain both strip fiber. Whole-wheat bread carries 6.0g per 100g against about 2.7g for white; a potato with skin beats one without.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber?
A. Soluble fiber dissolves into a gel, slowing digestion and helping lower LDL cholesterol — oats, barley, legumes, and apples are rich in it. Insoluble fiber adds bulk and speeds transit — wheat bran, whole grains, and vegetable skins supply it. Most plant foods contain both.
Q. Which everyday foods are highest in fiber?
A. Cooked legumes lead: small white beans 10.4g, kidney beans 9.3g, black beans 8.7g per 100g. Then whole grains, raspberries and pears, avocado, and most vegetables.
Q. Do fiber supplements work as well as food?
A. They can help with regularity, but isolated fiber does not carry the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that come packaged with whole plant foods. Food first is the sensible default.
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Data source: USDA FoodData Central (Public Domain) — fdc.nal.usda.gov