6 High Fiber Foods For Healthy Weight Loss

Losing weight can be challenging when you’re initially adjusting your diet to exclude foods that you like and include foods that you’re not familiar with. Increasing your fiber intake will help you lose weight by cleansing and stimulating your digestive tract on a regular basis. The indigestible fiber in the food acts like a sponge, clinging to undigested sludge and encouraging frequent bowel movements, which aids in detoxification while preventing constipation and boosting the metabolism. With that said, here are 6 fiber-heavy foods that can help you lose weight quickly and reliably:

# Konjac

The root of the Konjac plant, also known as Elephant Yam, is a high-fiber food that’s known to promote weight loss by reducing bad cholesterol levels, treating and preventing constipation, and controlling blood sugar levels. While you may not be able to find this at your local grocery store, it may be worth your time to search online for this root, as it provides benefits beyond merely being a high-fiber food.

# Apple

Apples are high in most of the vitamins and minerals that you need in your daily diet. Although they aren’t extremely high in any one vitamin, a few apples per day can cover many of your nutritional needs apart from protein. Apples are also high in fiber and they contain malic acid, which softens stool and promotes regular bowel movements.

# Banana

Bananas are high in fiber and potassium, both of which are important in a weight loss diet. They’re also easy to chew and they go great with any smoothie recipe. Green bananas also contain resistant starch, which is an indigestible carbohydrate that offers many of the same benefits as fiber. Don’t eat too many bananas in one sitting though, as they can also be used in weight gain diets when eaten in excess. They contain roughly 2.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams of fruit.

# Strawberries

Most people find strawberries to be absolutely delicious, so it’s not difficult to add more of this fruit to your diet. You don’t want to overdo it with sweet strawberries, as too much sugar can hurt your weight loss efforts. Likewise, avoid the whipped cream or sugar-dipping to keep your sugar levels under control. Strawberries are high in vitamin C, antioxidants, and manganese, and they consist mostly of fluid, so you can eat a lot of them without actually consuming a large number of calories. More specifically, there are only about 49 calories per cup of strawberries.

# Oats

Oats are great for losing weight because they’re low in cholesterol and high in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. The fiber in oats is also of a special variety, known as oat beta-glucan, which is known to have positive effects on cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Cooked oats are the easiest for the body to digest, so it’s best to consume oats in the form of oatmeal or oatmeal bars when weight loss is the goal.

# Almonds

Almonds are high in fiber and they provide healthy fats and minerals as well. The flavor is relatively neutral, so they can be sprinkled onto or into almost any meal or shake without changing the taste. They’re also surprisingly filling, so snacking on them one at a time is a good way to avoid large meals while satisfying the urge to snack. Snacking on smaller meals throughout the day is the best approach for weight loss because it keeps your metabolism moving.