If you’re aiming to increase your intake of dietary fiber, then vegetables are a great place to start.
However, there are hundreds of different vegetables, and their fiber content can vary significantly.
In this article, we present a list of vegetables featuring some of the highest fiber values. For each vegetable, you can see how much fiber it contains per 100g and per typical cooked serving, and we’ll also suggest a high-fiber pairing to combine it with.
The daily value for fiber intake is 28 grams per day, based on a 2000-calorie diet. This is equivalent to 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories of food intake.
Vegetables With High Fiber Content
First, we’ll list some of the most fiber-rich vegetables in order of their total fiber content per typical cooked serving.
The data source for nutritional values is primarily the USDA’s FoodData Central database. Where USDA fiber data was unavailable for a cooked vegetable, we have used the NCC database as a source.
1) Acorn Squash
Acorn squash is among the most significant vegetable sources of fiber per cup serving.
Fiber per 205g cup serving (cubes): 9.02g
Fiber per 100g: 4.4g
Pairing suggestion: Combine with a serving of chickpeas.
While fresh straw mushrooms are not as widely available as more common mushrooms, they contain higher levels of fiber. However, they are available in canned form from larger grocery stores as well as specialist Asian grocery stores.
Fiber per 182g cup serving: 4.55g
Fiber per 100g: 2.5g
Pairing suggestion: Mix with buckwheat noodles and bamboo shoots in a stir-fry.
Which Vegetables Have the Most Fiber Per 100 Calories?
If you want to add fiber-rich vegetables to their diet without significantly increasing your calorie intake, then this is for you.
In the following table, you can see the vegetables from this guide ranked in a ‘top ten’ list by the amount of fiber they provide per 100 calories.
We have calculated the ‘fiber per 100 calories’ metric by:
Dividing the vegetable’s fiber content per 100g by the amount of calories it provides per 100g
Multiplying this figure by 100 to get the total fiber per 100 calories figure
The vegetables with the highest rankings contain high amounts of fiber while also being low in calories.
All nutritional data is from the same (primarily USDA) sources as referenced earlier in the article.
Rank
Vegetable
Fiber per 100g
Calories per 100g
Fiber per 100 calories
1
Escarole
2.8g
15 kcal
18.66g
2
Collards
4.0g
33 kcal
12.12g
3
Savoy cabbage
2.8g
24 kcal
11.66g
4
Okra
2.5g
22 kcal
11.36g
5
Kale
4.0g
36 kcal
11.11g
6
Artichoke
5.7g
53 kcal
10.75g
7
Beet greens
2.9g
27 kcal
10.74g
8
Spinach
2.4g
23 kcal
10.43g
9
Cauliflower
2.3g
23 kcal
10.0g
10
Broccoli
3.3g
35 kcal
9.43g
As the table shows, the vegetables with the most fiber per 100 calories aren’t always the same as those with the highest content per serving.
If you are looking to add the absolute most fiber, then the per 100g and per serving metrics are the most useful. However, the vegetables in the table are among the best choices for adding fiber to your diet for relatively few additional calories.
Michael works as a nutritionist in a community setting and holds a Master's degree in Clinical Nutrition. He is a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) with the Association for Nutrition (AfN), and has published peer-reviewed research.
