NuGo Fiber Logo

How much fiber is in a high fiber diet?

When making a lifestyle change to adopt a high fiber diet, it’s important to know how much fiber to aim for, and what you should look for on nutrition labels.

The Institute of Medicine has established guidelines on daily dietary fiber goals for individuals based on age and gender. These goal values are referenced when people refer to a “high fiber diet.” For women, the amount of dietary fiber consumed daily should be 21-25 grams. It’s recommended that men consume 30-38 grams of fiber on a daily basis.

The Food and Drug Administration has established guidelines for the way products describe their nutritional values, including Fiber content. Look at the nutrition facts panel on the packaged foods you buy and check under Daily Value on the far right column to determine if the food is high or low in Fiber.

  • 20% or more of the Daily Value per serving is “high” or an “excellent source of” fiber
  • 10-19% of the Daily Value per serving is a “good source of”” fiber
  • 5% or less of the Daily Value per serving is considered “low in fiber”

Generally, choosing foods with 5+ grams of fiber per serving is a great way to help maintain a high fiber diet.

While fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts and whole grains are good sources of fiber, some are more nutritionally virtuous than others. To get an idea of how much of certain popular foods you would need to eat to help reach your high fiber diet goal, visit our blog: What does 25 grams of fiber look like?