Got roughage? According to the FDA, the average American doesn’t get enough fiber. Eating a balanced diet that consists of a variety of fruits and veggies is the easier-said-than-done solution, especially when you’re always on the go between work, school, and family, with little time to even cook a healthy meal. Incorporating more high-fiber snacks into your daily menu, however, might be more feasible under these circumstances.
To be fair, meeting no more or less than the daily quota of 25 to 30g of fiber can be challenging, and failing to do so can lead to some pretty crummy side effects: If you consume too much fiber, you could experience things like bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea. Consuming too little fiber can result in similar symptoms, plus the potential development of health issues like a poor digestive track, low cholesterol, and chronic inflammation. Having said that, it’s important to talk to a doctor or nutritionist to find out how much fiber you should be trying to consume every day, not just to avoid negative side effects, but also so that your body can start reaping all the benefits of this macronutrient.
According to Noom health coach, Jessica Malloy, MPPD, RDN, LD, fiber foods have several benefits, including “promoting heart health by helping to reduce cholesterol, bulking up the contents of the digestive tract to promote healthy bowel movements, and [helping you] feel full and satiated throughout the day.” High-fiber foods can also help to control post-meal blood sugar levels, Malloy adds, “especially for those individuals with diabetes.”
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So what high-fiber foods should you add to your grocery list? There are different types of high-fiber snacks: The first are fresh produce and whole items that are packed with this vital macronutrient, which Malloy has broken down for us below:
Whole Foods With High Fiber Contents:
- Black beans (7.5g per 1/2 cup serving)
- Navy beans (9.5g per 1/2 cup serving)
- Pears (5.1g in 1 pear)
- Lentils (7.8g per 1/2 cup serving)
- Blackberries (3.8g per 1/2 cup serving)
- Raspberries (4g per 1/2 cup serving)
- Split peas (8.2g per 1/2 cup serving)
- Artichokes (10.3g per 1 medium)
There are also pre-packaged high-fiber snacks, like protein bars, dried fruit, and even better-for-you cookies and candies, that you can keep in your pantry and grab on your way out the door. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best high-fiber snacks on grocery shelves.
1. RIND Snacks Tropical Blend Skin-On Superfruit Snack
One of the best ways to sneak fiber into your diet is through fruits and veggies, but you’re not alone if consuming multiple servings of the fresh stuff isn’t always feasible (or what you’re craving). Dried fruit can be a great alternative, and this writer highly recommends RIND snacks to help meet your daily quota. Made up of kiwi, peach, pineapple and bittersweet orange, the brand’s Tropical Blend is especially loaded with the macronutrient at 7 grams of fiber per serving.
2. Mmmly Dark Chocolate Chip Soft Cookie
Generally speaking, most baked goods aren’t super fibrous, but Mmmly’s healthy snacks are far from average. This better-for-you cookie brand practices what they preach in that each treat has been consciously concocted to curb your sugar craving and serve your body. For example, one Mmmly Dark Chocolate Chip Soft Cookie contains a whopping 6 grams of prebiotic fiber, a mere 3g of sugar derived from apples and monk fruit, and only 4g of net carbs. The cookies are also dairy, gluten, grain, and wheat-free, so a larger variety of snackers can enjoy them.
3. This Bar Saves Lives Chewy Granola Bars
This Bar Saves Lives was co-founded by Kristin Bell, Todd Grinnel, Ravi Patel and Ryan Deblin, and if the star-studded backing doesn’t pique your interest, maybe this will: These delectable high-fiber snack bars (available in a variety of mouth-watering flavors like Dark Chocolate Cherry, Madagascar Vanilla, and PB&J, among others) are non-GMO, gluten-free, fair trade, dairy-free, bee-friendly, kosher, and loaded with nutrition. Each bar contains 14 essential vitamins and minerals, are made with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, and anywhere from 6 to 8 grams of fiber.
4. SkinnyDipped Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Bars
Think chocolate bars are totally void of nutrition? Think again. Not all candy-esque snacking options are made equally; some decadent snack bars, like SkinnyDipped’s new Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Bars, are both delicious and nutritious. Unlike the sugary treats you’d typically find lining your grocery store’s checkout counter, these bars are made with minimal ingredients, like unsweetened chocolate, chicory cane sugar, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. Each Chocolate Salted Caramel bar also contains 6 grams of fiber from chicory root, so you can curb your sugar craving all while filling up on plant-based fiber sure to keep your gut happy, too.
Related: Best Keto-Friendly Snacks
5. RXBAR Variety Pack
One of the most appealing elements of RXBARs, aside from their awesome flavor profiles, is the value they place on ingredient transparency. In fact, the foundational ingredients of each bar are listed on the front of its packaging, and you’ll notice they’re always “simple real food ingredients,” such as egg whites, nuts, and dates, and void of gluten, added sugar, and, as they say, “B.S.” And with 4-5g of fiber and 12g of protein in each serving, they’re solid grab-and-go options for pre- and post-workout fuel.
Related: Best Allergen-Free Snacks
6. Kashi Go Lean Peanut Butter Crunch Clusters Cereal
For all my cereal snackers, this pick is for you. As someone with a digestive disorder who leans on high-fiber cereals to help meet her daily quota, this writer cannot recommend Kashi Go Lean enough. Each box in the plant-powered line is loaded with anywhere from 6 to 13g of plant-derived fiber, plus 9 to 14g of protein to help keep you both satisfied and full. Flavors in the collection include Toasted Berry and Chocolate Crunch, but for this writer, Peanut Butter Crunch is what really hits the spot. It’s sort of reminiscent of Reese’s Puff Cereal, only without chocolate and with way better ingredients. Now that’s a high-fiber snack just about anyone can get behind.
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7. Moku Plant-Based Mushroom Jerky
The fiber content is generally very low in meat jerky, but plant-based jerky is an entirely different entity. Moku’s plant-based mushroom jerky packs a whopping 7g of fiber in each serving, solidifying it as a high-fiber snack. And if you’re iffy about this option’s veggie-packed ingredients list, don’t be: even omnivores say it boasts a meat-like taste.
8. Alani Nu Fit Snack Protein Bars
As far as protein bars go, Alani Nu’s Fit Snacks are among the best. Unlike competitor brands whose bars have a grainy texture and leave a strong protein aftertaste lingering at the back of your throat, these grab-and-go high-fiber snacks taste like candy, with flavors like Blueberry Muffin, Cookies and Cream, and Fruity Cereal to choose from. And while they’re marketed as protein bars, Alani Nu Fit Snacks also double as high-fiber snacks, too, as they yield a solid 4-5g of the macronutrient in each bar.
9. MUSH Overnight Oats
Containers of MUSH are all over social media, and for good reason: Each batch of the overnight oats consists of only six to seven real, whole-food ingredients, like oats, coconut, dates, and fruit, contains zero added sugars, and can be considered a high-fiber snack or meal with anywhere from 4 to 8 grams of the macronutrient in each serving. And with flavors like Apple Cinnamon, Coffee Coconut, and Vanilla Bean on the roster, the breakfast of champions has never sounded so good.
10. Dave’s Killer Bread Organic Powerseed Sandwich Bread
This writer’s new to the Dave’s Killer Bread scene, and wow has she been missing out. One serving of Powerseed yields 5g of protein and 4g of fiber per serving. Add some mashed avocado on top, and you’ve got yourself a high-fiber snack that’s not only delicious but also highly nutritious.
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