skip to main content
For New Patients
Healtheuniversity > English > Cardiac College > Eat Healthy > Fibre > How Can You Get More Fibre?

How Can You Get More Fibre?

image of black grapes open bag of chips Learn how to choose healthy beverages and snacks View Videos
  • Start your day with a high-fibre cereal. Try steel cut oats, Bran buds® or Fibre 1® cereal. Add fruit.
  • Sprinkle ground flax, psyllium or oat bran on top of foods. Use them when you bake.
  • Plan your meals and snacks to always include fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables.
  • Cover half of your plate with vegetables. The more colour on your plate, the better.
  • Add legumes and beans to recipes. Put kidney beans or chickpeas in salads or rice dishes. Add lentils or black beans to soups. Replace ground meat with crumbled extra-firm tofu in a chili or lasagna. Include a bean salad as a side dish.

How Much Fibre is in Food?

See an example menu showing how to eat enough fibre (25 to 50 grams) in a day »

Vegetables

Food Serving Size​ Total Fibre (g)
Artichoke, cookedmedium4.7
Asparagus, cooked6 spears1.8
Beans, snap (Italian, green or yellow)  cooked125 mL (½ cup)2.1
Beets, skinless, cooked125 mL (½ cup)1.8
Broccoli, cooked125 mL (½ cup)2.0
Brussels sprouts, cooked125 mL (½ cup)3.0
Carrots, cooked125 mL (½ cup)2.2
Carrot, raw1 medium1.5
Collard greens, cooked125 mL (½ cup)4.0
Corn, yellow on or off the cob, cooked125 mL (½ cup)2.1
Eggplant, cooked125 mL (½ cup)1.3
Kale, cooked125 mL (½ cup)1.4
Okra, cooked125 mL (½ cup)2.1
Peas, green, cooked125 mL (½ cup)5.6
Pepper, green or redmedium1.1
Potato, white, with skin, baked1 small2.9
Rapini, cooked½ cup1.8
Spinach, cooked½ cup2.3
Spinach, raw1 cup0.7
Sweet potato, cooked, skinless125 mL (½ cup)3.5
Squash, cooked125 mL (½ cup)1.3
Turnip, cooked125 mL (½ cup)1.6
Back to Top

Fruit

Food Serving Size​ Total Fibre (g)
Apple with skin1 medium3.5
Apricots, raw, with skin32.1
Apricots, dried60 mL (¼ cup)1.7
Avocado1/2 fruit6.7
Banana1 medium2.1
Blueberries125 ml (½ cup)2.0
Figs, dried21.6
Fig, fresh22.9
Mango½ fruit1.7
Nectarine, raw with skin1 medium2.3
Orange1 medium2.3
Peach, raw with skin1 medium2.9
Pear, with skin1 medium5.3
Pineapple125 mL (1/2 cup)1.2
Prunes, dried32.1
Plum, with skin1 medium 1.1
Raspberries125 mL (½ cup)4.2
Strawberries125 mL (1/2 cup)2.0
Back to Top

Grains & Cereals

Food Serving Size​ Total Fibre (g)
Bran Buds (with Psyllium)30 g (1/3 cup)11.2
Barley, pearled, cooked125 mL (½ cup)2.0
Bread, whole grain30 g (1 slice)2.1
Brown rice, medium grain, cooked125 mL (½ cup)2.0
Bread, rye35 g (1 slice)1.4
Bran cereal (non-flake)30 g (1/2 cup)9.7
Crisp bread crackers, rye3 crackers5.0
Melba toast, whole wheat4 crackers1.5
Oat bran, cooked175 mL (¾ cup)5.9
Oatmeal, cooked175 g (3/4 cup)3.7
Cheerios™30 g (1 cup)3.2
Pasta , cooked (whole wheat)125 mL (½ cup)2.1
Quinoa, cooked125 mL (1/2 cup)2.7
Back to Top

Meat Alternatives - Plant Proteins

Food Serving Size​ Total Fibre (g)
Almonds60 mL (1/4 cup)3.8
Black beans, cooked250 mL (1 cup)12.7
Chickpeas, cooked250 mL (1 cup)7.9
Cashews33 g (1/4 cup)1.0
Edamame, (soybean, green, cooked)125 mL (½ cup)4.0
Flax seed (linseed),  ground15 ml (1 Tbsp)1.9
Kidney beans, cooked250 mL (1 cup)12.3
Lentils, cooked250 mL (1 cup)8.9
Lima beans, cooked250 mL (1 cup)9.5
Soybean, cooked250 mL (1 cup)11.4
Sunflower seeds, dry roasted60 mL (1/4 cup)3.6
Tofu, fried pieces150 g (¾ cup)5.8
Peanuts 60 mL (1/4 cup)3.1

Source: "Canadian Nutrient File 2015."

Back to Top

Example Menu

Here is a sample day’s menu showing how to eat enough fibre (25 to 50 grams) in one day.

Breakfast Amount of Fibre (g)​
Oatmeal, cooked 175 g (3/4 cup)3.7
Blueberries, ½ cup2.0
Soy beverage or skim milk, 1 cup0
Almonds, ¼ cup3.8
Flax seed (linseed),  ground, 1 tbsp1.9
Breakfast Total​ ​11.4
Lunch​ Amount of Fibre (g)​
Spinach salad, 3 cups2.1
Chickpeas, canned, low sodium, 1 cup7.9
Cherry tomatoes, 151.5
Banana2.1
Whole grain bread, 1 slice 2.1
Homemade dressing, olive oil & balsamic vinegar0
Water0
Lunch Total ​15.7
Dinner Amount of Fibre (g)​
Grilled salmon, 4 oz (120 g)0
Rapini, cooked, 1 cup3.7
Carrots, cooked, ½ cup2.2
Quinoa, cooked, 1 cups5.4
Water0
Dinner Total​ ​11.3
TOTAL FIBRE for the Day​38.4 g
Back to Top
Last Reviewed: