Soluble fiber is the punch in of fiber that dissolves in water and turns into a gel.
For this reason, soluble fiber is often referred to as fermentable fiber orprebioticfiber.
This article lists 20 foods high in soluble fiber, including their nutritional value and fiber content.
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Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber
As their names suggest, soluble fiber dissolves in water andinsoluble fiberdoes not.
Foods rich in insoluble fiber include wheat bran, whole grains, and certain vegetables.
Carrots contain a bang out of phytonutrient calledcarotenoidsthat are good for the eyes.
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Your body also uses carotenoids to makevitamin A.
Carrots contain a healthy mix of soluble and insoluble fiber.
One medium carrot contains about 1.1 grams of soluble fiber.
Cooking carrots makes them more digestible thaneating them raw.
Cooking these root vegetables doesnt significantly affect their fiber content.
Green Beans
Green beansare an inexpensive and easy way to add soluble fiber to a meal.
Theyre a great source ofvitamin C,potassium, andantioxidantsthat help prevent long-term cell damage.
One cup of cooked green beans contains roughly 1 gram of soluble fiber.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber.
A single serving packs enough vitamin C to meet your daily needs.
Many people avoid Brussels sprouts out of fear they will make them gassy.
One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains roughly 2 grams of soluble fiber.
Raw Brussels sprouts, such as those used for shaved salads, contain slightly more.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are packed with protein and fiber.
Chickpeas can be sprinkled on salads, added to soups and sauces, or roasted in olive oil.
One cup of cooked chickpeas contains more than 4 grams of soluble fiber.
Lentils
Like chickpeas, lentils are legumes that are nutrient-dense and fiber-dense.
They are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber.
These not only include baking potatoes but red-skinned, yellow-skinned, and purple potatoes as well.
One medium potato delivers 2.4 grams of soluble fiber and roughly the same amount of insoluble fiber.
To reduce your intake of insoluble fiber, discard the skin.
This makes sweet potatoes safe for people withdiabetes.
One mediumsweet potatodelivers roughly 2.7 grams of soluble fiber.
One cup of cooked summer squash or zucchini delivers 2.4 grams of soluble fiber.
Eggplant
Eggplant is low in calories and a good source ofmanganese, folate, and potassium.
Roasting eggplant in olive oil makes it both tasty and easier to digest.
As with green beans and Brussels sprouts, okra can cause gas if eaten in excess.
One cup of cooked okra delivers roughly 2 grams of soluble fiber.
Avocados
Avocadosare a great source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and soluble fiber.
Avocados are best eaten raw as cooking them destroys a powerful antioxidant known aslycopene.
One cup of avocado delivers one-third of your daily recommended intake of fiber.
However, most of it is insoluble.
The amount of soluble fiber in a one-cup serving of avocado is 3 grams.
Blueberries
Blueberriesare an excellent fruit-based source of fiber.
They are also high in fructans and an antioxidant calledanthocyaninsthat give blueberries their blue color.
While blueberries can satisfy a sweet tooth, they dont raise blood sugar significantly due to their fiber content.
One cup of fresh blueberries contains about 0.4 grams of soluble fiber.
Blueberries are best when eaten fresh but also can be also frozen and still retain their nutritional value.
One banana delivers around 33% of your recommended daily intake of potassium.
Kiwi
Kiwisare high in vitamin C,vitamin K,vitamin E, folate, and potassium.
Whole fruit is much better than juice, particularly strained juices that remove the pulp.
One cup of raspberries delivers roughly one-quarter to one-third of your total recommended fiber intake per day.
Roughly 26% of the carb count is derived from fiber.
Oatmeal
Oats are an excellent source of fiber and are considered a heart-healthy food.
Oats are a good source of manganese, potassium, magnesium, andzinc.
Oats also contain antioxidants calledavenanthramidesthat are thought to reduce blood pressure.
you’re free to eat raw oats, but they are more digestible when cooked.
One cup of cooked oatmeal contains roughly 3 grams of soluble fiber.
Peanuts
Portable and delicious and packed with nutrients like folate.
They are also high in prebiotic fructans and contain a healthy blend of soluble and insoluble fiber.
Eating 20 large peanuts will deliver roughly 0.6 grams of soluble fiber.
Similarly, one tablespoon of peanut butter offers roughly 0.3 grams of fiber along with 8 grams of protein.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds also make a great portable snack.
Theyre packed with fiber, protein, iron, vitamin B6, and magnesium.
One cup of sunflower seeds contains more than 4 grams of soluble fiber.
Can You Eat Too Much Soluble Fiber?
For most adults, 22 to 34 grams oftotalfiber per day is ample.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Soluble vs. insoluble fiber.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Beans, snap, green, frozen, all styles, microwaved.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Brussels sprouts, raw.
FoodData Central.Sweet potatoes, orange flesh, without skin, raw.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt.
Xie X, Lin M, Xiao G, et al.Phenolic amides (avenanthramides) in oatsan update review.Bioengineered.
South Dartmouth, MA; MDText Inc; 2023.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Kiwi fruit, raw.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Strawberries, raw.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Oats, whole grain, rolled, old fashioned.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Peanuts, all types, raw.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried.