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What Is Fiber Anyway?

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Two bowls of oatmeal topped with blueberries and strawberries surrounded by sliced kiwi fruit.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Fiber that we eat is known as dietary fiber and it comes mostly from plants. It is important to eat fiber even though our bodies are unable to break it all down during digestion. Dietary fiber strengthens the muscles that keep food moving through our bodies and helps move waste out of our body. Foods that include dietary fiber are whole grains such as barley, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, whole wheat, beans and peas, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and most fruits.

For more information about fiber, visit the National Agricultural Library website: https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/fiber