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Soluble vs Insoluble Fiber Foods - 43 Foods Compared

Researched and Written by:
Richelle Godwin, RDN Richelle Godwin, RDN

You may have heard of fiber being broken down into two categories: soluble or insoluble. If a fiber is soluble, it can dissolve in water, whereas insoluble fibers cannot. And if you've been trying to work out which foods are high in soluble fiber vs insoluble fiber, you've come to the right place! We look at the exact fiber content of 43 popular foods.

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    Solubility has been used as a general descriptor to classify how fiber might behave in the body. In the past, soluble fibers were associated with aiding blood sugar control and lowering cholesterol. In contrast, insoluble fibers were thought to help with bowel movement frequency and stool bulking.

    While there are some truths in those associations, fiber categories are a bit more nuanced and complex beyond just solubility.

    Three better characteristics to consider when evaluating isolated fiber types and their impact on the body include: fermentability, viscosity, and bulking. 2, 6 

    But that can get a bit complicated (we know!).

    So for now, let's take a simple look at soluble vs insoluble fiber foods and see the fiber content in 43 popular high fiber foods.

    As you'll see in the table below...the interesting thing...is all foods high in fiber have a bit of BOTH soluble and insoluble fiber.

    List of Insoluble and Soluble Fiber Content of Foods 

    Source

    Dietary Fiber (g/ 100g edible portion)

    Total Fiber

    Insoluble

    Soluble

    Grains

    Oats

    10.3

    6.5

    3.8

    Rice (dry)

    1.3

    1.0

    0.3

    Rice (cooked)

    0.7

    0.7

    0.0

    Wheat (whole grain)

    12.6

    10.2

    2.3

    Wheat Germ

    14.0

    12.9

    1.1

    Legumes and Pulses 

    Green Beans

    1.9

    1.4

    0.5

    Peas, green, frozen

    3.5

    3.2

    0.3

    Kidney beans, canned

    6.3

    4.7

    1.6

    Lentils, raw

    11.4

    10.3

    1.1

    Lima beans, canned

    4.2

    3.8

    0.4

    White beans, raw

    17.7

    13.4

    4.3

    Vegetables

    Potato, no skin

    1.3

    1.0

    0.3

    Bitter gourd

    16.6

    13.5

    3.1

    Beetroot

    7.8

    5.4

    2.4

    Fenugreek leaves

    4.9

    4.2

    0.7

    Spinach, raw

    2.6

    2.1

    0.5

    Turnips

    2.0

    1.5

    0.5

    Tomato, raw

    1.2

    0.8

    0.4

    Green onions, raw

    2.2

    2.2

    0.0

    Eggplant

    6.6

    5.3

    1.3

    Cucumbers, peeled

    0.6

    0.5

    0.1

    Cauliflower, raw

    1.8

    1.1

    0.7

    Celery, raw

    1.5

    1.0

    0.5

    Carrot, raw

    2.5

    2.3

    0.2

    Broccoli, raw

    3.29

    3.00

    0.29

    Fruits

    Apple, unpeeled

    2.0

    1.8

    0.2

    Kiwi

    3.39

    2.61

    0.8

    Mango

    1.8

    1.06

    0.74

    Pineapple

    1.2

    1.1

    0.1

    Pomegranate

    0.6

    0.49

    0.11

    Watermelon

    0.5

    0.3

    0.2

    Grapes

    1.2

    0.7

    0.5

    Oranges

    1.8

    0.7

    1.1

    Plums

    1.6

    0.7

    0.9

    Strawberry

    2.2

    1.3

    0.9

    Bananas

    1.7

    1.2

    0.5

    Peach

    1.9

    1.0

    0.9

    Pear

    3.0

    2.0

    1.0

    Nuts and Seeds

    Almonds

    11.2

    10.1

    1.1

    Coconut, raw

    9.0

    8.5

    0.5

    Peanut, dry, roasted

    8.0

    7.5

    0.5

    Sesame seed

    7.79

    5.89

    1.90

    Flaxseed

    22.33

    10.15

    12.18

    Evidence Based

    An evidence hierarchy is followed to ensure conclusions are formed off of the most up-to-date and well-designed studies available. We aim to reference studies conducted within the past five years when possible.

    • Systematic review or meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
    • Randomized controlled trials
    • Controlled trials without randomization
    • Case-control (retrospective) and cohort (prospective) studies
    • A systematic review of descriptive, qualitative, or mixed-method studies
    • A single descriptive, qualitative, or mixed-method study
    • Studies without controls, case reports, and case series
    • Animal research
    • In vitro research

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