Dietary fiber is the 6th most important nutritient recommended for active consumption. It has a significant effect on your digestive health and is said to be deeply connected to your stress, diet, and lifestyle disease prevention. This role that dietary fiber plays is garnering attention.
This page showcases a ranking of 82 foods with the highest dietary fiber content per 100g from select categories using data from the 2020 Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (Eighth Revised Edition) and the analytical findings from Japan Food Research Laboratories.
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Categories
Rice and Grains Vegetables Mushrooms Fruits Legumes Seaweeds
Tips to a healthy gut with good dietary fiber intake
When asked about nutrients that cleanse the dietary tract, dietary fiber is what comes to mind for many people. Learn why it plays such an important role to health and beauty, and what maintaining your gut health looks…
Ranking of Dietary Fiber in Rice and Grains
First on the list is rice, what is deemed as the most consumed food in Japan. Along with the usual white and brown rice, below are a variety of grains high in dietary fiber that have gained popularity in recent times.
Rank Food Total Dietary Fiber Soluble Dietary Fiber Out of 82
1 BARLEYmax®︎ 23.1g 8.3g 14.8g 6th
2 Oats/oatmeal 9.4g 3.2g 6.2g 11th
3 Pressed grain 7.9g 4.3g 3.6g 12th
4 Amaranth 7.4g 1.1g 6.3g 13th
5 Quinoa 6.2g 1.5g 4.7g 17th
6 Japanese millet 4.3g 0.4g 3.9g 26th
7 Foxtail millet 3.3g 0.4g 2.9g 33rd
8 Sprouted brown rice 3.1g 0.5g 2.6g 35th
9 Brown rice 3g 0.7g 2.3g 36th
12 Proso millet 1.6g 0g 1.6g 55th
11 Job’s tears 0.6g 0g 0.6g 76th
12 Non-glutinous rice 0.5g 0g 0.5g 78th
Dietary Fibers in Grains
Since dietary fiber is not expected to be found in white rice (non-glutinous rice), it is recommended that you add grains to the mix. There is a plethora of easy-to-eat processed foods such as pearl barley and oatmeal, and also a great number of people who are hooked on the crisp texture and sweetness of BARLEYmax®︎, so try out different products to see what works for you.
Foods high in dietary fiber are low in sugar, so be sure to also check this page out (Stop worrying about carbohydrates when you learn about sugar: delicious ways to eat barley rice) if you want to limit your sugar intake.
Additional Reading
If you are looking to try out mixed-grain rice, this page (The golden ratio! How to make a delicious batch of BARLEYmax®︎ rice) goes into detail on how to do so.
Ranking of Dietary Fiber in Vegetables
Vegetables are at the forefront of many people’s minds when thinking about dietary fiber. Root vegetables like lotus roots have more dietary fiber than lettuce and other leafy greens, so you will want to create easily dishes such as Japanese pilaf and stews that make these vegetables easy to consume.
Rank Food Total Dietary Fiber Soluble Dietary Fiber Out of 82
1 Rakkyo onion 20.7g 18.6g 2.1g 7th
2 Burdock 5.7g 2.3g 3.4g 18th
3 Broccoli 5.1g 0.9g 4.3g 20th
4 Okra 5g 1.4g 3.6g 21st
4 Edamame 5g 0.4g 4.6g 21st
6 Kale 3.7g 0.5g 3.2g 28th
7 Bamboo shoot 3.3g 0.4g 2.9g 33rd
8 Mizuna 3g 0.6g 2.4g 36th
8 Snow pea 3g 0.3g 2.7g 36th
10 Cauliflower 2.9g 0.4g 2.5g 39th
11 Sweet potato 2.8g 0.9g 1.8g 40th
11 Pumpkin 2.8g 0.7g 2.1g 40th
11 Carrot 2.8g 0.7g 2.1g 40th
11 Spinach 2.8g 0.7g 2.1g 40th
15 Leek 2.7g 0.5g 2.2g 44th
16 Green onion 2.5g 0.3g 2.2g 46th
17 Pepper 2.3g 0.6g 1.7g 47th
17 Bean sprouts 2.3g 0.2g 2.1g 47th
19 Eggplant 2.2g 0.3g 1.9g 49th
20 Lotus root 2g 0.2g 1.8g 50th
21 Komatsuna 1.9g 0.4g 1.5g 51st
22 Cabbage 1.8g 0.4g 1.4g 54th
23 Onion 1.5g 0.4g 1g 57th
23 Celery 1.5g 0.3g 1.2g 57th
25 Daikon radish 1.4g 0.5g 0.9g 59th
26 Napa cabbage 1.3g 0.3g 1g 62nd
27 Cucumber 1.1g 0.2g 0.9g 67th
27 Lettuce 1.1g 0.1g 1g 67th
29 Tomato 1g 0.3g 0.7g 70th
29 Chinese yam 1g 0.2g 0.8g 70th
The great thing about dietary fiber is that it barely loses nutritional value after being boiled or refrigerated.
Ranking of Dietary Fiber in Mushrooms
Mushrooms are packed with more dietary fiber than vegetables. It’s versatile and easily accessible, so you will want to always have some around.
Rank Food Total Dietary Fiber Soluble Dietary Fiber Out of 82
1 Shitake mushroom 4.6g 0.4g 4.1g 25th
2 Enoki mushroom 3.9g 0.4g 3.5g 27th
3 Shimeji mushroom 3.5g 0.3g 3.2g 29th
3 Maitake mushroom 3.5g 0.3g 3.2g 29th
5 Nameko mushroom 3.4g 1g 2.4g 31st
5 King trumpet mushroom 3.4g 0.2g 3.2g 31st
A balanced dietary fiber intake ideally consists of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, so be sure to the have some tough-to-eat soluble dietary fibers together with your vegetables and mushrooms.
Check it out! Key features of Inulia, natural inulin dietary fiber sourced from highly fermentable chicory.
Ranking of Dietary Fiber in Fruits
Fruits are high in fructose and, while you should be wary of consuming too much sugar, having some during breakfast is a good way to start your day.
Rank Food Total Dietary Fiber Soluble Dietary Fiber Out of 82
1 Avocado 5.6g 1.7g 3.9g 19th
2 Lemon 4.9g 2g 2.9g 23rd
3 Kiwifruit 2.6g 0.6g 2g 45th
4 Fig 1.9g 0.7g 1.2g 51st
4 Apple 1.9g 0.5g 1.4g 51st
6 Persimmon 1.6g 0.2g 1.4g 55th
7 Strawberry 1.4g 0.5g 0.9g 59th
8 Mango 1.3g 0.6g 0.7g 62th
8 Peach 1.3g 0.6g 0.7g 62th
10 Pineapple 1.2g 0.2g 1g 65th
10 Cherry 1.2g 0.1g 1.1g 65th
12 Banana 1.1g 0.1g 1g 67th
13 Tangerine 1g 0.5g 0.5g 70th
14 Lychee 0.9g 0.4g 0.5g 73rd
14 Pear 0.9g 0.2g 0.7g 73rd
14 Grapes 0.9g 0.2g 0.6g 73rd
17 Grapefruit 0.6g 0.2g 0.4g 76th
18 Melon 0.5g 0.2g 0.3g 78th
19 Watermelon 0.3g 0.1g 0.2g 81st
Ranking of Dietary Fiber in Legumes
Dietary fiber in legumes and nuts can easily be consumed through pickled side dishes, miso, and other fermented foods. Although you should be wary of eating too much salt and fat, it is good to get into the habit of eating an assortment of nuts and legumes every day.
Rank Food Total Dietary Fiber Soluble Dietary Fiber Out of 82
1 Soybean 17.9g 1.5g 16.4g 8th
2 Sesame 10.8g 1.6g 9.2g 9th
3 Almond 10.1g 0.8g 9.3g 10th
4 Peanuts 7.4g 0.5g 7g 13th
5 Mame miso 6.5g 2.2g 4.3g 15th
6 Mugi miso 6.3g 0.7g 5.6g 16th
7 Kome miso 4.9g 0.6g 4.3g 23rd
8 Firm tofu 0.4g 0.1g 0.3g 80th
9 Silken tofu 0.3g 0.1g 0.3g 81st
Check it out! For those who are interested in food products high in dietary fiber, take a look at these products containing BARLEYmax®︎ and inulin!
Ranking of Dietary Fiber in Seaweeds
Although it was not published as official data in the eighth revised edition of the 2020 Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, seaweeds are a rich source of soluble dietary fiber. Although it may be difficult to incorporate it into your everyday diet, this is typically a food that should be consciously added to your meals.
Rank Food Total Dietary Fiber Soluble Dietary Fiber Out of 82
1 Hijiki seaweed 51.8g – – 1st
2 Aonori seaweed 35.2g – – 2nd
3 Dried wakame seaweed 32.7g – – 3rd
5 Aosa seaweed 29.1g – – 4th
4 Kombu 27.1g – – 5th
6 Mozuku seaweed 1.4g – – 59th
A constipation remedy?! What exactly is soluble dietary fiber?
If you are having trouble with your bowel movement, you are probably more aware of your dietary fiber intake. When nothing works and you start to worry, try consuming more soluble dietary fiber…
Summary
Did you expect to see all the high-dietary fiber foods on this list? When eating the insoluble dietary fiber in vegetables and mushrooms, it may be best to balance this out by eating it with the soluble dietary fibers in grains and supplements.
Thank you for making it to the end of this article. We hope this was a useful resource in maintaining your gut health.
References:
Not sponsored by BARLEYmax®︎: 2020 Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (Eighth Revised Edition)
Sponsored by BARLEYmax®︎: Japan Food Research Laboratories analytical values
Analysis standardized using the modified Prosky method.
The total dietary fiber value is not congruent with the combined value of soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber.
