Question: My doctor recommended that I follow a high fiber diet. What foods are high in fiber and low in fat?

Answer: The average American only consumes about 11 grams of fiber each day. This number is half the amount of what is recommended. The health experts suggest eating 20-30 grams of fiber each day to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease and to keep your digestive system running smoothly.

Increasing your fiber intake is easier than you may think. Just keep in mind that when you increase your fiber intake to also increase your fluid intake. If you increase your fiber too fast without enough fluid, you may experience some discomfort.

The first place to start when increasing your fiber intake is to determine which foods are high in fiber. Foods that are excellent sources of fiber include: fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and bran cereals. The list below provides the average grams of fiber per serving for different foods:

Foods that contain 3 grams of fiber or more per serving:

Apple (with skin) – 1 medium

Pear (with skin) – 1 medium

Orange – 1 medium

Baked Potato with Skin – 1 medium

Raspberries – ½ cup

Bran muffin – 1 medium

All Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran Cereals – 1/3 cup

Lima, kidney, pinto beans (cooked) – ½ cup

Foods that contain 1-2 grams of fiber per serving:

Banana – 1 medium

Peach – 1 medium

Strawberries – ½ cup

Blueberries – ½ cup

Raisins – ¼ cup

Dried apricots – ¼ cup

Spinach, raw – 1 cup

Broccoli (cooked) – ½ cup

Cauliflower (cooked) – ½ cup

Peas (cooked) – ½ cup

Carrot – 1 medium

Whole wheat bread – 1 slice

Oatmeal – ¾ cup

Popcorn (air-popped) – 1 cup

Whole wheat spaghetti – 1 cup

Tomato – 1 medium

Great ways to increase your fiber:

•           Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Sprinkle some raisins on top for extra fiber.

•           Choose a bran cereal for breakfast or a snack and top with bananas and strawberry slices.

•           Have a bran muffin for a snack.

•           Add beans to a salad.

•           Make a sandwich on whole-wheat bread and serve it with vegetable soup.

•           Cut up fruit and make a fruit salad.

•           Enjoy popcorn for a snack.

•           Add vegetables to pastas and pasta sauces.

•           Have raspberries with low-fat milk for a great dessert.

•           Make a side of red beans and rice for a meal.

•           Toast a whole-wheat English Muffin or bagel.

•           Enjoy fresh fruit for a snack: banana, orange, apple, peach, pear, cantaloupe, or watermelon.