Why do we need to include fiber in our regular diet? Many of you wonder where this obsession to recommend the inclusion of foods rich in fiber in the diet comes from. Well, it turns out that fiber is one of the elements that most contributes to improving the functioning of the body , through the regulation of intestinal transit. Therefore, knowing which foods contain the most fiber is important to improve our diet and provide our body with what it needs.
For experts, the minimum recommended daily intake of fiber is 25-30 grams. However, according to various studies, Spaniards did not achieve this recommendation on average , remaining 30% below it. In order for you to reach that minimum, take note of the 12 foods that contain the most fiber to introduce into your diet.
Why Eat More Fiber Foods
When you take fiber, you add substrate to the bacterial flora that is responsible for diluting the intestinal content and obtaining the nutrients . This is so since this bacterial flora of the intestine absorbs the water and fixes the cations. With this, intestinal transit is more fluid, which causes abdominal pressure to be lower. The result: you ward off constipation .
As for hunger, fiber is known to have a powerful satiating component, in such a way that it helps you control your appetites and, by extension, body weight. It also has an effect on blood glucose or sugar or the level of cholesterol in it.
Insoluble fiber vs soluble fibers
Not all types of fiber have the same qualities or the same effects on our body. On the one hand, we have soluble fibers, which are responsible for attracting water from food and turns into a gel during digestion. This slows down the digestive process. We find this type of fiber in oats, nuts, seeds, lentils, peas and in some fruits and vegetables.
On the other hand, insoluble fibers are responsible for promoting transit in the intestine , and we find them in celery, broccoli, lettuce or wheat bran. So, what are the foods richest in fiber that have to be in a balanced diet yes or yes?
12 foods rich in fiber that you should have in your diet
Fiber is a type of nutrient found mostly in plant food sources.
The cereals
The seeds of almost all cereals are covered by a husk known as bran. This is the component that fiber has . And cereals contain a good proportion of it, since there is also a contribution of fiber in the grain. Some tasty cereals that you can already introduce into your diet are:
Wheat bran
It is one of the cereals that generates the most fiber contribution: between 35 and 53% of its weight. You can find it in various formats that will make it easier for you to include them in the main diet. For example, at breakfast. And the chocolate bars that include wheat bran in their ingredients? Fiber is also present in these types of combinations.
Whole bread
It has a low fiber content – approximately 6-8% of its weight-, but it is one of the foods with the most flavor, and that almost everyone likes. Since it is a very healthy food, it can be incorporated into our diet at any meal (from breakfast to dinner).
Brown rice
Unlike white rice, brown rice contributes 3% of its weight in fiber , which makes it very interesting as a garnish or as a main dish.
Legumes
It is one of the most accepted conventionalities of food: legumes are one of the foods that contribute the most fiber to a balanced diet. Especially those that are dried legumes. It can be eaten in a stew, in stews, in salads, and they also have the advantage that they are a very economical food. Among the legumes, the ones that provide the most fiber are the following:
Beans or white beans
Within the Mediterranean diet, dried white beans are one of the foods with the most fiber: nothing more and nothing less than 21% of their weight in fiber. So much so that, when cooked, they double in volume. This is due to the water they absorb, water that will be used by our body in the digestive process.
Pea
With 16% of their weight in fiber, peas are one of the most versatile legumes: you can include them as a main dish, as a condiment in a stew or as a secondary ingredient in other dishes.
The lentils
They could not miss the lentils, one of the foods that contains the most fiber (49.7% of its weight). You can cook many recipes.
The chickpeas
Among legumes, it is one of the lightest types in terms of fiber content (15% of its weight). In his case, its greatest attraction is not so much the fiber as the mix between it and the amount of protein it contributes to the body.
Vegetables and high-fiber vegetables
In the world of vegetables there are also some foods that have a higher proportion of fiber that are interesting to introduce into our diet.
Artichokes
In addition to providing 10% of its weight in fiber, artichokes are one of the foods most used to cleanse the body, as well as helping to control and reduce cholesterol .
The spinach
Spinach is one of the foods that contains the most fiber in relation to weight-contribution to the standard diet. With their 3% fiber weight, they also contain iron to strengthen muscles.
Fruits and nuts
Fruits are best known as a food rich in vitamins, sugars, and water. What many people do not know is that they also contain a good percentage of fiber that is absorbed by the body. Both nuts and seasonal fruits are very easy to introduce into the diet.
Dried fruits
Dried fruits are one of the food groups that contains the most fiber for our body. Specifically, figs, plums and dried apricots that have undergone a total drying process are an important element in the diet due to their high fiber content.
This also includes dried dates that are sold in greengrocers and large supermarkets. However, in the case of dates, you have to be careful, since they are also rich in sugars.
Nuts
Nuts are good for the cardiovascular system , yes, but some nuts might also stand out as many of them are rich in fiber and vitamins.
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachio stand out for their contribution in fiber and the caloric power you have (do not forget that they provide a significant proportion of proteins). Its benefits do not stop there, since they contain fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6, which are essential acids for our body.
Pickles
Olives, gherkins and pickles in general are one of the foods that contain the most fiber and that few know about, despite being one of the most common snacks in Spanish homes and bars.
With these 13 foods rich in fiber that you can include in your diet and their combinations, you will achieve a more balanced, healthy and varied diet with which you can meet the goal of 25-30g of fiber intake.
