42 High-Fiber Foods for Constipation, Weight Loss, and Gut Health (PDF Chart)

While we don’t always count our calories and carbs, Ryan and I do like to track our daily fiber.

More so than any other metric, we believe that fiber is the differentiator between a healthy and unhealthy diet. Why? Fiber is essential to our overall health — digestive and otherwise — and most of us are deficient.

To be exact, nearly 97% of Americans are deficient in fiber. This article will help you write your high-fiber grocery list and discover new fiber-rich foods to add to your diet.

high-Fiber foods for Digestion and weight loss

While fiber is best known for managing our digestive systems and bolstering our gut microbiomes, its health benefits go far past that. Here’s why our high-fiber food chart is so important.

Studies have shown that adding more fiber to your diet lowers the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer while promoting weight loss. That’s why fiber is one of the numbers we ask you to track in our popular (and free) 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge.

The weight loss benefits of fiber were best shown in a study out of the University of Massachusetts, Worcester.  Adults who consumed 30 grams of fiber a day, without making any other lifestyle change, lost 5 pounds!

In another fascinating study out of Pomona College, two groups of adults ate the same calories and macro ratios of fats, proteins, and carbs. The only difference is that one group’s meals contained fiber-rich foods while the other group’s didn’t.

At the end of the study, they measured their metabolic energy expenditure (aka how many calories were burned), and the group that ate fiber-rich foods metabolized double the calories!

What is Fiber?

When people talk about dietary fiber, they’re referring to foods that your body doesn’t absorb. This means, that, unlike fats and carbs which can be used as energy, fiber passes through your whole digestive system intact. Proteins can also be used as energy, but mainly are used to build and repair tissues and cells.

That’s why people say they’re doing a fiber “sweep,” as if their wheat bran is sweeping clean their small intestine. And that’s not too far from the truth.

There are two main types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Ideally, your diet includes both, and most foods (including those on our High-Fiber Foods Chart) also contain portions of both.

Insoluble fiber

In our wheat bran example, think of it as insoluble fiber.

The bran sweeps through the digestive system like a broom, collecting indigestible material stuck in the gastrointestinal tract, and gathering it into stool. It doesn’t dissolve in water, doesn’t contribute to your calorie intake, and essentially comes out in the same form as when it came in.

Soluble fiber

Soluble fiber is soluble in water and other bodily fluids (like those in your stomach). Once dissolved, it turns into a gel-like substance that your large intestine’s gut bacteria love to feast on, releasing a small amount of calories and the gas associated with high-fiber foods.

The benefits of consuming soluble fiber include weight loss, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Gas is good

A quick note about gas: Many people avoid high-fiber foods because it makes them gassy. Congratulations. You’re human.

Outside of certain medical conditions, this is generally a strong signal that your body, on the contrary, needs these foods!

The more fibrous foods you eat, the less gas you’ll experience as your gut kicks into high gear. So, power through it but perhaps ramp up more slowly, and in a few short weeks your body should get used to it. If you experience gas or have a history of constipation, read our article titled, ‘What Poop Says About Your Health.’

Also, have you looked into probiotics? There are 7 clear signs that your gut needs them.

How Much Fiber Should I Be Eating?

According to the Institute of Medicine, adult men should consume 38 grams of fiber if under the age of 51, and at least 30 grams if older.

For women, 25 grams of daily fiber is the target, unless over the age of 51, and then you should shoot for 21 grams.

Even our 1-year-old daughter should be eating at least 14 g of fiber a day! When in doubt, opt for more by writing your grocery list alongside our High-Fiber Foods Chart.

The goal of this article is to list which foods have the highest fiber so that you can plan to get 30 grams of fiber a day. Everything you need is included here, but if you’d like a printable PDF list and access to us for support, sign up through the form below.

Download The High-Fiber Foods Chart

This printable list of high-fiber foods is perfect for digestive health and weight loss. The fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are listed in rough order from most to least, judging how much is likely to be eaten in one sitting. Download and print the PDF template as your guide.

High Fiber Foods Chart

While many foods contain both insoluble and soluble fiber, you can think of insoluble fiber foods such as bananas, rice, leafy greens, oats, fruit skin (like apples and pears), potatoes, nuts, flaxseeds, and whole grains.

A few examples of soluble fiber-predominant foods are beans, most fruits, lentils, Brussels sprouts, avocados, chia seeds, broccoli, asparagus, and chickpeas.

Below is a high-fiber foods chart for constipation, overall health, and weight loss. We’ll list which foods are high in dietary fiber according to their nutrition facts on MyFitnessPal so that you can maximize your fiber health at every opportunity.

We list them from highest to lowest (although all of them are great sources of fiber!) and in the portions that we think are most realistic when sitting down for a meal.

All of these foods are natural sources of dietary fiber, but you can always consider “fiber-fortified” products — often seen in breads — to up your fiber game.

List of high-fiber foods

1) Yellow Split Peas – Legume
0.5 cups = 22 g

2) Oat Bran – Grain
1 cup = 22 g

3) Black Beans – Legume
1 cup = 17 g

4) Buckwheat – Grain
1 cup = 17 g

5) Lentils – Legume
1 cup = 16 g

6) Sorghum – Grain
1 cup = 13 g

7) Garbanzo Beans – Legume
1 cup = 12 g

8) Edemame – Legume
1 cup = 12 g

9) Prunes – Fruit
1 cup = 12 g

10) Pinto Beans – Legume
1 cup = 11 g

11) Avocado – Vegetable group (botanically a fruit)
1 (med) = 10 g

12) Lima Beans – Legume
1 cup = 10 g

13) Green Peas – Vegetable group if fresh (botanically a legume)
1 cup = 9 g

14) Acorn Squash, cubed – Vegetable group (botanically a fruit)
1 cup = 9 g

15) Guava – Fruit
100 g = 8 g

16) Meta Mucil – Supplement
1 tbsp. = 9 g

17) Sunflower Seeds – Seed
0.5 cups = 8 g

18) Collard Greens – Vegetable
cooked 1 cup = 8 g

19) Raisin Bran Cereal –  Mostly grain
1 cup = 7 g

20) Whole Wheat Pasta – Grain
1 cup = 6 g

21) Pears – Fruit
1 (med) = 6 g 

22) Peanuts – Nut
0.5 cups = 6 g

23) Pumpkin Seeds – Seed
0.5 cups = 6 g

24) Barley – Grain
1 cup = 6 g

25) Swiss Chard – Vegetable
cooked 1 cup = 5 g

26) Apples – Fruit
1 (med) = 5 g

27) Heart of Palm – Vegetable
0.5 cups = 5 g

28) Raspberries – Fruit
0.5 cups = 5 g

29) Artichoke Hearts – Vegetable
1 cup = 4 g

30) Carrots – Vegetable
1 cup = 4 g

31) Bulgur Wheat – Grain
0.5 cups = 4 g

32) Flax Seeds – Seed
ground 2 tbsp. = 4 g

33) Beets – Vegetable
1 cup = 4 g

34) Orange – Fruit
1 (med) = 3 g

35) Strawberries – Fruit
1 cup = 3 g

36) Mango – Fruit
1 cup = 3 g

37) Russet Potato – Starchy Vegetable
1 (med) = 3 g

38) Bananas – Fruit
1 (med) = 3 g

39) Pistachios – Nut
0.25 cups = 3 g  

40) Corn – Vegetable
1 cup = 3 g

41) Brussel Sprouts – Vegetable
1 cup = 3 g

42) Wild Rice – Grain
1 cup = 3 g 

Closing Thoughts on High-Fiber Foods That Are healthy

With this healthy high-fiber foods list and a few tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be able to add a lot more healthy fiber to your day. It’s truly essential to your overall health, and we hope that this makes it easier to map out your week’s fiber.

Don’t forget to check out our other food lists, such as:

Zero Calorie Food List for Weight Loss

Healthy and Cheap Grocery List

If you have any questions please leave us a comment below!

Download The High-Fiber Foods Chart

This printable list of high-fiber foods is perfect for digestive health and weight loss. The fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are listed in rough order from most to least, judging how much is likely to be eaten in one sitting. Download and print the PDF template as your guide.