8 Foods With More Fiber Than Oatmeal

Fiber is one of the hardest working nutrients in our bodies, but eating enough of it can sometimes feel like a challenge. Happily, it's present in a lot of foods, so achieving the USDA's daily recommended intake for adults of 28 grams, isn't as tough as we might think. Many people, looking to boost the fiber in their diet, will reach for a packet of oatmeal — and they'd be wise to do so. A 100-gram serving of whole grain, steel cut oats packs 12 grams of fiber, closely followed by whole grain rolled old-fashioned oats with a fraction over 10 grams.

The fiber in this Kellogg's cereal blows them both out of the water, but as much as we love a bowl of something sweet 'n' crunchy, foodies cannot live by breakfast cereal alone! Using the USDA's measurements for either 100 grams or a single cup, we did the math to find out which ingredients served up more fiber than oatmeal. Interestingly, flax seeds and cacao nibs weighed in at 27.3 grams and 28.6 grams respectively, but only if we chowed down on 100 grams of them! We recommend perhaps pairing them with some of the entries on our list to get a hefty fiber punch.

We're fans of this flexible fruit, which is full of nutritional perks. Among them is the more-than 15 grams of fiber contained in a 230-gram cup. Some people might think that's a lot but it's a little more than a single avocado. We can scarf one without really thinking too much about it, but a couple of the diced fruit, added to a salad will go a long way to reaching your daily fiber goal.

Yes, you read that right. A 100-gram serving of arguably the ultimate movie snack will provide a not-to-be-sniffed-at 14.5 grams of fiber, though it does depend how you serve it. It goes without saying that a bowl of home-made, air-fried popcorn dusted with this spicy seasoning, or some olive oil and herbs, will be better for us than the store-bought kind slathered in butter or caramel.

Edamame can be confused with lima beans, but the two are very different. For a start, a cup (188 grams) of big, buttery lima beans has 13.2 grams of fiber, compared to the roughly 5 grams offered by 100 grams of edamame! If you're not sure what to do with a can of lima beans, we love adding them to a slow-cooked, white fish stew, made with carrots and onions, as they always bring their creaminess to the entire dish.

A cup of split peas can do more than just make an old-school winter soup. They'll help thicken any dish, while bringing an earthy sweetness to the flavor, which your tastebuds will appreciate. They also happen to be bursting with fiber too, with just over 16 grams of the stuff in a single cup of boiled unsalted split peas. If you have some lurking at the back of your pantry, bring them out and let them shine.

We've previously covered the foods with more fiber than lentils using a half-cup measurement. But a full cup — equating to 198 grams — of these legumes puts oats in the shade, serving up 15.6 grams of fiber. If someone's not a fan of seeing lentils on their plate, hide them in a spaghetti sauce or blitz them into a curry, and they'll never know the nutritional goodness in every forkful.

Few fruits can beat the fiber in oats, so they're often teamed with breakfasts to help fill us up. Not so a cup of dried figs. It packs an impressive 14.6 grams of fiber of which 12.4 grams is insoluble, the kind that helps digestion. Dried figs are an easy and appealing snack on their own, but they'll make a delicious addition to breads, muffins, and cakes.

If your attempts to make hummus always end in disaster, don't let that stop you from investing in a can or two of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). A 164-gram cup just squeaks past steel-rolled oats, with 12.5 grams of fiber, and this protein-packed powerhouse is useful in myriad recipes. We love adding them to a rich tomato sauce to give it a nutty edge, or whizzing them into a green soup to thicken and enrich it.

Back in the day, prunes were a popular flavor in baked goods, tasting delicious (as well as keeping everyone regular). The 12.4 grams of fiber in every cup of dried, pitted prunes is why they make it to our list, but it's not the only reason. These rich fruits pair amazingly with pork and bring their signature sweetness to many breads, while a dash of prune purée can make boxed brownies magical.