Eating Highest Fiber Foods Will Maximize Your Health and Vigor

The list of foods highest in fiber is long and includes both vegetables and fruits. Among the vegetables you will find that beans, avocados, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots and many others have a high fiber content.

You should also be aware that there are some vegetables that are considered high fiber foods that are also goitrogenic. Goitrogens are naturally-occurring plant substances that can interfere with the proper functioning of the thyroid gland and induce hypothyroidism. This means that they can cause enlargement of the thyroid glands as the glands attempt to compensate for their lowered production of hormones. If your diet frequently includes raw vegetables such as cabbage, spinach,  Brussels sprouts and soybeans, you may be at risk, which is why such vegetables should be cooked to help inactivate Goitrogens. These are all excellent foods high in nutrients and beneficial phyto-chemicals which should be included in a high fiber diet. Simply eat them cooked more often than raw.

There are also highest fiber foods in the fruit category which include bananas, apples, berries, dried fruits, kiwi, guava,  citrus fruits and pears. There are other highest fiber foods such as bran and whole grain cereals and breads, beans, lentils and nuts. To be sure you are getting the highest fiber when you purchase processed foods be sure to read the nutrition label for their fiber content.  You want to select items that have more than five grams of dietary fiber per serving.

Consult Food Charts To Learn Which Foods Contain the Most Fiber

You can also check a food chart to know the exact amount of fiber contained in the food. This will help you select foods that will help in lowering your cholesterol as well as reduce constipation and lower your risk of colon cancer, heart disease and obesity. You should realize that you need a minimum of 24 grams of fiber daily, whereas the average American consumes only ten grams per day. So it is a good idea to get a food chart and then choose those foods that are highest in  fiber to bring your fiber intake to healthy level.

Perhaps the food that can claim to be the highest fiber food is be bran cereal which contains as much as 19 grams of fiber per cup. To qualify as a highest fiber food, the food should contain at least seven grams of fiber. Another food that has high fiber content is split peas or other legumes which when cooked will contain as much as 16 grams of fiber per cup.

If you eat highest fiber foods regularly you will gain health and have extra "zip"  that will make you feel more energetic as well. The higher the fiber content in your diet the better you will look and feel. A deficiency of fiber content in your diet can lead  to constipation, hemorrhoids, high cholesterol and generally poor health. There is plenty going for you when you select the highest fiber foods and keep your fiber intake at the recommended levels.