Fiber Content In Food

Fiber Content In Food

            Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber. The form of food may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing, though, may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.

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            The removal of seeds, peels or hulls also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread. 

Fruits: 

                  

             In botany, a fruit is a part of a flowering plant that derives from specific tissues of the flower, one or more ovaries, and in some cases accessory tissues. Fruits are the means by which these plants disseminate seeds. Many of them that bear edible fruits, in particular, have propagated with the movements of humans and animals in a symbiotic relationship as a means for seed dispersal and nutrition, respectively; in fact, humans and many animals have become dependent on fruits as a source of food. Fruits have a high water content, and they are also high in natural sugar, carbs, vitamins and fiber. Apples, bananas, pears, peaches, grapes, cherries, oranges and grapefruits are examples. Avocados are considered a fruit and they are also high in healthy monounsaturated fat.

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Vegetables: 

          The non-biological definition of a vegetable is largely based on culinary and cultural tradition. Apart from vegetables, other main types of plant food are fruits, grains and nuts. Vegetables are most often consumed as salads or cooked in savory or salty dishes, while culinary fruits are usually sweet and used for desserts, but it is not the universal rule. Therefore, the division is somewhat arbitrary, based on cultural views. For example, some people consider mushrooms to be vegetables even though they are not biologically plants, while others consider them a separate food category; some cultures group potatoes with cereal products such as noodles or rice, while most English speakers would consider them vegetables. 

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Vegetables have the same type of nutrient profile as fruit, but they are not as sweet. They are high in vitamins and minerals, water content and, with the exception of root vegetables and corn, they are also low in carbs. All forms of vegetables contain fiber though. Carrots, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and mushrooms are examples.

Whole Grains:

            Whole grains contain fiber, protein and complex carbs. Barley, oatmeal and oat bran are three types of grains high in soluble fiber. By including these in your diet you can reduce your LDL cholesterol levels, according to the Mayo Clinic website. The acronym "LDL" stands for low-density lipoprotein which is the bad type of cholesterol known to cause plaque formation. Millet, quinoa, kamut, brown rice and buckwheat are other whole grains that contain fiber.

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Products that are made from whole grains also contain fiber. Cereal, bread, bagels, rolls, buns and wraps are examples.

Nuts:

            A nut is a fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, where the hard-shelled fruit does not open to release the seed (indehiscent). In a culinary context, a wide variety of dried seeds are often called nuts, but in a botanical context, only ones that include the indehiscent fruit are considered true nuts. The translation of "nut" in certain languages frequently requires paraphrases, as the concept is ambiguous.

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Nuts are similar to seeds with their nutrient composition. They contain fiber, they are high in protein, low in carbs and high in healthy fats. Macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts and pistachios are examples. If you are trying to watch your weight, be aware that nuts are also high in calories.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Children, teens and the elderly have varying dietary fiber needs, according to Colorado State University. Children between the ages of one and three need 19g of fiber daily and kids from four to eight should eat 25g per day.

Boys aged nine to 13, need 31g of daily fiber and girls of the same age need 26g. Teen boys, from the ages of 14 to 18, should consume 38g of fiber, the same as an adult male under the age of 50. Females from 14 to 18 need 26g. Pregnant females need 28g of dietary fiber daily and breastfeeding mothers need 29g.

Dietary fiber needs drop slightly for those over age 50, according to Colorado State University, Men over 50 need 30g per day and women over 50 need 21g.

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