How Much Fiber Do You Need for a Healthy Diet?

A balanced diet should include an adequate amount of fiber rich foods to maintain a healthy body.

The question is how much fiber do you need each day for a healthy diet?    

On average, a person may consume around 14 grams of fiber a day, which is considerably less than some guidelines recommend. For example, if an average diet consists of 2,500 calories a day, and for every 1,000 calories you should have 14 grams of fiber, than you should consume approximately 35 grams of fiber, as well. These variables can change, however, according to diet and gender.

The average amount of fiber recommended for a man 50 years old or younger, is generally 38 grams. On the other hand, if you are a woman, 50 years old or younger, the general recommended amount of fiber is between 20-25 grams.

Which foods contain the most fiber?

Fiber is in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. There are of course some food sources that contain higher amounts of fiber than others.

• Flax Seed

This is one of the best and healthiest sources of fiber. In fact, two tablespoons of ground flax seed can provide 4 grams of fiber. Flax seed contains approximately 12 % insoluble fiber, and 14 % soluble fiber. The difference between soluble and insoluble fiber is that soluble fiber produces a gel when it is combined with liquid, and insoluble fiber doesn’t.

• Split Peas

Vegetables are a great source of fiber, but this vegetable in particular, has an amazing amount of fiber, since one cup of split peas contains around 16 grams of fiber.

• Beans

These legumes are also high in fiber, with red kidney beans as one at the top of the list. One cup of boiled red kidney beans contains about 13 grams of fiber. Black beans have around 9.7 grams of fiber in 1/2 cup. 1/2 cup of cooked navy beans contains about 9 grams of fiber.

• Bran and other whole grain products

These whole grains are loaded with healthy fiber for you. For example, 2 slices of bran bread may contain around 7 grams of fiber, and 2 slices of whole wheat bread contain 6 grams of fiber.

• Fruit

It may be surprising but there’s great news for fig lovers, since only 3 whole figs can deliver around 12 grams of fiber. Other fruit may not contain as much fiber as figs but are also a good source of fiber.

• Sweet Potato

One cooked sweet potato can provide you with 6 grams of fiber. Other vegetables, such as carrots and broccoli, can also provide a good source of fiber, with 1/2 cup of carrots providing 3 grams of fiber, and 1/2 cup of broccoli providing 2 grams.

• Nuts

Another wonderful source of fiber is nuts, in fact, 1/4 cup of almonds gives you 4 grams of fiber, while 1/4 cup of walnuts gives you 2 grams of fiber. 

• Whole Wheat Pasta

One cup of whole wheat pasta can give you about 5.7 grams of fiber, and one whole wheat English Muffin has about 3.7 grams of fiber.

A healthy diet should include the recommended amount of fiber that you can obtain from a variety of nutritious foods, including fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts.