MayoClinic.com published an article focusing on the numerous benefits of adding fiber to your diet. Here's an excerpt:
"Eating a high-fiber diet may also help with weight loss. High-fiber foods generally require more chewing time, which gives your body time to register when you're no longer hungry, so you're less likely to overeat. Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer, so you stay full for a greater amount of time. And high-fiber diets tend to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food." Read more...
Also from MayoClinic.com, this chart provides information regarding high-fiber foods:
| Fruits | Serving size | Total fiber (grams) |
|---|---|---|
| Pear | 1 medium | 5.1 |
| Figs, dried | 2 medium | 3.7 |
| Blueberries | 1 cup | 3.5 |
| Apple, with skin | 1 medium | 3.3 |
| Strawberries | 1 cup | 3.3 |
| Peaches, dried | 3 halves | 3.2 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 3.1 |
| Apricots, dried | 10 halves | 2.6 |
| Raisins | 1.5-ounce box | 1.6 |
| Grains, cereal & pasta | Serving size | Total fiber (grams) |
| Spaghetti, whole-wheat | 1 cup | 6.3 |
| Bran flakes | 3/4 cup | 5.1 |
| Oatmeal | 1 cup | 4.0 |
| Bread, rye | 1 slice | 1.9 |
| Bread, whole-wheat | 1 slice | 1.9 |
| Bread, mixed-grain | 1 slice | 1.7 |
| Bread, cracked-wheat | 1 slice | 1.4 |
| Legumes, nuts & seeds | Serving size | Total fiber (grams) |
| Lentils | 1 cup | 15.6 |
| Black beans | 1 cup | 15.0 |
| Lima beans | 1 cup | 13.2 |
| Baked beans, canned | 1 cup | 10.4 |
| Almonds | 24 nuts | 3.3 |
| Pistachio nuts | 47 nuts | 2.9 |
| Peanuts | 28 nuts | 2.3 |
| Cashews | 18 nuts | 0.9 |
| Vegetables | Serving size | Total fiber (grams) |
| Peas | 1 cup | 8.8 |
| Artichoke, cooked | 1 medium | 6.5 |
| Brussels sprouts | 1 cup | 6.4 |
| Turnip greens, boiled | 1 cup | 5.0 |
| Potato, baked with skin | 1 medium | 4.4 |
| Corn | 1 cup | 4.2 |
| Popcorn, air-popped | 3 cups | 3.6 |
| Tomato paste | 1/4 cup | 3.0 |
| Carrot | 1 medium | 2.0 |
