No doubt apples are commonly considered a good choice for enhancing overall health as they are easy to find, inexpensive and known for their valuable nutritional content.
Apples play a key role in maintaining a healthy gut. An average apple offers around 4g of fiber, which acts as fuel for beneficial gut bacteria.
Apples are beneficial for digestion because they contain two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble which support healthy digestion.
Soluble fiber helps regulate digestion, while insoluble fiber aids in moving waste through the digestive system.
Experts recommend women consume at least 25 grams of fiber daily and men at least 31 grams.
But do you know that there are foods that have more fiber than apples?
Raspberries:
Raspberries and blackberries are the top choices for fiber among berries, providing around 8 grams of fiber per cup, along with vitamin C.
While, strawberries and blueberries have less fiber, they are still healthy and fiber-rich.
Black beans:
Black beans are an excellent source of fiber, with 6 grams of fiber in a 1/2 cup serving. They also provide 7 grams of protein in the same amount.
It’s also adviced to rinse canned beans before using them to lower their sodium content.
Sweet potatoes:
A medium sweet potato with the skin on contains about 5 grams of fiber. Eating the skin is highly recommended as it contributes to the fiber content.
Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin A, which is beneficial for vision and immune health.
Whole-wheat pasta:
Choosing whole-wheat pasta instead of white pasta is an easy way to increase your fiber intake.
A 1-cup serving of whole-wheat pasta provides 7 grams of fiber, while the same amount of white pasta contains only 2 grams of fiber.
Chickpeas:
Chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans are high in fiber with about 6 grams of fiber in a 1/2-cup serving of cooked chickpeas.