Healthy adults should aim for 25 to 38 grams of fibre per day. You may need to lower your fibre intake for a short time to help manage a medical condition. Low fibre diets often include 10 to 15 grams of fibre per day, but the total amount may depend on your medical condition or symptoms.
Fibre is found in plant foods like whole grains, beans, peas, and lentils, nuts and seeds, vegetables, and fruit. Animal foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and milk products do not have fibre. Cooking, chopping or blending food does not change the amount of fibre. Peeling vegetables and fruit and removing seeds can lower their fibre content.
This handout provides information on fibre amounts in some foods that might be suitable while on a lower fibre diet. For packaged foods, check the Nutrition Facts table for the amount of fibre in a serving. Talk to your healthcare provider or registered dietitian if you have questions about amounts of fibre that are right for you.
Vegetables and Fruit
| Food | Portion Size | Total Fibre (grams) |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | ||
| Bok choy*, boiled or raw | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.4-0.9 |
| Cucumber | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.5 |
| Celery | 1 medium stalk | 0.6 |
| Bamboo shoots, boiled or canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.6-1.0 |
| Spinach, raw | 250mL (1 cup) | 0.7 |
| Lettuce | 250mL (1 cup) | 0.8 |
| Summer squash | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.3 |
| Eggplant | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.3 |
| Pumpkin, boiled | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.4 |
| Onion* | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.4 |
| Cauliflower*, broccoli*, carrots, boiled | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.5-2.2 |
| Tomato | 1 medium | 1.5 |
| Yellow or green beans, boiled | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.6 |
| Beets, boiled | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.6 |
| Potato, mashed | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.7 |
| Cabbage*, boiled or raw | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.3-1.7 |
| Mushroom, boiled or raw | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.0-1.8 |
| Bean sprouts*, raw | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.0 |
| Cauliflower*, broccoli*, carrots, raw | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.0-3.3 |
| Peppers, raw | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.2 |
| Beet greens, boiled | 250mL (1 cup) | 2.2 |
| Corn, boiled | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.3 |
| Spinach, boiled | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.3 |
| Parsnip, boiled | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.7 |
| Winter squash, baked | 125mL (½ cup) | 3.0 |
| Brussel sprouts, boiled | 4 sprouts | 3.0 |
| Artichoke*, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 3.6 |
| Potato, baked with skin | 1 medium | 3.8 |
| Fruit | ||
| Watermelon | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.3 |
| Cantaloupe, honeydew melon | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.6-0.7 |
| Grapes | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.8 |
| Pineapple | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.0-1.2 |
| Applesauce | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.4 |
| Mango | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.4 |
| Mandarin orange | 1 medium fruit | 1.6 |
| Fruit cocktail, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.9 |
| Grapefruit | ½ fruit | 2.0 |
| Kiwi | 1 medium fruit | 2.1 |
| Banana | 1 medium fruit | 2.1 |
| Apple*, without skin | 1 medium fruit | 2.1 |
| Orange | 1 medium fruit | 2.3 |
| Papaya | ½ fruit | 2.6 |
| Prunes, dried | 60mL (¼ cup) | 3.3 |
| Apple*, with skin | 1 medium fruit | 3.5 |
| Figs, dried | 60mL (¼ cup) | 3.8 |
*common gas producing foods
Grains
| Food | Portion Size | Total Fibre (grams) |
|---|---|---|
| Pasta, grains, and rice | ||
| Rice, white | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.4 |
| Couscous | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.7 |
| Pasta, white | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.9 |
| Noodles, chow mein, rice, or egg | 125mL (½ cup) | 0.9-1.0 |
| Rice, brown | 125mL (½ cup) | 1.5 |
| Barley | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.0 |
| Pasta, whole wheat | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.1 |
| Popcorn, popped | 2 cups | 2.5 |
| Quinoa | 125mL (½ cup) | 2.7 |
| Breads and baked goods | ||
| Pancake, waffle, white flour | 1 piece | 0.4-0.8 |
| Biscuits, white flour | 1 small biscuit | 0.5 |
| Pita, white flour | ½ pita | 0.7 |
| Saltine crackers | 10 crackers | 0.8 |
| English muffin, white flour | ½ muffin | 1.0 |
| Tortilla, white flour | 1 tortilla | 1.1 |
| Bagels, bread, bun, white flour | ½ bagel, 1 slice (35g), 1 bun | 1.2-1.4 |
| Bread, rye | 1 slice (35g) | 1.4 |
| Bread, whole grain flour | 1 slice (35g) | 2.1 |
| Bread, pumpernickel | 1 slice (35g) | 2.2 |
| Cereal | ||
| Cream of rice, cooked | 175mL (¾ cup) | 0.2 |
| Puffed rice | 30g | 0.5 |
| Corn flakes | 30g | 1.3 |
| Granola | 30g | 1.5-2.6 |
| Oatmeal | 175mL (¾ cup) | 3.0-3.5 |
| Oat bran, cooked | 175mL (¾ cup) | 3.6 |
| Shredded wheat | 30g | 3.9 |
Protein foods
| Food | Portion Size | Total Fibre (grams) |
|---|---|---|
| Tofu | 100g | 0.4 |
| Soy beverage | 250mL (1 cup) | 0.5 |
| Peanut butter, smooth, commercial | 30mL (2 Tbsp) | 1.8 |
| Walnuts | 60mL (¼ cup) | 2.0 |
| Peanut butter, natural | 30mL (2 Tbsp) | 2.5 |
| Almond butter, natural | 30mL (2 Tbsp) | 3.3 |
| Hazelnuts | 60mL (¼ cup) | 2.8 |
| Flax seeds, whole | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 2.9 |
| Almonds | 60mL (¼ cup) | 3.8 |
| Sunflower seed | 60mL (¼ cup) | 3.6 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 60mL (¼ cup) | 3.7 |
| Chia seeds | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 3.7 |
