Along with adequate fluid, including a high-fiber diet plan is extremely important for a properly functioning digestive system. However, by adding high-fiber foods to our diet, we can lower the risk of various diseases such as strokes, regulate blood sugar level, control weight, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type-2 diabetes, etc.
Legumes are an excellent source of fiber; they include beans, lentils, different types of peas, nuts, and seeds.
Beans are a major source of nutrients. They contain a significant amount of fiber, protein, iron, carbohydrate, and other essential nutrients. The soluble fiber in beans helps in lowering cholesterol levels. Intaking beans on a regular basis lowers the risk of overweight and obesity. There are many varieties of beans which are commonly available.
Soybeans include in them the highest content of fiber and are full of calories and proteins. Per 100 gram of roasted soybean contains 17.7 gram of fiber.
Navy bean is an outstanding source of fiber and protein, which contains 24.4 gram per 100 grams of fiber.
Cranberry beans are another type of commonly available bean with high fiber content: per 100 grams of cranberry beans contain 24.7 gram of fiber.
Kidney beans are mainly comprised of fiber, calories, carbohydrates, and protein. Per 100 grams cooked kidney beans comprise 7.4 gram of dietary fiber.
Pinto beans, black beans, white beans, French beans, adzuki beans, and great northern beans are some other commonly available beans with very good nutritional values along with high fibers.
Lentils are rich in fiber, protein and minerals also consist of many other nutrients. Like beans, lentils grow in pods. There are varieties of lentils, they vary in color, shape, size, and taste. 100 grams of cooked lentils provides 116 calories, 10.7 gram of fiber and 25 grams of protein and a very negligible amount of fat.
Different types of peas such as split peas, chickpeas, cow peas, and pigeon peas are some other legumes with a good source of fiber and other essential nutrients.
A daily intake of nuts and seeds can provide a significant amount of fiber to our diet. When including nuts in our high-fiber diet plans, we can include almond, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanut, walnut, pecan and dried coconut. Seeds such as flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, etc., are other foods with high fiber and other essential nutrients.
Therefore, legumes contribute greatly to high-fiber diet plans. For a proper health benefit, it is necessary to add these high-fiber foods in high-fiber diet plans.