Identifying Sources of Soluble and Insoluble Fiber

Despite its importance as a vital nutrient, many of us aren’t getting enough fiber in our diets. In fact, over 98 percent of Americans don’t eat enough of this important nutrient.¹ But how much fiber should we eat? It’s recommended for women (who are not pregnant or breastfeeding) to strive for roughly 25 g of fiber per day, while men should aim for about 35 g of fiber per day.¹ 

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While eating any fiber is key to supporting better health, it’s important to know that there are two distinct types: soluble and insoluble fiber.   Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance that slows down digestion, whereas insoluble fiber helps stool move through the GI tract and out of the body. For those with a history of gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome² and inflammatory bowel disease,³ or people who are managing metabolic diseases such as MASLD, high cholesterol,⁴ or diabetes,⁵ it can be helpful to know food sources of these fibers so you can add more to your diet.

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Dietary Fiber and Tips for Reading Food Labels

In order to support getting the most bang for your buck fiber-wise, it’s also important to understand what to look for on the nutrition facts label. A food that has 3 g of dietary fiber per 100 g serving, OR is equal to or greater than 10% of the Daily Value (DV) per serving, can be considered a good source of fiber.⁶  If the dietary fiber per serving is 20% DV or more, the food is then considered high fiber.⁶ The image of the nutrition label below helps illustrate a food that would be considered high fiber since 6.7 g of fiber per serving is 27% DV. 

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*References available with PDF download