This blog post of mine was previous published on the American College of Healthcare Sciences blog at http://info.achs.edu/blog/bid/217793/holistic-nutrition-10-high-fiber-low-calorie-foods-you-ll-love


To pick these top ten foods, I looked at nutritional value, energy density[1], and volume. I want to focus on foods that provide a lot of bang for the buck (i.e., keep us full and have high nutritional value with fewer calories than other choices). Fruits and vegetables with lots of water are often lower energy density[2] , but my primary criteria for the list is fiber. Why? Fiber is critical. Remember your grandmother telling you to eat more “roughage”? Well she was right! We need at least 25 grams a day, and ideally 35 grams a day, for a healthy bowel. I think the correlation between high fiber diets and lower cancer rates is not just from fiber but is synergistic, since most high fiber diets are high in fruits and vegetables, which are also high in antioxidants and other phytonutrients. But, fiber is clearly also very important and few Americans get enough. 

Here is my current top ten list of high fiber low calorie foods:

1. Raspberries rank as one of the highest high fiber low calorie foods, at 8.0 grams of fiber and just 64 calories per serving (1-cup) (1 calorie per raspberry!)[3, 4]. They are delicious and we can grow our own here in Oregon! Yay!
   
   
2. Pears have about 5.1 grams of fiber and only 51 calories for a medium sized pear[5]. They are easy to pack in a lunch and store well. They are also easy to grow here in Oregon.
   
   
3. Apples provide about 4.4 grams of fiber, at roughly 55 calories for a small apple. Choose organic as apples are on the EWG dirty dozen list 2012[6]. Apples are easy to grow here in Oregon and many parts of the US, with the newer columnar varieties letting you grow pounds of fruit in a small garden or even a container!
   
   
4. Blueberries provide about 3.5 grams of fiber, and roughly 40 calories for 50 berries. Choose organic as blueberries are on the EWG dirty dozen list 2012[7]. Again, blueberries grow well here in the Pacific North West, although take a few years to fruit well. Mulch with wood chips as they love acidic soil. Hey, I'm a Master Gardener - I can't help throwing in gardening tips!!!
   
   
5. Strawberries provide about 3.3 grams of fiber and average about 2 calories per strawberry. Choose organic as strawberries are on the EWG dirty dozen list 2012[8]. Grow even a few strawberry plants in a barrel or tuck them into ornamental garden beds where the foliage stays a lovely dark green throughout the summer while providing you with berries!
   
   
6. Black beans – 1 cup has 15 grams of fiber – along with 15 grams of protein – and just 227 calories[9]
   
   
7. Whole-wheat spaghetti weighs in at 6.3 g of fiber per serving and approximately 174 calories per 1-cup serving (always check the label as brands vary [NOTE THAT I NO LONGER RECOMMEND EATING WHEAT - I'LL UPDATE THIS BLOG POST SHORTLY!]
   
   
8. One cup of oatmeal provides 4.0 grams of fiber and about 60 calories per serving
   
   
9. Whole wheat or multigrain breads offer 1.9 grams per slice and some start at 65 calories per slice (always check the label as brands vary - a lot!!!)  [NOTE THAT I NO LONGER RECOMMEND EATING WHEAT - I'LL UPDATE THIS BLOG POST SHORTLY!]
10. Cooked peas, at a whopping 8.8 g of fiber and a low 67 calories per cup serving size. Turn a cup of peas into instant soup with a stick blender and some vegetable stock.

So that’s our top ten... But wait! There's more!!!

• Boiled turnip greens, which offer about 5.0 grams of fiber per cup sized serving and about 48 calories
  
  
• Raw carrots offer 1.7 grams of fiber and 21 calories for a small carrot. Raw, fresh carrots are about 88 percent water.
  
  
• Broccoli has 5.1 g of fiber and about 52 calories per cup. Steamed broccoli is best for cholesterol lowering benefits. 100 calories of broccoli gives you 10 grams of fiber
  
  
• Grapefruit is about 90 percent water, and one contains approximately 3.4 grams of fiber – more than 13 percent of your daily fiber needs – and about the same amount as a cup of strawberries, cabbage, cauliflower or beets. The amount of fiber in one grapefruit exceeds that found in a banana or in 1 cup of celery or bell peppers. An entire grapefruit has just 78 calories. Grapefruit also contains vitamin C and pectin[10]. Good news too – grapefruit is on the EWG clean fifteen list – meaning they are one of the 15 produce items lowest in pesticides[11]!
  
  
• Raisins, which provide 1.6 grams of fiber per 1.5 ounce serving and roughly 42 calories for a .5-ounce box. Note that grapes have more volume for the same fiber and calories so are an excellent choice! Grapes are another dirty dozen item so choose organic!
  
  
• Just one cup of barley has 13.6 grams of fiber in 270 calories – add a cup of barley to your vegetable soup for a hearty winter way to increase fiber! Plus barley is a great source of selenium[12]!
  
  

What are foods to leave out?

• Canned baked beans – a favorite in New Zealand and the United Kingdom – pack a lot of fiber per serving, but also lots of sugar and sodium.
  
  
• Processed foods – yes a processed food with added fiber is better than one without, but stick to the foods that mother nature made high in fiber for optimum health.
  
  

Act: Using your favorite app (mine is MyFitnessPal available on the app store and at myfitnesspal.com) track your food intake and see how much fiber you’re really getting! Try a fiber day and see how much you can pack in!

Share: What are your favorite foods? Visit this list in list.ly and VOTE for your favorites and ADD your own suggestions!!! 

Read more: Cassidy, A., De Vivo, I., Liu, Y., Han, J., Prescott, J., Hunter, D., et al. (2010). Effects of fiber on telomere length? Associations between diet, lifestyle factors, and telomere length in women. Am J Clin Nutr 91(5): http://www.ajcn.org/content/91/5/1273.long

There are many papers on nutrition and fiber at pubmed.org – find your favorite and post a comment to share it with others!

Update: According to a 2011 International Food Information Council survey of 1,000 people, 72 percent of North Americans reported that they were trying to consume more fiber.

References

1. According to the Mayo Clinic: “Simply put, energy density is the number of calories (energy) in a specific amount of food. High energy density means that there are a lot of calories in a little food. Low energy density means there are few calories in a lot of food.” From http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00195 accessed on 7/16/12
2.  Keep in mind that this concept is useful for more than just weight management: If you are hiking, you want to choose foods that are high energy density, such as trail mix and high fat foods.
3. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/27530-list-highfiber-lowcalorie-foods/#ixzz20oS6PXmx
4. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrientprofile&dbid=23
5. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/27530-list-highfiber-lowcalorie-foods/#ixzz20oSDSh7g
6. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
7. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
8. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
9. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrientprofile&dbid=87
10. The World's Healthiest Foods: Grapefruit In-Depth Nutrient Analysis: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrientprofile&dbid=54
11. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
12. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127

 NOTE: This article has not been reviewed by the FDA. This information has been provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, cure, diagnose, or prevent disease. Always consult your primary care physician or natuopathic doctor before making any significant changes to your health routine.

If you’ve been watching the show “Vacation Home for Free” on HGTV, you might have started thinking about what it takes to buy and run a successful vacation rental to offset the cost of owning a vacation home. 

I’ve been managing and renting out vacation homes successfully for 25 years, and I get lots of questions from friends and family about how I do it, so I'm gathering together my (often random and not guaranteed) tips for success in a series of blog posts that might be helpful for you! The more popular vacation rentals are, the more often people will think vacation rental first, before booking a hotel, so it is “win-win” for everyone when vacation rentals are successful!

This will be a series of blog posts, covering (in no particular order):
1.    Where to buy your vacation home for a successful vacation rental
2.    What to stock in your vacation rental
3.    Clean clean clean – the most important thing for a vacation rental – what to clean and when
4.    Where to buy supplies for your vacation rental
5.    Taking great photographs of your vacation rental
6.    Top websites to promote and get bookings for your vacation rental: What differentiates Homeaway from VRBO from AirBnB?
7.    Social media marketing for your vacation rental
8.    Leveraging AirBnB
9.    How to promote your vacation rental on VRBO and Homeaway
10.    FlipKey and Tripadvisor Tips
11.    Managers and management fees for your vacation rental
12.    Remember your please and thank you – communicating with your vacation renters
13.    Amenities that book – and which ones to to include in your listing keywords
14.    Running the numbers – what to expect to spend to run your vacation rental


If there are other topics you’d like to see covered, please leave me a comment! 

Visit the vacation rentals that we own or help manage here:
Seascape, Classic Beach House at Olivia Beach, Lincoln City Oregon Coast, United States: http://www.vrbo.com/558197
Villa Abela in Syros, Cyclades, Greece: http://www.vrbo.com/558178
Beach house on Waiheke Island, New Zealand: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3477111 

Disclosure of Material Connection: All opinions are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of my employer. This blog may contain affiliate links and advertising. When you use the links in this blog, I may receive a small commission to help fund my blogging efforts. It costs you nothing extra and I greatly appreciate your support! If I review products or services, I will disclose if I have been provided any discount or free items in exchange for my review. In either case, I give my opinion honestly.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”