Dietary fiber is known for its many benefits: improving transit, reducing fat absorption, and balancing intestinal flora. It is therefore often used in the context of hemorrhoidal disorders.

Here are 5 fiber-rich foods to boost your intake without breaking the bank or making it complicated. Keep one number in mind: the recommended fiber intake is 25 to 30g per day for an adult.

70% dark chocolate 🍫 (13g / 100g)

It may seem surprising, but dark chocolate is one of the richest foods in fiber, with 13g of fiber per 100g of chocolate.

It's the cocoa in chocolate that contributes to this high fiber content. The higher the cocoa content, the more fiber it will contain and the less sugar it will contain. Dark chocolate has other benefits: it contains iron, copper, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Be careful to consume chocolate in moderation: it's a fatty food that can lead to weight gain. However, it can be a delicious source of dietary fiber when eaten alongside other foods.

Wholemeal bread 🍞 and wholemeal rice 🍚 (8g / 100g and 3.5 / 100g)

A simple and effective way to increase your fiber intake is to replace white bread and rice with whole -wheat bread and rice.

This substitution is especially important because starchy foods are one of the most likely food types to disrupt your bowel movements. Other starchy foods can be substituted, such as whole-wheat pasta, or are naturally high in fiber, such as quinoa (2.8g/100g).

Banana 🍌 (2.7g / 100g)

Bananas are not the richest fruit in fiber, but their fiber content is quite high . It is similar to that of an apple (2.4g / 100g) and only slightly lower than that of a pear (3.1g / 100g).

Bananas also contain pectin, a soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol and normalize bowel function.

But the main reason for including bananas in this ranking is that they are an accessible and easy-to-eat fruit. They are inexpensive and can easily be carried in a bag and eaten at the right time.

Apples 🍏 and pears 🍐 (2.4g and 3.1g / 100g)

Right behind bananas, we recommend apples and pears . Their fiber content is similar to that of a banana, but they are (marginally) less convenient to eat.

Apples and pears of course have other benefits: they have anti-inflammatory properties (apples are rich in quercetin and pears in flavonoids), vitamin C, and pears are also an excellent source of potassium (190 mg per pear).

The skin of fruits and vegetables!

Finally, don't neglect to eat the skin of fruits and vegetables if you want to fully benefit from their fiber content. In fact, more than half of the fiber can be found in the skin! Here are some examples:

Apple 🍏:

• With skin: 4g of fiber per 100g

• Without skin: 2 g of fiber per 100 g
  → 50% of the fibers are in the skin!

Potato 🥔:

• With skin: 3.3 g of fiber per 100 g

• Without skin: 1 g of fiber per 100 g
  → 70% of the fibers are in the skin.

Carrot 🥕:

• With skin: 2.8 g of fiber per 100 g

• Without skin: 1.5 g of fiber per 100 g
  → About 50% of the fibers are in the skin.

Bottom line: You can increase your fiber intake without breaking the bank or complicating your life. Buy whole-grain bread and rice, eat a banana or an apple every now and then (keeping the skin on after washing it well), and you can even reward yourself with a square or two of dark chocolate!