If you’ve been looking to boost your fibre intake, you probably think you should be loading up on grains, fruits and veggies. And you wouldn’t be wrong—but that’s not exactly the entire story either. That’s because even within those categories, there are a bunch of foods you probably think are super high in fibre…but really aren’t.
As a result, you might not be taking in nearly as much of the important nutrient as you believe. And that’s an important PSA, since you really, really don’t want to miss out on all the accompanying benefits.
And how do I even know if I’m eating enough?
While you might know fibre best for its ability to prevent constipation, those perks “go way beyond the gut,” says Desiree Nielsen, RD, a recipe developer with a focus on plant-based nutrition. Foods that are rich in fibre help you feel full and satisfied in the moment, keeping all the distracting hanger at bay.
What’s more, the nutrient also has big-picture benefits for your health, like lowering “bad” cholesterol levels and protecting your heart. With all this in mind, it’s not exactly great that most adults don’t meet their recommended daily amount (RDA) of fibre of 30 grams per day.
While a fibre supplement can help you inch closer to that recommendation, eating fibre-rich foods is an effective way to do so too (especially since they pack in other helpful nutrients as well!). If you’ve chosen that route, though, you naturally want to make sure you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck—and some surprising foods (like the ones we mention below) fall a little short.
They could be harmless, but they could also be red flags.
To be clear, this is not to say these options don’t deserve a spot on your plate. It’s just that if you’re specifically looking for fibre powerhouses, there may be others that better deliver!
1. Some “wheat” bread
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that all loaves labeled “wheat” are high in fibre. While some wheat products may look nutritious and fibre-rich on the outside—say, brown rather than white and filled with seeds or other tough bits—appearances can be deceiving.
That’s because even though they’re billed as wheat, some of these items may actually be made up mostly of enriched white flour, according to Harvard Health (and have the low fibre content to match).
Instead, there are a few different terms you’ll want to keep in mind to improve your odds of making a high-fibre selection: “whole wheat,” “entire wheat,” or “graham” bread, rolls, or buns, all of which describe a “whole-grain-rich” selection, per the USDA.
Unlike the refined stuff (think white bread, white rice, and white pasta), whole grains haven’t been processed to remove the most fibre-heavy components of the grain—the bran and germ, according to Vincci Tsui, RD, a certified intuitive eating counsellor —so they are a better bet. (Just don’t make the mistake of confusing “multigrain” with those powerhouses. “Multigrain just means a lot of different types of grains,” Vincci says—it doesn’t necessarily signify whole grains.)
So how much fibre does whole-wheat bread contain, exactly? Well, one slice packs around two grams of fibre, so a full sandwich will supply a total of four grams at baseline—not bad.
2. Brown rice
If you’ve been eating brown rice instead of white for years due to its supposed fibre benefits, we have bad news. Yes, the former packs more of the nutrient, but that’s really not saying much: A half-cup of cooked brown rice only nets you around 1.5 grams of fibre (compared to less than 0.5 grams for white rice).
Overall, the fibre gap isn’t really big enough to justify overriding your personal taste, “so if you prefer your white rice, go for it,” Desiree says. Thankfully, making additions to boost the fibre should come pretty easily. After all, we rarely eat rice on its own anyway, Vinnci says. So sautéing your rice with high-fibre veggies like broccoli and peas for a stir-fry is just a natural combo.
If you want to switch up the grain itself, you also have options. Quinoa—a whole grain—is a possibility, at around five grams of fibre per one cup cooked, and is just as versatile as rice, as these 33 recipes demonstrate.
You can also try kamut, an ancient form of wheat that boasts four grams of fibre per half-cup cooked, according to Food Network. Finally, there’s a rice variant: Korean multigrain rice, a dish that consists of rice stretched out by beans and grains.
3. Some breakfast cereals
To be clear, there are some varieties that are positively brimming with fibre (hello, Kellogg’s Bran Flakes and Porridge Oats), but it would be a mistake to assume that’s true across the board. In fact, cereals made with rice often contain very little of it, according to the Mayo Clinic. A cup and a half of Rice Krispies, for instance, comes in at less than a half a gram of fibre.
Other than that, how do you differentiate between high-fibre and low-fibre cereals? According to Desiree, options that are whole wheat-based or contain added amounts of a natural fibre called psyllium are more likely to pack a substantial amount.
A few kernels of expert advice can go a long way when it comes to getting the most out of your dry fruits and nuts
4. Cabbage
“There’s an assumption that all vegetables are high in fibre,” Vinnci says. But that’s not exactly the case. Take cabbage, for example: One boiled cup only packs around three grams, significantly less than other cruciferous veggies, including Brussels sprouts (around six grams cooked) and broccoli (around five grams cooked).
So if fibre content is a big priority, you might want to try to swap in one of those cousins instead—or add it to the mix. Broccoli could complement cabbage well in a stir-fry or soup, for example, according to Vinnci. “You don't need to take out the cabbage,” Vinnci says—it boasts plenty of other beneficial nutrients, like folate and vitamins C and K—“but make sure that you're adding in things” to make up for its relative lack of fibre.
5. Cucumbers
While we’re on the subject of low-fibre vegetables, a raw cucumber also ranks at only around 1.5 grams. Depending on how you’re crunching, you can make a few substitutions or additions to boost the overall fibre content.
Dipping a cucumber slice or stick in a bowl of ranch dressing at a cookout? Consider swapping the ranch for a higher-fibre condiment like hummus (which owes its impressive fibre stats to the chickpea base), according to Vinnci. Tossing cucumber slices with other vegetables for a refreshing summer salad? Supplement with some high-fibre beans or a high-fibre whole grain like quinoa for a more robust meal.
6. Tomatoes
Yet another example of a veggie that’s not all that high in fibre despite the category’s general reputation. One whole tomato also only contains around 1.5 grams of fibre. Still, like the other non-fibre-rich veggies on this list, they’ll supply tons of other essential vitamins and nutrients, including potassium and vitamins A, C, and K, so they definitely deserve a spot on your plate.
Just consider adding another fibre source to boost your meal’s levels—think “sturdier veggies and cooked greens,” Desiree says. Kale, spinach, and collards could all work.
Check the label, because not all multivitamins are created equal.
7. Carrots
Like a tomato, one whole carrot contains less than 1.5 grams of fibre, boiled or raw, so if you’re using carrots as a side dish, you might want to consider another cooked alternative.
Like we mentioned, one cup of cooked broccoli or cooked collard greens will supply around five grams of fibre, so either of those would make a smart substitute. Then again, maybe your carrots are part of a larger dish, like a salad. In that case, green peas (nine grams of fibre per one cup cooked) could make a good (and tasty!) high-fibre pairing.
8. Raw spinach
Two cups of raw spinach only contain around one gram of fibre, so you’d have to eat a tonne of the stuff to even approach a halfway decent slice of your total RDA. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to boost the fibre content instantly: cooking.
Whether your method of choice is boiling, sautéing, or something completely different, the spinach will invariably lose a tonne of volume during the process (it is 91% water, after all), making it much easier to eat more (and increasing the per capita fibre content as a result).
When boiled, for example, one cup of spinach soars from around 0.5 grams of fibre to more than four grams. If you’re going raw for a reason—like with a salad—use avocado to flesh out the fibre content. Dice up a half of one, and you’ll boost your fibre by nearly seven grams.
9. Lettuce
Speaking of salads, the classic lettuce bed is disappointingly low in fibre—so low, in fact, that it’s probably a contender for the top spot on this list. One cup of raw lettuce only contains around 0.5 grams. So rather than focusing on the base of your salad as your primary fibre source—the greens—concentrate on dressing it up with fibre-rich add-ins like artichoke hearts and legumes instead.
10. Mango
In general, “fruit is a huge fibre win,” with many varieties having more fibre than vegetables, Desiree says. For instance, raspberries pack a whopping 10 grams of fibre per cup.
However, there are exceptions to every rule, and in this one sense, mango—nicknamed the “king of fruits” for its sweet, juicy flesh—doesn’t deserve the moniker. One mango half contains less than two grams of fibre, around the same amount as a whole tomato or whole carrot. For a tropical fruit that’s a tad more fibre-rich (nine grams per cup, to be specific), go with guava instead.
11. Watermelon
Like mango, watermelon is an example of a fruit that doesn’t exactly pile on the fibre, according to Desiree. Not only that, but it supplies even less per serving—fewer than one gram per cup. (That said, eating watermelon is an excellent way to take in more H20 since it’s 92% water!)
Thankfully, plenty of other types of fruit are standing at the ready to fill that fibre void—without skimping on that watermelon-like crunch either. For instance, consider a medium-sized apple (around four grams) or a medium-sized pear (around six grams), according to Desiree. You can even toss pears on the grill just as you would a watermelon slice for a summer-friendly dessert that’ll offer a distinctive sweet-smoky flavour!
This article originally appeared on Self.
