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The average American diet contains about 15 grams of fiber. The American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association recommend eating 25–38 grams of fiber a day in a wellbalanced diet. High fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and several forms of cancer. These high fiber foods may also improve blood pressure.

Fiber is part of plant foods that we cannot absorb or digest. It is found in fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Fiber is also known as roughage or bulk.

There are two kinds of dietary fiber: insoluble and soluble. It is important to eat plenty of both types of fiber.

• Insoluble fiber comes from fruits, grains, and vegetables. It adds bulk and acts like a brush, cleaning out the colon. While passing through the digestive tract, insoluble fiber remains mostly intact, which helps keep your bowel movements regular.
• Soluble fiber comes from fruit, certain vegetables, oats, beans, peas, lentils, and barley. When mixed with liquid, the soluble fiber forms a gel, which helps control blood sugar and reduce cholesterol.

Whole grains refer to a grain that has not been "refined." This means that the grain is intact and consists of the germ (the inner layer), the endosperm (the middle layer), and the bran (fiber rich outer layer). Aim for at least half of your grain choices to come from whole grains.

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