Top 10 High Fiber Low Calorie Foods

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard. In order to eat healthy, you must first make the right food choices. There are NO "magic foods" that we can eat all day and still lose weight. But there are some foods that are relatively low in calories yet have high nutritive value, either because they are high in fiber, phytonutrients such as antioxidants, or high in protein. Vegetables, fruits, and grains are normally low in fat and have no cholesterol. Most are great sources of dietary fiber, complex carbs, and vitamins. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat foods that are high in complex carbs and fiber.

There are some criteria to choose these top ten foods, besides of their nutritional value, energy density, and volume. Fruits and vegetables with lots of water are often lower energy density, but the primary criteria for the list is fiber.  Train your family especially children to snack on these top ten foods rather than chips and sodas and you’ll be ahead of the nutrition curve before you know it.

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1. Raspberries rank as one of the highest high fiber low calorie foods, at 8.0 grams of fiber and just 64 calories per serving (1-cup) (1 calorie per raspberry).

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2. Pears have about 5.1 grams of fiber and only 51 calories for a medium sized pear.

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3. Apples provide about 4.4 grams of fiber, at roughly 55 calories for a small apple.

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4. Blueberries provide about 3.5 grams of fiber, and roughly 40 calories for 50 berries.

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5. Strawberries provide about 3.3 grams of fiber and average about 2 calories per strawberry.

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6. Black beans – 1 cup has 15 grams of fiber – along with 15 grams of protein – and just 227 calories.

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7. Whole-wheat spaghetti weighs in at 6.3 g of fiber per serving and approximately 174 calories per 1-cup serving (always check the label as brands vary)

8. One cup of oatmeal provides 4.0 grams of fiber and about 60 calories per serving

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9. Whole wheat or multigrain breads offer 1.9 grams per slice and about 65 calories per slice (always check the label as brands vary)

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10. Cooked peas, at a whopping 8.8 g of fiber and a low 67 calories per cup serving size. Turn a cup of peas into instant soup with a stick blender and some vegetable stock.