Top 10 Foods Highest in Fiber

Photo of Daisy Whitbread Written by Daisy Whitbread
BSc (Hons) MSc DipION
Photo of Dr. Patricia Shelton Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Patricia Shelton
Evidence Based. References sourced from PubMed.
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Top 10 Foods Highest in Fiber

Dietary fiber, also known as "roughage," is an essential nutrient required for proper digestion of foods, good gut health, and helping you feel full. (1)

Health benefits of fiber include reduced blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and a decreased risk for stroke, diabetes, and various gastrointestinal diseases. (1)

High fiber foods include beans, lentils, avocados, chia seeds, acorn squash, green peas, collard greens, broccoli, oranges, and sweet potato. The current daily value (DV) for dietary fiber is 28 grams. (2)

Below is a list of high fiber foods, for more, see the extended lists of fiber rich foods, vegetables high in fiber, fruits high in fiber, beans high in fiber, and grains high in fiber.

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Printable list of the top 10 foods high in fiber including beans, lentils, avocados, chia seeds, acorn squash, green peas, collard greens, broccoli, oranges, and sweet potato. The current daily value (DV) for dietary fiber is 25 grams.

Extended List of Fiber Rich Foods

FoodServingFiber
1. Mamey Apple per fruit 91% DV
(25g)
2. Passion-Fruit (Granadilla) per cup 88% DV
(25g)
3. Sapodilla per fruit 46% DV
(13g)
4. Mamey Sapote 1 cup chopped 34% DV
(9g)
5. Natto (Fermented Soybeans) per cup 34% DV
(9g)
6. Durian per cup chopped 33% DV
(9g)
7. Guavas per cup 32% DV
(9g)
8. Bulgur (Cracked Wheat) per cup 29% DV
(8g)
9. Edamame (Green Soybeans) per cup 29% DV
(8g)
10. Taro Root per cup 24% DV
(7g)
11. Persimmon per fruit 22% DV
(6g)
12. Dried Coconut per oz 17% DV
(5g)
13. Bran per tablespoon 6% DV
(2g)

How much fiber do you need each day?

The daily value (DV) for fiber is 28 grams per day. (2) This is the amount shown on food labels to help the average person compare the health benefits of different foods. However, for many people, this amount is actually too low.

The adequate intake (AI) is a more accurate daily target, and varies by age and gender. The AI for fiber is up to 38 grams per day. (3) We've included the specific values below for various groups below, so you can determine what your personal target should be.

The average American consumes far less than the DV for fiber, let alone the AI for their demographic group. (4)

Here is the breakout of the adequate intake by age and gender for fiber: (3)

Life StageRDA
Children
1-3 years old19g
4-8 years old25g
Males
9-13 years old31g
14-50 years old38g
50+ years old30g
Females
9-18 years old26g
19-50 years old25g
50+ years old21g
Pregnancy
14-50 years old29g
Lactation
14-50 years old29g
Extensive research has been done to determine how much fiber is needed to provide protection against cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and other serious health concerns. This research shows that men need more fiber than women in order to get the maximum health benefits, which is why the AI targets are higher for men. (3)

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that\'s found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It\'s more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily food log.

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.


View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. Health benefits of dietary fiber.
  2. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
  3. FDA on Daily Values
  4. Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes
  5. Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes Details
  6. Thomas M. Barber, Stefan Kabisch, Andreas F. H. Pfeiffer and Martin O. Weickert The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre Nutrients. 2020 Oct; 12(10): 3209.
  7. FDA on Daily Values
  8. Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes
  9. Diane Quagliani, MBA, RDN, LDN and Patricia Felt-Gunderson, MS, RDN, LDN Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap Am J Lifestyle Med. 2017 Jan-Feb; 11(1): 80–85. Published online 2016 Jul 7. doi: 10.1177/1559827615588079
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