High-fibre foods: which ones, how much they provide and their benefits

What is fibre and what types are there?

Dietary fibre includes plant components that we do not fully digest in the small intestine. Some reaches the colon, where certain bacteria ferment it. This is why different high-fibre foods may affect you differently.

Soluble fibre includes components that form viscous solutions, such as those found in oats and some pulses. Insoluble fibre adds bulk to intestinal contents; it is found in bran, skins and many plant foods. Most foods contain a combination of both. You do not need to calculate a ratio between them.

Resistant starch partly escapes digestion in the small intestine. It is found in pulses and can increase in some starchy foods after cooking and cooling. Its amount varies by food variety and preparation [2]. To choose carbohydrates for your circumstances, see our guide to foods high in carbohydrates.

Which foods provide the most fibre per serving?

These amounts per serving were calculated using entries in the Base de Datos Española de Composición de Alimentos [1]. The servings are provided to compare foods with one another.

Food group and food	Example serving	Fibre per serving
Pulses: chickpeas (dry weight; about 150 g once cooked)	60 g	9.0 g
Pulses: lentils (dry weight; about 150 g once cooked)	60 g	5.8 g
Grains: raw oats	40 g	4.2 g
Grains: wholemeal bread	40 g	2.4 g
Nuts: raw almonds	30 g	4.5 g
Seeds: linseed	10 g	2.7 g
Vegetables: raw artichoke, before cooking	150 g	14.1 g
Fruit: whole apple	150 g	3.0 g

Pulses are weighed dry: 60 g of dried chickpeas or lentils makes a serving of about 150 g once cooked [1]. The variety and cooking method make a small difference to the result.

A piece of fruit still contributes, even if it provides less fibre than a serving of pulses. If you compare breads, check the amount per 100 g. Our guide to whole grains explains how to identify them without relying on colour.

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The servings are used to compare foods with one another, and pulses are weighed dry.

Fibre per serving · the line marks 25 g a day

• Raw artichoke (150 g, before cooking): 14.1 g
• Chickpeas (60 g dry weight (about 150 g cooked)): 9.0 g
• Lentils (60 g dry weight (about 150 g cooked)): 5.8 g
• Raw almonds (30 g): 4.5 g
• Raw oats (40 g): 4.2 g
• Whole apple (150 g): 3.0 g
• Linseed (10 g): 2.7 g
• Wholemeal bread (40 g): 2.4 g

• 25 g a day: Adequate amount of fibre for adults according to EFSA. Reach it gradually.
• 12.6 g a day: Average for adults in the ANIBES study (2017). These are data from that sample, not a current figure for all of Spain.

With an inflammatory bowel disease flare-up, an intestinal stricture or SIBO, fibre needs an individual plan: discuss it with your medical team.

Sources: Base de Datos Española de Composición de Alimentos (BEDCA, AESAN) · EFSA, reference values for carbohydrates and fibre (2010) · ANIBES study, González-Rodríguez et al., Nutrients (2017).

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Which benefits of fibre are best supported by evidence?

Viscous soluble fibre may reduce LDL cholesterol. Trials of isolated soluble fibre found this reduction [3]. In foods, the effect depends on the overall eating pattern and does not replace medical follow-up.

In people with type 2 diabetes, trials of soluble fibre supplements found improvements in fasting blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin and blood glucose after meals [4]. Results vary depending on the food and the rest of the meal. If you need to adjust carbohydrate intake for diabetes, do so with your healthcare team.

Fibre from some grains supports satiety, although trials show little evidence that people then eat less [5]. Reviews associate higher fibre intake with lower cardiovascular and colorectal cancer risk [6]. Much of this evidence comes from observational studies: it describes associations in large groups of people and does not guarantee the same outcome for each person.

The World Cancer Research Fund considers the evidence linking fibre-containing foods with lower colorectal cancer risk to be strong [7]. It is useful to consider the overall pattern, including pulses, whole grains, vegetables and fruit. For information about the relationship with gut bacteria, see our guide to the gut microbiota.

Recommended intake and what people eat in Spain

For adults, EFSA sets an adequate intake of 25 g of fibre a day [8]. This is a population reference, and intake should be increased gradually. Tolerance and health conditions may change the advice for each person.

In the ANIBES study published in 2017, average fibre intake was 12.6 g a day among all adults. Among those with plausible dietary records, it was 15.9 g [9]. These figures describe that study sample; they are not a current estimate for all of Spain.

Does fibre from a supplement work like fibre from food?

An isolated fibre may have a specific effect, such as the effect on cholesterol described above [3]. This does not show that any supplement provides the same benefits as pulses, vegetables or fruit. Depending on the food, these also provide water, protein, vitamins or minerals.

If you need a supplement for a clinical reason, your doctor or dietitian-nutritionist prescribes it. You do not need to buy one to start adding variety to your meals. Cereals marketed as “with fibre” raise a separate shopping question, covered in our guide to breakfast cereals.

When fibre needs an individual plan

During a flare-up of inflammatory bowel disease, texture and tolerance may require temporary adjustments. If you have a stricture, a narrowing of the intestine, some high-fibre foods may worsen symptoms. Your medical team must assess your situation before you increase your fibre intake [10].

For SIBO, no fibre plan or specific diet has been shown to treat it on its own [11, 12]. If gas or pain increases, we review which foods, amounts and preparations you tolerate, in coordination with your doctor. Avoid eliminating whole food groups on your own.

If your main concern is having a bowel movement, you can find specific guidance in our constipation guide. If you have high cholesterol, our cholesterol guide explains how fibre fits into treatment and follow-up.

A higher-fibre day, without counting every gram

This example day combines several food groups. For breakfast, have plain yoghurt with oats and fruit. For lunch, have lentils with cooked vegetables. For a snack, have a piece of fruit and a small handful of almonds. For dinner, have an omelette with artichokes and wholemeal bread. Adjust portions to your appetite and circumstances.

What we see in consultations

In consultations, we find that the number on the label distracts from the amount eaten. A sprinkle of seeds can contribute some fibre; a serving of pulses provides more. It is also common to add oats, nuts and pulses on the same day, then attribute discomfort to just one food.

We ask what changed, how much you ate and how you prepared it. Cooking pulses thoroughly or choosing cooked vegetables may make the transition more comfortable. How you feel can help guide the next step, and one difficult day with a food does not make that food bad for you.