How to Eat Gluten Free: Dietary Fiber

The recommended daily amount of dietary fiber for adults is about 25 grams for women and 30 grams for men. The goal is 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories consumed. 

Eating a gluten-free diet can lead to a dietary intake of fiber that is below recommended levels. The fiber from cereal grains, for example, play a role in keeping your gut healthy and reducing your risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. But many cereal grains, such as wheat, rye, and barley contain gluten. Here’s how you can eat gluten free and get enough fiber.

What Foods Are High in Dietary Fiber?

Low Fiber Foods

Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and eggs

Refined grains

Milk and cheese

Oils and fats

People consuming a typical “Western” diet get enough meat, refined grains, and oils.  Unfortunately, those foods are lower in fiber.

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans explain how much and what to eat – including goals for fiber. The 2020-2025 edition is the first to provide recommendations by life stage, from birth to older adulthood. Please take a look at the chart below for the amount of the higher-fiber foods recommended for adults at various stages of life. 

	Adult Women 60+ Years	Adult Women 19-59 Years	Pregnant & Lactating Women	Adult Men 60+ Years	Adult Men 19-59 Years
Calorie Level	1600	1800	2000	2400	2800
Vegetables cups per day*	2	2.5	2.5	3	3.5
Fruits cup eq per day*	1.5	1.5	2	2	2.5
Grains ounce eq per day*	5	6	6	8	10
Whole Grains	3	3	3	4	5
Refined Grains	2	3	3	4	5
Beans, Peas, Lentils cup eq per week*	1	1.5	1.5	2	2.5
Nuts, seeds, soy Ounce eq per week*	4	4	5	5	6

The average fiber content for each food group is about 3 grams per serving. You can reach your dietary fiber goal by eating the recommended servings from each food group.

*Food group amounts shown in cup equivalents (cup eq) or ounce equivalents (ounce eq). 

Vegetables, Fruits (1 cup eq): 1 cup raw or cooked vegetable or fruit; 1 cup vegetable or fruit juice; 2 cups leafy salad greens; ½ cup dried fruit or vegetable. 

Grains (1 ounce eq): ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal; 1 ounce dry pasta or rice; 1 medium (1 ounce) slice bread, tortilla, or flatbread; 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal (about 1 cup of flaked cereal). 

Protein Foods (1 ounce eq): 1 ounce lean meats, poultry, or seafood; 1 egg; ¼ cup cooked beans or tofu; 1 tbsp nut or seed butter; ½ ounce nuts or seeds.

How does your intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans/peas/lentils, and nuts/seeds/soy products compare to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations?

Vegetables

If you want to eat more vegetables, think about adding something you have not eaten in awhile:

Red, Yellow, and Orange Bell Peppers, Carrots, Pumpkin, Tomatoes, Winter Squash

Corn, Jicama, Lima Beans, Parsnips, Plantains, Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Water Chestnuts

Artichoke, Asparagus, Avocado, Bamboo Shoot,  Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green Beans, Green Peppers, Kohlrabi, Mushrooms, Okra, Onions, Radish, Rutabaga, Seaweed, Shallots, Snow Peas, Summer Squash, Tomatillos, Turnips, Wax Beans

Bok Choy, Broccoli, Swiss Chard, Greens, Kale, Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Watercress

Fruits

If you want to eat more fruit, choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit that you like:

Apples, apricots, bananas, berries, cherries, dates, dragon fruit, figs, grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, mangos, melons, nectarines, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, pomegranates, rhubarb.