Which common foods have the most fiber?

Beans, peas and lentils lead by a wide margin

Ranked by the serving most people would actually eat, the top of the list is not close. 9 of the 10 foods with the most fiber per serving are beans, peas or lentils. A cup of black beans (canned) has 18.2 g, followed by split peas (14.8 g), kidney beans (14.4 g) and lentils (14.2 g). Every one of the 11 beans, peas and lentils measured by the cup has at least 8.0 g, which is 29% of the 28 g Daily Value printed on food labels. A single cup of lentils covers 51% of it.

The only other food in the top 10 is a cereal made to be high in fiber: a cup of bran flakes has 10.3 g, against 1.1 g for corn flakes.

The dashed line in the ranking marks 5.6 g, 20% of the Daily Value, the share at which the Food and Drug Administration lets a label call a food "high in" fiber. 25 of the 74 foods reach it in the servings shown: 11 beans, peas and lentils, 7 vegetables, 4 grain foods, 3 fruits, and 0 nuts or seeds. FDA measures that claim against its own reference serving for each kind of food, which can differ from the household servings used here, so treat the line as a yardstick rather than a label rule.

Fruit and vegetables vary more than their reputation

"Eat more fruit and vegetables" is good general advice, but for fiber the choice within each group matters. Among fruit, a cup of raspberries has 9.8 g, 4.6 times as much as a banana (2.1 g). A pear (5.6 g) and half an avocado (5.0 g) are next to the berries, while grapes are at the bottom of the fruit list with 1.4 g per cup.

Among vegetables, the leaders are starchy or dense: green peas (7.2 g per cup), an artichoke (7.1 g), a cup of canned pumpkin (6.9 g) and a baked potato eaten with its skin (6.3 g). Leafy greens tell two stories. A cup of raw kale weighs little and has just 1.0 g, and a cup of lettuce 0.5 g, yet cooked greens shrink, so a cup of cooked collard greens holds far more leaf and has 5.6 g.

Whole grains carry far more fiber than refined ones

The grain comparisons are the clearest everyday swaps in the data. A slice of whole-wheat bread has 2.2 g against 0.6 g for white bread (3.4 times as much). A cup of brown rice has 2.0 g against 0.6 g for white rice, and whole-grain pasta 5.5 g against 2.5 g. Oatmeal, often thought of as the high-fiber breakfast, has 4.1 g in a cooked cup: respectable, but less than a cup of bran flakes or bulgur.

Seeds and nuts are rich by weight, modest by the handful

Switch the ranking to Per 100 grams and the order changes completely. Chia seeds lead with 34.4 g per 100 g, and the top five by weight are chia seeds, flax seeds, bran flakes cereal, air-popped popcorn, and shredded wheat cereal: dry, dense foods. But nobody eats 100 grams of chia seeds. A tablespoon has 3.6 g, and an ounce of almonds 3.0 g. None of the 11 nuts and seeds reaches the 5.6 g line in a typical serving. That is why lists of "high-fiber foods" ranked by weight alone can mislead: they reward foods eaten by the spoonful.

Per calorie, vegetables and berries win

Per 100 calories answers a different question: how much fiber a food brings for the energy it adds. Here Collard greens lead with 12.6 g per 100 kcal, and the top five are collard greens, blackberries, raspberries, artichoke, and okra. 7 of the top 10 are vegetables, and the first nut or seed, Chia seeds, comes in at number 12. Almonds have 1.7 g per 100 calories, raspberries 11.4 g.

A "healthy" day can still fall short

The day builder starts with an example that many people would call a high-fiber day: oatmeal, banana, 2 servings of whole-wheat bread, apple, broccoli, and brown rice. It adds up to 20.6 g, or 73% of the Daily Value, still 7.4 g short. Adding one cup of lentils brings the same day to 34.8 g.

Most Americans eat less than even that example. In the federal What We Eat in America survey, adults 20 and over averaged 16.3 g of fiber a day in August 2021–August 2023: 17.7 g for men and 15.0 g for women. The adult average is 58% of the Daily Value, a gap of 11.7 g, about what one cup of beans or lentils adds.

The Daily Value is a labeling reference for a 2,000-calorie diet, not a personal target. The National Academies' recommendation, the Adequate Intake, scales with energy: 14 grams for every 1,000 calories, so people who eat more need more. Either way, the survey means are well below the reference.

What this comparison does not tell you

• These are averages for foods as USDA describes them. A brand of bread, a variety of apple or a can of beans can differ from the figures here. The Nutrition Facts label on a package is the better guide for that product.
• Preparation changes the numbers. The database lists separate entries for raw and cooked, canned and dried, with and without skin. Each food here uses one stated form; the table and the download name the exact USDA entry.
• Fiber is not one thing. Total dietary fiber combines many kinds, which behave differently in the body. This page compares grams, not health effects.
• Survey averages are not shares of people. The intake figures are means from one day of reported eating. They do not say how many Americans fall short, and they exclude fiber supplements.
• This is not dietary advice. People with digestive conditions, or who are adding a lot of fiber quickly, should talk to a clinician or registered dietitian.

Which foods have the most fiber?

Per serving, beans, peas and lentils: a cup of black beans has 18.2 g, and every bean, pea or lentil measured by the cup here has at least 8.0 g. By weight alone, seeds such as chia and flax lead, but they are eaten by the spoonful. Use the ranking's three measures to compare the way that matters to you.

Which fruit has the most fiber?

Raspberries lead the fruits here (9.8 g per cup), followed by blackberries, a pear and half an avocado. A banana has 2.1 g. Choose Fruit in the ranking to see all 14.

Which vegetables are high in fiber?

Green peas (7.2 g per cup), artichokes, canned pumpkin, a baked potato with its skin and winter squash lead the vegetables here. Raw salad greens are light, so a cup holds little fiber. Choose Vegetables to see all 20.

How much fiber is in beans?

Between 8.0 g and 18.2 g per cup for the beans, peas and lentils here, depending on the kind and whether they are canned or cooked from dried. Half a cup has half as much.

How much fiber should I eat in a day?

Food labels use a Daily Value of 28 g, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The National Academies' Adequate Intake is 14 grams per 1,000 calories. U.S. adults averaged 16.3 g a day in the latest national survey. Your own needs depend on your age, size and health; a clinician or registered dietitian can advise.

What counts as a "high-fiber" food?

On a label, a food can be called "high in" fiber when one reference serving has at least 20% of the Daily Value (5.6 g), and a "good source" at 10% (2.8 g). The ranking draws the 5.6 g line for the servings shown here, which are household amounts rather than FDA's reference servings.

Why do the numbers differ from a package label?

These are USDA averages for a food as described in its database, such as "black beans, from canned". A specific product, brand or recipe can have more or less, and labels round their values. For a packaged food, its own Nutrition Facts label is the better guide.

Can I reuse the data?

Yes. The CSV download lists every food with its USDA food code, description, portion and values. USDA's FoodData Central data are in the public domain; please credit the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the source.