20 Delicious Highest Fiber Snacks That Will Benefit Your Health and Keep You Full for Hours

By now, we all have a pretty good idea that fiber is an important part of a healthy diet. High fiber foods keep our bodies well-nourished but travel relatively quickly through our digestive system, helping to give us that "full" feeling. Fiber may also reduce the risk of a number of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer, according to research.

Finding the time and energy to eat high fiber snacks is easier said than done. Because let's be real, you're busy: Whether you're working, helping your kids with school, walking the dog, doing laundry... suddenly, last night's pizza plus a handful of old baby carrots seem like the easiest lunch option. Hey, we can't blame you!

Luckily, increasing fiber intake is easy to do without much heavy lifting (music to your ears, right?) but it's always wise to check with a doctor before making any radical dietary changes. Most experts recommend that women get about 25 grams of fiber a day; for men, it's more like 30 to 38 grams, so to help reach that goal when you're between meals, here's a list of some delicious, easy-to-prepare high fiber snack foods.

20 of the highest fiber snacks

1. Half cup unsweetened almond milk + 2 tablespoons chia seeds. This delicious "chia pudding" contains a whopping 10.5 grams of fiber and 150 calories. Cleveland Clinic's Kate Patton, RD, suggests adding "a variety of different ingredients to change the flavor profile, if you like: vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cocoa powder, powdered peanut butter, honey, maple syrup or agave." That's an amazing variety of flavors right there. Best part: No cooking required!

2. Half cup cottage cheese or Greek yogurt + 1/2 cup blueberries + 2 tablespoons flax seeds. There are roughly 8 grams of fiber in this scrumptious mini-meal, points out Janet Blum, a certified Optavia health coach and registered dietician in New Jersey. The half cup of blueberries offers 2 grams of fiber—and the berries are also very high in antioxidants. "The flax seeds provide another 6 grams of fiber and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, too," she says.

3 and 4. One cup raspberries or blackberries. What could be simpler than snacking on these delicious fruits? Just one cup of these satisfying berries provides about 8 grams of fiber.

Related:22 Low-Carb, Low-Sugar Raspberry Recipes

5. One slice of sprouted grain bread + 1/4 cup mashed avocado. This healthy combo delivers 7 grams of fiber. "I love sprouted grain bread for all its natural goodness," says Patton of Cleveland Clinic. "It's rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. And it has no added sugar or fat." The avocado topping, she adds, "pairs perfectly to soften up this dense bread and provides plenty of fiber and monounsaturated fat for a filling snack."

6. 1/3 cup dry-roasted edamame. This easy-to-eat favorite is a crunchy snack similar to nuts, but it has fewer calories and less fat than nuts—and more fiber and protein than nuts do for a larger serving. A third of a cup of dry-roasted edamame contains 6 grams of fiber, as well as 15 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 130 calories, notes Patton. And as an excellent extra, it's gluten-free and vegan as well.

7. One pear. Who knew? A medium-sized pear offers about 5.5 grams of fiber—and this healthy, easy-to-eat fruit is delicious to boot.

8. One cup raw vegetables + 2 tablespoons of hummus. The raw veggies deliver 5 grams of fiber on their own. Topping them with hummus packs in an additional gram of fiber. Super simple! "Raw vegetables offer extra vitamins and minerals that so many convenience snacks are lacking," declares Patton. And the hummus balances out the snack "with healthy fat and a little protein."

Related: Best Snacks for Kids

9. One oat bran muffin. One medium-sized oat bran muffin contains about 5 grams of fiber. And sure, if you'd rather not go with any of the store-bought versions (in order to control the ingredients), whip up your own!

10. One apple. Just one medium-sized apple, with the skin still on, contains about 4.5 grams of fiber. And check out these super-smart ways to use all the freshly picked apples you snag this fall!

11. A handful of homemade trail mix. Start with your favorite whole grain cereal, such as whole-grain oats, shredded wheat, brown rice crisps or granola. Then, add nuts and dried fruit of your choice "for a versatile, fiber-rich snack," suggests Patton.

12, 13, and 14. One ounce of almonds, pistachios, or sunflower kernels. Just one ounce of healthy-for-you almonds contains about 3.5 grams of fiber. Pistachios are another wise choice, with roughly the same or slightly lower fiber amounts; the same goes for sunflower kernels.

15. One serving of pre-popped, low-calorie popcorn. Patton calls this her "favorite low-calorie, high-volume snack with fiber." The pre-popped, low-calorie brands typically have 3 grams of fiber and 150 calories in roughly a 3.5-cup portion. "Make sure the only ingredients are popcorn, oil, and salt," she says.

16. Any kind of whole-grain, nut or seed-based cracker. "Spread on 1 tablespoon of natural nut butter for an extra 1-2 grams of fiber," advises Patton.

Related: 20 Great Granola Recipes to Snack On

17. One banana. Just one medium-sized banana brings you about 3 grams of fiber. Consuming this healthy snack, convenient for any on-the-run errand, couldn't be an easier way to add fiber to your diet, and the potassium in bananas is also good for your heart. If you'd rather not eat a whole one, add a few slices of banana to your morning bowl of cereal as a fruity fiber extra.

18. One orange. One medium orange adds a juicy 3 grams of fiber to your daily intake and is also a good source of vitamin C. Get peeling and pucker up!

19. If you absolutely want or need a sweet treat, choose high-quality dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has high levels of flavanols, the antioxidants that can be heart-healthy. A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate, with a 70-85 percent cocoa content, likely contains a head-spinning 11 grams of fiber.

20. Jicama. This mild-flavored root veggie native to Mexico (also called a Mexican yam bean) has been gaining in popularity north of the border as a keto-friendly ingredient with digestive benefits. And get this: One medium jicama has 32 grams of fiber. It's a good source of Vitamin C as well.

Next up, check out 20 Foods High in Soluble Fiber. 

Sources

• Metabolism: "The health benefits of dietary fiber: beyond the usual suspects of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colon cancer."

• Kate Patton, registered dietitian with Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition in Ohio

• Janet Blum, certified Optavia health coach and registered dietician