High Fiber Food

OPH Good Housekeeping & Homemaking

A list of 25 high fiber food along with calorific values

When trying to understand the role that good housekeeping and homemaking plays in the running of a modern home we need not look any further than the provision of healthy nutritious meals for the family

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to enjoy. As we all know �a good army should never march on an empty stomach�, so neither should your clan. This goes to show you that cooking is an integral part of any good homemaker�s daily activities.

With this in mind I invite you to come with me on a pleasant journey to take a look at the role that high fiber food plays, or perhaps should play within your family�s dietary needs.

Right, are you ready? Yes? Let�s get started then.

Benefits of undertaking a high fiber food diet
There are numerous ways in which using high fiber food within your meals can be beneficial to your body; the three main ones are as follows.

A high fiber diet�

Aids regular bowel movements � This means that extra fiber is an excellent dietary addition for family members suffering from constipation; who are irregular; or are suffering from hemorrhoids; as you now, if this is the case it can be a real pain in the backside!

Can reduce cholesterol levels � Anyone at risk from heart disease or who is suffering from heart related problems should really aim to increase their daily fiber intake, especially with foods which contain soluble fiber, this is down to the fact that the variety of fiber in question has the power to reduce LDL cholesterol. Foods which contain high levels of soluble fiber include Oats, barley strawberries, oat bran, peas, beans, and rice.

On the other hand insoluble fiber contained in foods such as wholemeal bread, rye, barley, cabbage, sprouts, cauliflower, apples and turnip greens, when added to the diet have been known to lower the risk attached to people in danger of falling victim to heart disease. So �an apple a day� really does keep the doctor away.

Maintains a steady blood sugar level � Therefore if any family member is suffering from diabetes then a high fiber food eating plan would be beneficial to that individual. This is attributed to the fact that it�ll reduce bouts of very low or very high blood sugar levels in sufferers. This is because they slowly release sugar into your blood, rather than reducing blood sugar levels or rapidly increasing it, which can be the case with certain other foods

Other reported benefits
In association with the benefits all ready discussed researchers have uncovered evidence to suggest that food enriched with fiber can aid the war against some common health related problems, in particular:

Breast cancer
Colon cancer
Diverticulitis
Gallstones
Irritable bowel syndrome
Obesity
Syndrome X

I know the question all you lot out there - interested in the art good housekeeping and homemaking � are dying to ask; what is the minimum daily intake of fiber is recommended? Well, the answer to your question is at least 25g of it must be eaten daily, with at least 35g needed to be consumed to constitute a high fiber food diet.

I hope that I�ve made the benefits of a high fiber diet clear enough for you. With that said and done it�s time to take a closer look at some of the foods which contain high levels of fiber.

I�ve prepared a list below outlining my top five foods with a little explanation of the other health benefits - which consuming them � will have on your body. In addition, I�ve added calorific values and how many grams of fiber each contains along with the percentage of RDA that eating them achieves.

Therefore any good housekeeper or homemaker needs to take into account these different foods when preparing family meals; so here goes:

These figures are per 100g.

1. Lentils - 100 kcal, 21.9g fiber, 87.64% RDA
Lentils, apart from the obvious high fiber benefits contain high levels of protein, roughly 25g worth per 100g. Furthermore they are packed full of vitamin B1, containing 67% RDA; therefore the break down is that the consumption of lentils will benefit vegetarians, as the high protein levels means they are an adequate supplement for meat. Secondly the B1 vitamin can help people with, low energy levels, poor concentration or even people suffering from stress.

2. Lima/butter beans - 75 kcal, 19.74g fiber, 78.9% RDA
High blood pressure is a concern for many in today�s climate; we are all under increasing levels of stress and working longer and longer hours. Consequently, eating Lima or butter beans can help reduce high blood pressure in that they contain high amounts of potassium but low levels of sodium (sodium increases blood pressure). Moreover these �magic beans� are high in protein, copper, iron and manganese, which should benefit people suffering from anemia or who are vegetarians.

3. Barley - 386 kcal, 19.45g fiber, 77.8% RDA
Third on my list of high fiber foods is barley. Earlier on we looked at the benefits of soluble and insoluble fiber, well, you�ll be glad to know that barley contains more than adequate levels of both. This means that a balanced diet will be more than happy to add this to it�s merry band of foods, yet, that isn�t all, barley contains folic acid and vitamin E; hence it is a great food to eat if you suffer from poor circulation, heart disease or skin disorders. Additionally the elderly, breastfeeding or pregnant women and young children will benefit from adding more barley to their diets.

4. Split peas - 226 kcal, 15.27g fiber, 63.2% RDA
Split peas have similarities to lentils and have very similar nutritional breakdowns too, they contain roughly 25g of protein per 100g, 71% RDA of vitamin B9, 56% of vitamin B1, 36% of vitamin B5 and 35% RDA of iron; hence can aid people who are suffering with stress or anybody finding their energy levels flagging.

5. Black beans - 182 kcal, 11.97g fiber, 47.84% RDA
Having a high fiber score apart, black beans are one of the best foods to eat if you�re embarking on a detox plan, this attributed to the fact that they�re such a good antioxidant. In addition to these benefits the consumption of black beans on a regular basis will help lower cholesterol and slowly releases sugar into the blood, which is good news for those of you who suffer from diabetes. It has also been said that due o the high levels of a chemical known as molybdenum they are very good at strengthening tooth enamel.

Oh, whilst I�m discussing high fiber foods I might as well give you list of another 15 foods which should be looked at with high fiber in mind.

The following figures are per 100g

Broccoli - 25 kcal, 6.6g fiber, 26.2% RDA
Cauliflower - 20 kcal, 4.19g fiber, 16.75% RDA
Celery - 12 kcal, 1.67g fiber, 14.74% RDA
Chickpeas - 188 kcal, 8.72g, fiber, 34.86% RDA
Corn - 307 kcal, 8.28g fiber, 33.125% RDA
Cranberries - 58 kcal, 4.92g fiber, 19.76% RDA
Fennel - 43 kcal, 4.32g fiber, 17.28% RDA
Figs - 74 kcal, 3.26g fiber, 13.16% RDA
Green beans - 100 kcal, 6g fiber, 24 % RDA
Kidney beans - 100 kcal, 6.8g fiber, 27.8% RDA
Navy beans - 181 kcal, 8.16g fiber, 32.62% RDA
Oats - 160 kcal, 4.38g fiber, 17.49% RDA
Peas - 60 kcal, 8g fiber, 33% RDA
Pinto beans - 141 kcal, 8.83g fiber, 35.28% RDA
Raspberries - 24 kcal, 6.62g fiber, 26.72% RDA
Soybeans - 140 kcal, 6.19g fiber, 24.78% RDA
Spinach - 30 kcal, 5.18g fiber, 20.76% RDA
Sprouts - 25 kcal, 3.65g fiber, 14.58% RDA
Swiss chard - 53 kcal, 5.52g fiber, 22.05% RDA
Turnip greens - 43 kcal, 7.56g fiber, 30.3% RDA

We�ve discussed the benefits of a high fiber diet and outlined foods which fit the bill, so before we end our journey I just need to add a few concluding comments.

Those of you reading this who want to keep control of the calories you consume whist maintaining a high fiber diet really should look at adding the following foods to your diet. The following contain 100 calories or less per 100g; lentils, Lima beans, raspberries, turnip greens, green peas and broccoli.

So there you have it we have come to the end of our high fiber food journey, I hope you thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Before you go why not click on one of the �related links� below to be transported on another journey? ;-)