Best Foods for Fiber

We all know we are supposed to have fiber on a daily basis. But what we might not know is how much we are supposed to eat on a daily basis -- 25-35 grams.

Why fiber? Aside from filling you up and causing you to eat less, there are more serious reasons including preventing chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

In a recent article on Everydayhealth.com they have a list of 10 food just full of fiber.

1. Apples -A whole medium apple has about 3.5 grams of fiber. But keep the peel on because the fiber content drops to 1.7 grams if you take it off.

2. Artichoke - 10 grams of fiber.. who knew!

3. Avocado - Between 11 and 17 grams

4. Barley - Half-cup serving of cooked barley contains about 4 grams

5. Beans - Navy, Kidney, Garbanzo - How much do we have to eat? 1/2 cup of Navy beans provides 10 grams of fiber. 1/2 cup of baked beans, lentils, black beans, pinto beans, and garbanzos have between 7.5 and 9 grams of fiber

6. Broccoli Though this is kind of low at 2 grams of fiber per cup, it's just such a great food that they had to include it on the list. It also has contains 2 grams of protein, 288 mg of potassium, and 43 mg of calcium. And I have to add that it opens up the airways when you are fighting a chest cold.

7. Oatmeal, Whole-Grain Cereal - 5 grams

8. Papaya - Per cup 2.5 grams

9. Berries - Especially raspberries -- a whopping 8 grams per one cup.

10. Pumpkin - 2.5 per cup