Fiber Facts: Why fiber is important Why is fiber important? Whole wheat, oatmeal, rye, cornmeal, sure to follow the directions and Including fiber in your diet is good for bulgur, barley, brown rice, and even drink enough fluids to remain your health in lots of ways. It can: popcorn are all whole grains. hydrated. • Reduce the risk of heart disease and A refined grain has been milled, so • Buy unprocessed foods when type 2 diabetes. only the middle layer (endosperm) is left. you can. Food processing often • Lower the risk of several forms of Milling removes much of the vitamins. removes fiber. cancer. “Enriched” flour has had some of the nutrients added back, but not the fiber. Read food labels • Improve cholesterol and blood Look for the “dietary fiber” content on pressure. How much fiber do I need? food labels. Good sources of fiber have • Help regulate your digestion. The American Heart Association at least 10% of the “percent daily value” • Help you feel fuller, so you may recommends between 25 and 38 grams for fiber. To find whole-grain foods, eat less. of fiber a day in a well-balanced diet. look for the words whole wheat or whole Since most people only consume about grain in the ingredient list. “Multigrain,” What is fiber? half that amount of fiber, try these “wheat,” and “enriched flour” do not Fiber is the part of plant foods that our suggestions to increase the fiber in mean whole grain. If you are eating bodies can’t digest or absorb. It is found your diet. gluten-free foods, be sure to check the in fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, label for fiber content. nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Adding more fiber to your diet There are 2 kinds of dietary fiber: • Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and Nutrition Facts Nutrition Facts Serving Size 2/3 cup (55g) insoluble and soluble. We benefit vegetables every day. Servings Per Container About 8 8 servings per container from both. Serving size 2/3 cup (55g) • Try more recipes with beans, peas, Amount Per Serving Soluble fiber comes from fruit, some barley, lentils, quinoa, bulgur, or Calories 230 Calories from Fat 72 Amount per serving vegetables, oats, beans, peas, lentils, brown rice. % Daily Value* Calories 230 Total Fat 8g 12 % and barley,. When mixed with liquid, it • Choose breads, cereals, tortillas, and % Daily Value* Saturated Fat 1g 5% forms a gel, which helps control blood Total Fat 10% crackers that list a whole grain as Trans Fat 0g 8g 5% sugar and reduces cholesterol. the first ingredient on the label. Cholesterol 0mg 0% Saturated Fat 1g Insoluble fiber comes from fruits, grains, • Sodium 160mg 7% Trans Fat 0g Make at least half of your grain Total Carbohydrate 12 Cholesterol 0% and vegetables. It adds bulk and acts like 37g % 0mg servings whole grains. Dietary Fiber 4g 16 % Sodium 160mg 7% a brush to clean out the colon. It helps • Add fiber to your diet slowly, over Sugars 1g Total Carbohydrate 37g 13% food pass through the digestive tract 2 to 3 weeks. If you add it too fast, Protein 3g Dietary Fiber 4g 14% more quickly and prevents constipation. Total Sugars 12g you may feel bloated or have gas Vitamin A 10% Includes 10g Added Sugars 20% pains. Vitamin C 8% Protein 3g What is a whole grain? Calcium 20% • Unless your doctor has told you not Iron 45% A whole grain has all three of its Vitamin D 2mcg 10% to, drink 6 to 8 cups of water and * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. original parts: Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on Calcium 260mg 20% other fluids a day to aid digestion. your calorie needs. • Calories: 2,000 2,500 Iron 8mg 45% The bran (fiber-rich outer layer). Total Fat Less than 65g 80g • If you eat wheat bran to keep Sat Fat Less than 20g 25g Potassium 235mg 6% • The endosperm (middle layer). Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg your bowels moving, start with Sodium Less than 2,400mg 2,400mg * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories • The germ (inner layer). Whole grains 1 teaspoon per meal. Increase slowly Dietary Fiber 25g 30g a day is used for general nutrition advice. are rich in nutrients, including fiber. to 2 to 4 tablespoons a day. If you use psyillium fiber supplements, be Note: The images above are meant for illustrative purposes to show how the new Nutrition Facts label might look compared to the old label. Both labels represent fictional products. When the original hypothetical label was developed in 2014 (the image on the left-hand side), added sugars was not yet proposed so the “original” label shows 1g of sugar as an example. The image created for the “new” label (shown on the right-hand side) lists 12g total sugar and 10g added sugar to give an example of how added sugars would be broken HEALTH EDUCATION out with a % Daily Value. Fiber Content of Foods Serving Dietary Serving Dietary Vegetables Size Fiber (g) Fruits Size Fiber (g) Artichoke hearts, cooked ½ cup 5g Apple, with peel 1 medium 3g * Asparagus, cooked ½ cup 2g * Apricots 1 medium 1g * Avocado ½ cup 6g Asian pear 1 medium 4g Baked potato with skin 1 medium 4g Banana 1 medium 3g Beets ½ cup 2g Cantaloupe ½ cup 1g Broccoli, cooked ½ cup 3g Cherries 10 medium 1g * Brussel sprouts ½ cup 3g Figs, raw 1 medium 1g Cabbage, cooked ½ cup 1g Honeydew ½ cup 2g Carrots, raw 1 medium 2g * Mango 1 medium 4g Cauliflower, cooked ½ cup 1g Nectarine 1 medium 2g Chinese mustard greens ½ cup 2g * Orange 1 medium 3g Corn, cooked ½ cup 2g Papaya ½ cup 1g Eggplant, cooked ½ cup 2g Peach, with skin 1 medium 2g Fennel, raw/sliced ½ cup 1g Pear, with skin 1 medium 5g Green beans, cooked ½ cup 2g * Prunes ½ cup 6g Lettuce, Romaine 2 cups 2g Raisins ½ cup 3g Onions, chopped ½ cup 1g Raspberries ½ cup 4g Peas, cooked ½ cup 4g Strawberries, sliced ½ cup 2g Serving Dietary Spinach, cooked ½ cup 4g Cereal * Sweet potato, cooked ½ cup 4g Size Fiber (g) All Bran (100%) cereal ½ cup 9g Swiss chard, cooked ½ cup 2g Cheerios 1 cup 4g Tomato, raw 1 medium 2g Granola 1 cup 3g Turnips, cooked ½ cup 2g Fiber One ½ cup 14g Zucchini, sliced ½ cup <1g Raisin Bran 1 cup 7g Serving Dietary Beans and Nuts size Fiber (g) Shredded Wheat 1 cup 6g Almonds ¼ cup 4g Wheat bran 2 tbs 3g * Black beans, cooked ½ cup 8g Wheaties 1 cup 3g Flaxseed, ground 2 tbs 4g Serving Dietary Grains Size Fiber (g) * Kidney beans ½ cup 8g * Barley, cooked 1 cup 6g Lentils, cooked ½ cup 8g Brown rice, cooked 1 cup 4g * Lima beans, cooked ½ cup 7g Rice noodles 1 cup 2g * Navy beans, cooked ½ cup 10g Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 5g * Peanuts ¼ cup 3g Pecans, chopped ¼ cup 3g Rye bread 1 slice 2g * Pinto beans, cooked ½ cup 8g Whole-wheat bread 1 slice 3g Pistachios ¼ cup 3g Whole-wheat english muffin 1 slice 3g * Soy beans (Edamame) ½ cup 5g Whole-wheat pasta, cooked 1 cup 4g * High in soluble fiber. Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Additional resources Visit your doctor’s home page at kp.org/mydoctor. Contact your Kaiser Permanente Health Education Center or Department for health information, programs, and other resources. This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. © 2006, The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Regional Health Education. 90346 (Revised 10/16) RL 4.5.