Your best fiber choices

Nutritious foods that can help you get more daily fiber include:

• Whole-grains such as barley, bulgur, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread or pasta.
• Fruits.
• Vegetables.
• Beans, peas and other legumes.
• Nuts and seeds.

Refined or processed foods usually are lower in fiber. The grain-refining process removes the outer coat, called bran, from the grain. That lowers the amount of fiber and other nutrients in the grain.

Examples of refined grains include white bread, pasta and cereals that aren't made with whole grains. Also, removing the skin from fruit or the pulp from fruit juice lowers fiber. Enriched foods have some of the B vitamins and iron added back after processing, but not the fiber.