Here are 6 Lists of High-Fiber, Low-Calorie Foods that You should know About

There are definitely "magic" foods that will make you put on weight if you eat them every day, but are there magic foods that we can eat all day and lose weight? So far I haven't found any.

But there are some foods that are relatively low in calories yet have high nutritive value because they may be high in fiber, phytonutrients (such as antioxidants), or high in protein. These are foods to keep handy in the pantry, refrigerator, or garden and eat daily.

Train your family – particularly children – to snack on these top ten foods rather than chips and sodas and other processed foods that are often featured heavily in the Standard American Diet (SAD for short) and you’ll be ahead of the nutrition curve before you know it!

To pick the top six high-fiber, low-calorie foods for this list, We looked at nutritional value, energy density, and volume. We want to focus on foods that provide a lot of bang for the buck (i.e., keep us full and have high nutritional value with fewer calories than other choices).

Fruits and vegetables with lots of water are often lower energy density, but my primary criteria for this list is fiber. Why? Fiber is critical. Remember your grandmother telling you to eat more “roughage?” Well, she was right! We need at least 25 grams a day, and ideally 35 grams a day, for a healthy bowel.

I think the correlation between high-fiber diets and lower cancer rates is not just from fiber but from synergistic results of higher intake of fruits and vegetables (since the ideal high fiber diet is high in fruits and vegetables) and because fruits and vegetables provide prebiotic fiber that feeds the probiotics [aka the good bugs] in your gut.

These little beauties are essential for all sorts of functions [and deserve a few more blog posts on their own!]. Fruits and vegetables are also high in antioxidants and other phytonutrients, hence the synergy.

For this reason, I don't like relying on fiber supplements or processed foods that have fiber added.

Read also: 6 High Carb Low-Calorie Foods: Easy to Get

If you're looking to follow a healthy diet, you'll want to fill your kitchen with high-fiber, low-calorie foods. Not only does fiber help to fill you up and aid with digestion, but it also may reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Foods that are low-calorie help to promote weight loss and tend to be lower in fat and sugar. High-fiber, low-calorie foods are naturally delicious and easy to incorporate into your diet.

Below are 6 high fiber low-calorie foods:

1. Whole Grains

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Packed with fiber and high in protein, iron and B vitamins, whole grains provide a healthy, low-calorie addition to your diet. Oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread are a few options to try. One cup of cooked oatmeal provides 143 calories and 4 grams of filling fiber. Start your day with whole-grain cereal like oatmeal. 

Use whole-grain bread, pitas or wraps for your lunchtime sandwich. Include a side of brown rice, wild rice or quinoa at dinner time. Swap out your usual pasta, pizza crust, and tortillas for the whole-grain varieties.


2. Strawberries

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Provide about 3.3 grams of fiber and average about 2 calories per strawberry. Choose organic as strawberries are #1 on the EWG dirty dozen list for 2016. Ick. Grow strawberry plants in a barrel or strawberry planter or tuck them into ornamental garden beds where the foliage stays a lovely dark green throughout the summer while providing you with berries. 

I use strawberries as ground cover in some of my gardens - and while I am pretty sure the squirrels steal them, I do get lots to harvest and make jam!


3. Grapefruit

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Is about 90 percent water, and one contains approximately 3.4 grams of fiber – more than 13 percent of your daily fiber needs – and about the same amount as a cup of strawberries, cabbage, cauliflower or beets. 

The amount of fiber in one grapefruit exceeds that found in a banana or in 1 cup of celery or bell peppers. An entire grapefruit has just 78 calories. Grapefruit also contains vitamin C and pectin. Good news, too – grapefruit is on the EWG clean fifteen list – meaning they are one of the 15 produce items lowest in pesticides!

4. Blueberries

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Provide about 3.5 grams of fiber and roughly 40 calories for 50 berries. Choose organic as blueberries are on the EWG dirty dozen list for 2016 (well - they are actually #14 but that is still too high a ranking on this list!).

Again, blueberries grow well here in the Pacific North West, although take a few years to fruit well. Mulch with wood chips as they love acidic soil, and make sure they are in full sun. They even grow well in containers and kids LOVE helping to grow, pick, and eat blueberries! (Hey, I'm a Master Gardener – I can't help throwing in gardening tips!).


5. Raspberries

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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!). They are delicious and we can grow our own here in Oregon! Yay, because they are #23 on the EWG Dirty Dozen for 2016. 

Boo! They also don't transport well, so growing your own avoids that disappointment of spending $5 on a punnet of organic raspberries and finding half of them moldy. Just a few raspberry canes will multiply over several years and you'll find yourself with more fruit that you can use!


6. Fruit

 list of high fiber low calorie foods

The fruit is low in calories, usually 100 calories or less per serving, and is high in fiber and many essential vitamin and minerals. Some fiber-filled options include apples, bananas, pears, oranges, and berries. 

Blueberries, for example, contain 4 grams of fiber and 84 calories per cup. Adults should aim to get 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit per day, while children need 1 to 2 cups per day. Top yogurt with sliced berries for a tasty breakfast, snack on a banana when hunger strikes or reach for grapes or pineapple for a sweet after-dinner treat.
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