High-Fiber Diet: Foods List, Benefits, Meal Plan and Tips

A high-fiber diet is one of the simplest ways to support digestion, heart health, blood sugar balance and healthy weight management. But many people still fall short of the recommended daily fiber intake, which is why learning how to build meals around high-fiber foods can make such a big difference.

So what is the healthiest high-fiber diet? It’s an eating pattern built around whole plant foods, including vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, rather than processed foods with isolated fibers added in.

Consider this your beginner’s guide to a high-fiber diet, including how much fiber you need, the best high-fiber diet foods, health benefits, a simple high-fiber diet plan, and tips for specific digestive concerns like hemorrhoids, IBS and diverticulitis.

What is a high-fiber diet?

A high-fiber diet is an eating pattern built around fiber-rich plant foods, including vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds. For most adults, a practical goal is about 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, depending on age, sex and calorie needs.

One simple target is the daily value for fiber: 28 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet.

This type of eating plan can support regular bowel movements, heart health, blood sugar balance, appetite control and a healthy gut microbiome.

It may also be useful for common digestive concerns, including constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticular disease and some cases of irritable bowel syndrome, although the best type and amount of fiber can vary by person and condition.

We’ve all heard we should get plenty of fiber from our diets every day, but what’s the best way to get enough? Plus, what exactly do high-fiber foods do, and what’s the healthiest high-fiber diet?

While many people know that fibrous foods are important in weight loss and maintaining heart health, most people still fall short of getting enough.

How much fiber per day should you get? It’s recommended that adults get at least 25 to 38 grams of fiber every day (ideally even more), yet most get only about 15 to 17 grams or less.

Consider this your beginner’s guide to a high-fiber diet, learning the fundamentals of what foods to eat, the benefits and why it’s so important to get more fiber into your diet.

Why we need a high-fiber diet

Despite the recommendations about eating a high-fiber diet and many food manufacturers claiming that their products are “high in fiber,” it’s still a commonly misunderstood nutrient. Yet it’s one that deserves some explaining considering how many important roles it has in the body.

What exactly is fiber? Fiber is a part of the structure of plants and helps build plant molecules, including cellulose, lignins and pectin.

Fiber actually contains zero calories since it essentially can’t be digested by humans, and although it’s found in carbohydrate foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains, it doesn’t contribute any carbs to our diets.

Due to its structure and our inability to absorb it, fiber passes through the digestive system unabsorbed by digestive enzymes within the stomach, taking with it toxins, waste, fat and cholesterol particles out of the gut. In the process, it helps improve heart health, makes us feel full, and of course, helps with digestion and detoxification.

There are actually two different kinds of dietary fiber: insoluble and soluble. We need both kinds, which are present in almost all whole foods that are carbohydrates.

What’s the difference between the two?

• Soluble fiber slows down digestion by attracting water and forming a gel-like substance once digested. This kind of fiber is found in foods like oats or oat bran, nuts, flaxseeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables, like berries and carrots. Soluble fiber is the type that helps with weight loss because it slows the process of food emptying from your stomach and makes you feel full for longer after eating.
• Insoluble fiber tends to speed up digestion by adding bulk to stool (basically helping with constipation). Insoluble fiber is found in many whole grains, like brown rice, barley and bulgur, plus most vegetables, including root veggies, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, green beans and zucchini.

Do you need to worry much about which type of high-fiber foods you’re getting? Not really. Just make sure to eat a high-fiber diet with a variety of different whole fibrous foods to make sure you cover your bases for both.

Unless you’re looking to improve a specific health condition, like constipation or high cholesterol, for example, you shouldn’t have a problem getting enough of both kinds if you eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and beans.

Top high-fiber diet foods

• Split peas, 1 cup cooked: 16.3 grams
• Lentils, 1 cup cooked: 15.6 grams
• Mung beans, 1 cup cooked: 15.4 grams
• Black beans, 1 cup cooked: 15 grams
• Figs, 1 cup dried: 14.6 grams
• Lima beans, 1 cup cooked: 13.2 grams
• Coconut flour, 1/4 cup: 9.6 grams
• Acorn squash, 1 cup cooked: 9 grams
• Artichoke, 1 artichoke: 8.8 grams
• Green peas, 1 cup cooked: 8.8 grams
• Raspberries, 1 cup: 8 grams
• Blackberries, 1 cup: 7.6 grams

Other good runner-up sources include chia seeds (5.5 grams per tablespoon), apples and pears (about 5 grams each), flaxseeds (3 grams per tablespoon), quinoa (5 grams per cup cooked), oats (5 grams per ½ cup uncooked), and all other types of beans/legumes like chickpeas (8 grams per cup cooked).

High-fiber diet foods list by category

Use this high-fiber diet foods list to build meals that contain a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber:

• Beans and legumes: split peas, lentils, black beans, mung beans, lima beans, chickpeas and kidney beans
• Vegetables: artichokes, green peas, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, leafy greens and Brussels sprouts
• Fruits: raspberries, blackberries, pears, apples, figs, oranges and avocado
• Whole grains: oats, barley, quinoa, brown rice, bulgur and 100 percent whole-grain breads or cereals
• Nuts and seeds: chia seeds, flaxseeds, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds

For best results, choose mostly whole, minimally processed foods instead of packaged foods that have isolated fibers added back in.

Benefits

1. Aids digestion and elimination

While both types of fiber have their roles in digestion, insoluble fiber is especially important since it provides bulk to the stool. Insoluble fiber helps speed up the time it takes waste to pass quickly through the digestive tract, which helps prevent constipation, bloating and indigestion.

Soluble fiber absorbs water to become a gelatinous, viscous substance and is fermented by bacteria in the digestive tract, which also improves digestion.

At the same time, fiber needs to absorb water to have these effects, so when you begin eating a high-fiber diet in earnest, drink plenty of fluids throughout the day for the best digestive relief.

2. Helps prevent heart disease

Research shows there’s an inverse association between insoluble fiber intake and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol levels and triglycerides. In addition, soluble fibers also help lower LDL (“bad”) blood cholesterol by interfering with the absorption of dietary cholesterol.

According to studies, following a high-fiber diet makes it less likely that a person will experience hypertension and other risk factors of heart disease and metabolic syndrome.

For example, historically, because the Mediterranean diet is naturally a high-fiber diet due to a high consumption of vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains, this population has been at a much lower risk for heart disease than many Americans are today.

3. Makes you feel full, which helps with weight loss

Epidemiologic evidence from numerous studies has revealed that a high-fiber diet helps prevent obesity. Fiber intake is inversely associated with body weight and body fat, so the more consistent you are with your high-fiber diet, the likelier you are to stay at a healthy weight or lose weight if you need to.

If your goal is to reduce your weight, fiber can help since it makes you feel fuller after eating and can prevent snacking or overeating at your next meal. Results from intervention studies have shown that the addition of a high-fiber diet generally decreases food intake overall and, therefore, over time can contribute to a lower body weight.

There might be other benefits of fiber for weight loss, too, such as decreasing absorption of toxins and altering secretion of gut hormones.

In addition, naturally occurring fiber in any food helps reduce the carb load, so the “net carb” intake that affects your blood sugar is less. It’s why high-fiber foods are very popular on diets like the keto diet or Paleo diet, as they reduce the net carbs to a more acceptable level.

4. Helps control blood sugar and prevent diabetes

The effects that soluble fiber has on the rate at which the stomach empties help slow down digestion and keep blood sugar levels stable. This improves insulin sensitivity and can help control the blood sugar spikes and conditions like diabetes.

According to research, within the body there’s an inverse association between levels of glucose in the blood and dietary fiber, so increasing fiber by following a high-fiber diet can help prevent insulin resistance that forms from elevated glucose levels over time.

5. May help prevent diseases of the digestive tract

A high-fiber diet can help prevent digestive disorders and diseases like diverticulitis, colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. This is because prebiotic fiber helps improve immune function and maintains better colon and intestinal health, while also clearing away harmful waste from the digestive organs.

Additionally, a high-fiber diet is correlated with a lower risk for many other types of diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

How does eating a high-fiber diet protect you from disease? There is increasing evidence that fermentable dietary fiber (prebiotics) modulate various properties of the immune system, including those of the gut (specifically the lymphoid tissues).

Changes in the intestinal microflora that occur with the consumption of prebiotic fiber can potentially increase immunity by changing the way the body responds to acids or bacterias.

High-fiber diet for common digestive concerns

Hemorrhoids and a high-fiber diet

A hemorrhoids high-fiber diet focuses on making stools softer and easier to pass. This helps reduce straining, which is one of the main reasons hemorrhoids can flare up.

Good choices include beans, lentils, oats, berries, pears, apples, vegetables, chia seeds and ground flaxseeds.

If you are increasing fiber to help with hemorrhoids, do it gradually, and drink enough water throughout the day. Adding too much fiber too quickly, especially without fluids, can worsen gas, bloating or constipation.

Irritable bowel syndrome and a high-fiber diet

An irritable bowel syndrome high-fiber diet (aka IBS diet) should be personalized. Some people with IBS do better with soluble fiber, which forms a gel-like substance in the gut and is generally gentler.

Soluble-fiber foods include oats, barley, beans, lentils, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, chia seeds, flaxseeds and psyllium husk.

For some people with IBS, especially those who are sensitive to gas or FODMAPs, large amounts of beans, wheat bran, certain fruits or cruciferous vegetables may worsen bloating. Start with small portions, emphasize soluble fiber first, and consider working with a healthcare provider or dietitian if symptoms persist.

High-fiber diet for diverticulitis and diverticular disease

A high-fiber diet may help support colon health and is often recommended after recovery from diverticulitis. However, during an acute diverticulitis flare, a doctor may temporarily recommend a clear-liquid or lower-fiber diet until symptoms improve.

Once recovered, many people are encouraged to return to a fiber-rich eating pattern that includes vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils and whole grains.

Older advice often told people with diverticular disease to avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn, but current evidence does not generally support avoiding these foods for everyone. The most important strategy is usually to follow an overall high-quality, fiber-rich diet and get individualized guidance during flares.

How to follow a high-fiber diet

• Swap out meat for beans a couple times a week. Plant-based protein from beans also provides minerals and lots of fiber.
• Don’t have pre-made fruit juices. Instead eat whole pieces of fruit. The same goes for vegetables in most cases. Eating the whole thing (including the skin too if it’s edible) gives you the most fiber.
• Make a smoothie instead of having a juice, so you include all of the fruit and vegetable pulp, seeds and skin, where the fiber is stored.
• Always skip products made with refined flour or grains. Only eat 100 percent whole grains that have their natural brans and germs intact.
• Switch up your snacks. Snack on raw vegetables, hummus or whole pieces of fruit throughout the day instead of having processed foods fortified with fiber.
• Eat a large salad once a day, and add plenty of veggies, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.
• Add healthy sources of fats, like avocados and nuts or seeds, into your diet in place of vegetable oils.

Sample high-fiber diet plan

Here’s a one-day high-fiber diet plan you can use as a starting point:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal topped with raspberries, chia seeds and almond butter
• Lunch: Large salad with leafy greens, chickpeas, avocado, carrots, pumpkin seeds and olive oil dressing
• Snack: Apple with almond butter or hummus with raw vegetables
• Dinner: Lentil soup or black bean tacos with vegetables and a side of quinoa or brown rice
• Optional add-on: Ground flaxseed or psyllium husk mixed into water, a smoothie or oatmeal if you need extra support meeting your fiber goal

To avoid digestive discomfort, increase fiber slowly over several weeks. For example, add one high-fiber food per day, and then build up as your body adjusts.

How else can you get fiber?

Eating a variety of whole foods when you follow a high-fiber diet is always going to be the most beneficial way to get enough of the right kind of fiber. If you still have digestive problems or struggle to meet the fiber recommendations, you might want to try getting fiber from certain fiber supplements.

Soluble fiber can be found in psyllium (or psyllium husks), which is a common fiber supplement sold in most grocery and health food stores. When combined with water it forms a gel that helps relieve constipation, similarly to how chia seeds work to create a “chia pudding” gel.

Other types of beneficial fiber include acacia fiber and konjac root.

Can you eat too much fiber?

Wondering if there’s any risks associated with eating a high-fiber diet? Generally speaking, there isn’t much of a concern with eating too much fiber, especially since you become so full in the process that you likely won’t be able to really overdo it.

If your diet is currently low in fiber, try increasing the amount you consume slowly so you don’t experience bloating, stomach pains, diarrhea, constipation or gas. Gradually adding more fiber over a month or so helps you adjust to your new high-fiber diet without making matters worse.

Because fiber absorbs water and your digestive tract needs to stay hydrated to work well, also increase the amount of water you drink. Sometimes eating too many foods with fiber without drinking enough water can cause digestive problems for certain people, instead of helping solve them.

Are there fiber foods to avoid?

Not all fiber is created equal, so the kinds you see fortified in packaged foods are not ideal to get the amount of fiber you need.

Knowing people look for foods with fiber to add to their diets, manufacturers of ultra-processed foods now go out of their way to add fiber where it naturally doesn’t occur, such as in yogurt, refined grains or cereals, artificial sweeteners, and protein bars.

There are also fiber supplements available on the market, but many usually contain artificially made forms of fiber that aren’t well-digested and lack nutrients foods with fiber provide. Some fiber supplement ingredients to avoid include methylcellulose (synthetic cellulose), calcium polycarbophil and wheat dextrin.

Instead of eating these in hopes of increasing your fiber intake, get fiber from the real sources just like nature intended. If you eat a diet filled with unprocessed foods and include plenty of vegetables and fruits, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem covering your fiber needs.

In fact, many people who eat well-rounded diets and really limit packaged foods wind up getting more than 30 grams per day.

In the process, you also obtain plenty of other important nutrients, like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that also help with your digestion and heart health. Also importantly, you avoid artificial ingredients, sugar, sweeteners, chemicals and preservatives found in fortified processed foods.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best high-fiber diet for beginners?

The best high-fiber diet for beginners is one that increases fiber slowly using whole foods. Start by adding one fiber-rich food at a time, such as oatmeal at breakfast, beans at lunch, berries as a snack or vegetables at dinner. Gradual changes are usually easier on digestion than jumping from a low-fiber diet to a very high-fiber diet overnight.

What foods are highest in fiber?

Some of the highest-fiber foods include split peas, lentils, black beans, mung beans, lima beans, artichokes, green peas, raspberries, blackberries, chia seeds, flaxseeds, oats, quinoa, pears, apples and avocado. The easiest way to eat more fiber is to include at least one fiber-rich plant food at every meal.

Is a high-fiber diet good for hemorrhoids?

Yes, a high-fiber diet may help with hemorrhoids by softening stool and making bowel movements easier to pass. This can reduce straining, which is a major trigger for hemorrhoid discomfort. Pair high-fiber foods with plenty of fluids, and increase intake gradually.

Is a high-fiber diet good for IBS?

A high-fiber diet can help some people with IBS, but the type of fiber matters. Soluble fiber, such as psyllium, oats, barley, beans and some fruits, is often better tolerated than large amounts of insoluble fiber, such as wheat bran. People with IBS should increase fiber slowly and adjust based on symptoms.

Should you eat a high-fiber diet during diverticulitis?

Not always. During an acute diverticulitis flare, a healthcare provider may recommend a temporary clear-liquid or low-fiber diet. After symptoms improve and recovery is underway, many people are advised to return to a fiber-rich diet to support colon health and regularity.

Conclusion

• Following a high-fiber diet is one of the most effective ways to support digestive health, heart health, blood sugar balance and healthy weight management. By focusing on nutrient-dense, high-fiber diet foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains, you can help nourish your gut microbiome while promoting regularity and overall wellness.
• Whether you’re looking for a simple high-fiber diet plan to improve your daily nutrition or seeking dietary support for specific digestive concerns, increasing your fiber intake can be a valuable strategy.
• Research suggests that a well-balanced high-fiber diet may help reduce constipation and support conditions such as hemorrhoids, IBS and diverticular disease when incorporated appropriately into an overall healthy lifestyle.
• The key is to increase fiber gradually, stay well hydrated and prioritize a variety of whole-food fiber sources rather than relying on processed products. Small changes, like adding beans to meals, choosing fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, and swapping refined grains for whole grains, can add up quickly.
• Ultimately, a sustainable high-fiber diet isn’t about following strict rules. It’s about consistently choosing more fiber-rich foods that support long-term digestive health, cardiovascular function and overall well-being.