10 Fiber Rich Foods to Include in Your Diet

Every nutritionist, doctor, and even the internet these days will tell you to include foods rich in fiber in your diet. Why is everyone insisting on increasing your fiber intake? Is it imperative for your body? The short answer-yes!

Fiber is an essential nutrient, keeping our digestive system healthy. It helps you have regular bowel movements and softer stools. That can help keep inflammation & diabetes at bay. Fiber can also help you achieve your weight loss goals, as our body takes time to digest dietary fiber. Thus, it keeps you full for a long time. Fiber-rich foods for constipation or diarrhea can help resolve these issues. (If there are no underlying issues). That is why it is so essential to have fiber-rich foods every day.

So, what are fiber-rich foods that you should include in your diet? And what types of fiber are there? Let's read about these two things below.

Fiber and its type

Fiber is a complex carb that is indigestible, thus making it imperative for our body. It is of two types:

Soluble fiber: It is a fiber that dissolves in water and creates a gel-like substance. That helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels in your body. Chia seeds are a rich source of soluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber: It passes through your body undigested, which helps create bulk, adding to stool. It makes your bowel movement softer and more regular. Wholegrain foods are rich in insoluble fibers, like wheat pasta or bread or ragi pasta and more.

10 Fiber Rich Foods include in your daily diet

1. Pears

In a medium-sized pear, you get 5.5 grams of fiber. Including this in your diet does increase your intake of fiber, and since it is a relatively sweet and nutritious fruit, most people enjoy it. It’s best to eat it raw. However, if you don’t like it that way, try taking it with oatmeal or yogurt.

Do not mix it with refined flour, as that defeats the purpose of including pears- a fiber-rich food in your diet. 

2. Chia seeds

Chia seeds are tiny black seeds that are full of nutrients. When you start including natural chia seeds in your diet, it can make a massive difference. One of the readily available fiber-rich foods in India, chia seeds have 34.4 grams/100 grams of fiber in them. Also, chia seeds are a rich source of calcium, protein, & antioxidants.

There are many ways to include chia seeds in your diet:

• Add them to water and drink
• Use them to make laddu
• Make chia seeds pudding or use them to make protein bars at home

3. Broccoli

Broccoli is a great vegetable to add to your diet. It is a cruciferous vegetable, which serves around 5 grams of fiber in one cup. The fiber in it is good and helps the healthy gut bacteria thrive. It is also a versatile vegetable that you can, either, eat after boiling with pepper & salt. Or cook with other dishes like pasta or vegetable spread.

4. Flax seeds

Flax seeds are an old-school remedy that people use in India. For years, many people take flax seeds either whole or ground with lukewarm water early in the morning. It is not only a fiber-rich food in India, but also has other properties like keeping your skin healthy and glowing.

In 100 grams of flax seeds, you get 27 grams of fiber. That means daily, eating one tbsp of ground flax seeds gives you 1.9 grams of fiber. That is a good number, and you should eat it daily, either with water. Or by adding it to your oatmeal, smoothie, or making laddus out of it. However, don’t consume more than 1 tbsp a day as it is hot for the digestive system.

5. Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is full of nutrients, and it does have 3.1 grams of fiber per one bar. The important thing here is to find dark chocolate peanut butter that has less sugar. Also, the amount of cacao should be between 75% to 95%.

6. Oats

One of the healthiest foods rich in fiber is oats. It has 10.1 grams of fiber per cup. It is a grain that you cook in multiple ways, providing you with essential nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants. The beta-glucan (fiber) in it helps lower blood pressure levels too. 

Make sure you buy natural rolled or instant oats and not processed ones. Oatmeal with fruits or overnight oats or making oats pancakes is a great way to include this grain in your diet.

7. Black beans

All beans are super-rich in fiber. Beans are the best fiber-rich for constipation, and you should include them in your meals. Make tacos or use cooked beans in your salad to get 8.3 grams of fiber per half-cup. They are also rich in protein, making them great for weight loss and building muscles.

8. Raspberries

Who doesn’t love raspberries? They are a great addition to your morning smoothie or oatmeal bowl. Another reason to include them in your diet is due to their high content of fiber. It has 8 grams of fiber in one cup, which will undoubtedly help you reach your daily intake of fiber.

9. Chickpeas

Chickpea is a legume, and like most legumes, it is a food rich in fiber. It has around 7 grams of fiber per 100 grams. If you eat it cooked, per cup has 12.5 grams of fiber. It also has protein and other nutrients which keep you full. You can make hummus using chickpea or make a chickpea salad. It is also a great snack where you can roast it in the oven, mix spices to it, and enjoy in-between meals.

10. Lentils

All lentils are high in protein and fiber. When eating fiber-rich foods in India, people rely on lentils. If you cook them, you get 13 grams of fiber per cup.

Research says that every day, women need 24 grams of fiber and men 38 grams. However, studies show that most people eat only 16-18 grams of fiber. That is not sufficient for having a healthy gut. Modern diet culture and stress also do not help this situation. Thus, include foods rich in fiber in your diet as it is a natural way to eat more fiber. Fiber-rich foods for weight loss or constipation can be the remedy you were looking for all this time.