Foods High in Fiber and Low in Carbs?

Are you looking for help losing weight, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, and making your diet healthier? Dietary fiber can help. It keeps you full for longer after a meal, reduces wild swings in blood sugar levels, and promotes regularity. While some high-fiber foods are high-carbohydrate, you can get plenty of fiber from lower-carb sources. These are some high-fiber, low-carb foods that are rich in additional nutrients, too.

Spinach

Serving size: 4 cups, raw

Dietary fiber: 2.6 grams

Total carbohydrates: 4.4 grams

Spinach is low-calorie, low-carb, and packed with other nutrients, including vitamins A and K, folate, and manganese. Bok choy, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and broccoli are also great choices. Use raw spinach in salads or on sandwiches, cook it into omelets or soups, or serve it as a side dish. For a low-carb, high-fiber pizza, top a grilled portobello mushroom with diced tomatoes, chopped basil and spinach, and mozzarella cheese.

Avocados

Serving size: ½ small avocado

Dietary fiber: 4.6 grams

Total carbohydrates: 5.9 grams

They may be fruit, but avocados have almost no blood sugar-spiking sugars. Instead, each bite delivers heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. The serving size is small because they are so high in calories (114 calories in ½ a small avocado), so savor your avocado! Add slices of avocado to salads, sandwiches, or soups, or enjoy classic guacamole with lime juice, garlic, diced onion, and cilantro. Try using pureed avocado instead of mayo for a nutrient-packed chicken or tuna salad.

Almonds

Serving size: 1 ounce (1/4 cup)

Dietary fiber: 3.5 grams

Total carbohydrates: 5.6 grams

Almonds, followed by pistachios, pecans, and hazelnuts are the nuts with the highest fiber content. As with avocados, the serving size is small – 1 ounce or 22 almonds – but eating nuts regularly is linked to healthier body weights. Choose unsalted almonds to save on sodium. Eat almonds on their own or with cheese, stir them into yogurt, or mix sliced almonds into stir fries or green beans. Try using crushed almonds instead of breadcrumbs as a topping for casseroles or a coating before roasting fish, or instead of flour for a pie crust.

Lentils

Serving size: ½ cup, cooked

Dietary fiber: 7.8 grams

Total carbohydrates: 20 grams

Legumes are some of the best foods you can choose for health and weight control, so think twice before you pass them over because of a few extra carbohydrates. Each ½ cup of cooked lentils has 9 grams of protein plus folate, potassium, and iron. Pinto, kidney, garbanzo, black, and other beans and split peas are also good choices. Look for unsalted or low-sodium versions if you are choosing canned legumes or soups. Try lentil soup, stew, or curry, or add lentils to green salads. Try a lentil salad with chopped cucumber and tomato, feta cheese, basil, and a dressing with dijon mustard, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Edamame (Green Soybeans)

Serving size: ½ cup

Dietary fiber: 5.4 grams

Total carbohydrates: 14.1 grams

You can often find green soybeans, or edamame, in the frozen section of your local supermarket. They have nearly 17 grams of high-quality protein per ½ cup and contain potassium, calcium, and heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Edamame can go into salads, stir fry, and soups. Try a slaw with edamame, shredded cabbage, grated carrot, diced onion, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and low-sodium teriyaki sauce

Blackberries

Serving size: 1 cup

Dietary fiber: 7.6 grams

Total carbohydrates: 14.7 grams

Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are among the lower-sugar fruits, and they are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant, and phytonutrients that may boost heart health and fight unhealthy inflammation. Look for fresh or unsweetened frozen berries to avoid unhealthy added sugars. Try berries in cottage cheese or yogurt, with whole-grain pancakes or cereal, in salads, or on their own or with nuts as a snack. For a main course, topped grilled chicken with a salsa made from blackberries, grilled peaches, red pepper flakes, black pepper, lime juice, and diced cilantro and onion.

Asparagus

Serving size: 1 cup, raw

Dietary fiber: 2.8 grams

Total carbohydrates: 5.3 grams

Asparagus is not abundant year-round, but snap it up when you see it to get a healthy dose of folate and potassium. Eat the tips raw with healthy dips such as hummus or guacamole, serve grilled or roasted asparagus with fish or chicken, or add chopped asparagus to soups. Try cooking asparagus in a pan with shrimp or fish, olive oil, and lemon juice, and tossing with whole-grain pasta for extra antioxidants or with spiralized zucchini “zoodles” for a low-carb, easy dinner.

Flaxseeds

Serving size: 2 tablespoons

Dietary fiber: 4 grams

Total carbohydrates: 4 grams

The only carbohydrates in flaxseeds are from dietary fiber. nd the daily value of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. Choose ground flaxseed instead of whole seeds to increase nutrient absorption. Blend it into turkey meatloaf or meatballs, sprinkle it on salads and into soups, mix it into yogurt or oatmeal, or stir it into peanut butter. Try mixing ground flaxseed with crushed almonds and coat zucchini sticks with the mixture before baking.

Eggplant

Serving size: 1 cup

Dietary fiber: 2.8 grams

Total carbohydrates: 4.7 grams

Eggplant is a source of a phytonutrient called nasunin, which is an antioxidant and an inflammation-fighting nutrient. Eggplant is one of the world’s most versatile vegetables, with starring roles in the cuisines of many cultures, including Indian, Chinese, other Asian cultures, and Middle Eastern cultures. Use marinated, cooked eggplant in any number of salads and appetizers, turn it into szechuan eggplant with a kick, make an Indian baingan bharta, puree the cooked flesh and mix with garlic and lemon as a dip, or grill slices of eggplant to use as a substitute for lasagna noodles. Eggplant is a key component of a high-fiber, low-carb ratatouille with zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, thyme and bay leaves.

There are many more high-fiber foods to enjoy, and this list shows only a few of the nutritious foods that can provide unlimited health and weight loss benefits. A health coach such as Lark can guide you each day as you work towards your health goals.

Getting Help

Friends, family, a personal trainer, and fitness instructors can help you along the way. A personal health coach can also help. Lark is a fully-automated program that is available to users 24/7. You can chat with your coach anytime, set and work towards exercise and diet goals, and get customized feedback and coaching. With motivation, reminders, and tracking features, Lark DPP and other Lark programs can help you hit exercise recommendations and is Fully CDC Recognized.

‍