Primary Care

Purpose

A high fiber diet can be used in the prevention or treatment of various gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases and conditions including diverticular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, hypercholesterolemia and obesity.

Description

This diet generally emphasizes fiber rich foods including fruits, legumes, vegetables, and whole grain breads, cereals and other products made from whole grain. The recommended daily intake of fiber is 20-35 g.

Helpful Hints

Increased fiber intake should come from a variety of foods rather than from dietary fiber supplements to ensure adequate intake of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. At least eight 8-oz glasses of water should be drunk with a high fiber diet in order to prevent dehydration.

Fiber intake should be increased gradually to avoid side effects such as abdominal distress, bloating, flatulence, cramps, and diarrhea. These effect are usually temporary and subside within several days; however if they persist, the fiber content of the diet should be reduced and a you should talk to your doctor.

HIGH Fiber (5 g or more)

MEDIUM Fiber (2 - 4 g)

MEDIUM Fiber (less than 2 g)

Starchy Foods

Fibread 1 slice

Bran muffin - 1
Small pumpernickel bread - 1
Rye bread - 1 slice
Whole-wheat bread - 1 slice
Whole-wheat bagel - 1/2
Whole-wheat matzo - 1
Whole-wheat past - 1/2 cup

Plain bagel - 1/2
Baking powder biscuit - 1
Bread stick - 2
English muffin - 1/2
Hamburger bun - 1/2
Kaiser roll - 1/2
Matzo (6") - 1
Melba toast - 4
Plain dinner roll - 1 small
White bread - 1 slice
Cracked wheat bread - 1 slice

Cereals

All Bran - 1/3 cup
Bran Buds - 1/3 cup
Corn Bran - 1/2 cup
Fiber - 1 1/3 cup
100% Bran - 1/3 cup

Bran Flakes (40%) - 1/2 cup
Grapenuts Flakes - 1/2 cup
Puffed Wheat 1/2 cup
Shredded Wheat biscuit - 1
Shredded Wheat bite size - 1/3 c

Cheerios - 3/4cup
Rice Krispies - 2/3 cup
Special K - 1 cup

Cooked Cereal

Oat Brain - 1/3 cup
Red River - 1 cup

Oatmeal - 1 cup

Cream of Wheat - 1 cup

Cookies / Crackers

Rye crackers - 1 triple

Graham wafers - 3
Oat cakes - 2
Triscuits - 3

Arrowroot - 3
Social teas - 4
Soda crackers - 6

Pastas

Whole-wheat pasta - 1 cup

Macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, cooked - 1/2 cup

Starchy Vegetables

Dried beans, peas,
legumes, cooked - 1/2cup

Popcorn, air-popped - 3 cups

Corn, canned kernels - 1/2cup
Corn-on-the-cob - 1 small
Potato, cooked with skin - 1/2 of
Sweet potato, with skin - 1/2

Corn, canned, cream - 1/2 cup
Potato, whipped, no skin - 1/2cup
Potato, whole, no skin - 1/2

Fruits

Apple, raw with skin - 1 med.
Blackberries - 1/2 cup
Blueberries - 1/2 cup
Figs/dates - 10
Kiwi fruit - 2 med.
Loganberries - 1 cup
Mango - 1 med.
Pear, raw - 1 med.
Pears, canned - 1 cup
Prunes, dried - 5
Prunes, stewed - 1/2 cup
Raspberries - 1/2 cup

Apple, raw, no skin - 1 med.
Mango, raw - 1 med.
Orange - 1 small
Orange, sections - 1/2 cup
Pear, raw - 1 med.
Pear, sections - 1/2 cup
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Rhubarb, cooked stewed - 1/2 cup
Strawberries - 1 cup
Tangerine, raw - 1 med.
Tangerine, canned - 1/2 cup

Applesauce - 1/2 cup
Apricots, canned - 2 halves
Cantaloupe - 1/2 of
Cantaloupe, pieces - 1 cup
Cherries, canned - 1/3 cup
Cherries, raw - 10
Grapefruit, raw - 1/2
Grapes - 1 cup
Honeydew melon - 1 cup
Mandarin oranges, canned - 1/2 c
Peaches, raw - 1 med.
Peaches, canned - 1/2 cup
Pineapple, raw - 1 slice
Pineapple, canned - 1/2 cup
Watermelon - 5" triangle
Watermelon, pieces - 1 cup

Juices

Prune juice - 1 cup

Grape, apple, orange,
grapefruit juice - 1 cup

Tomato, vegetable-based - 1 cup

Vegetables

Green peas, fresh, frozen,
or canned - 1/2 cup
Snow peas - 10 pods
Swiss chard, cooked - 1 cup

Bean sprouts - 1/2 cup
Beans, string - 1/2 cup
Broccoli, fresh, frozen or
canned - 1/2 cup
Brussels sprouts - 1/2 cup
Carrots, raw - 1/2 cup
Eggplant - 1/2 cup
Parsnips - 1/2 cup
Turnip, raw - 1/2 cup
Vegetables, mixed - 1/2 cup

Asparagus, cooked - 6 spears
Cabbage, raw - 1 cup
Cauliflower, raw - 1/2 cup
Celery, raw - 1/2 cup
Cucumber, raw - 1/2 cup
Mushrooms, raw - 1/2 cup
Onions, raw - 1/2 cup
Pepper, raw - 1 cup
Tomatoes, canned or raw - 1 cup
Zucchini - 1/2 cup

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds - 1 oz

Peanut butter - 2 tbsp
Peanuts (15) - 1 oz
Sesame seeds, dried - 2 tbsp
Sunflower seeds, with
kernels - 2 tbsp

Coconut - 2 tbsp
Walnuts - 2 tbsp