Foods high in fiber: ranked by France's official Ciqual table
According to the 2025 Ciqual table from ANSES, France's food safety agency, the top three everyday foods highest in fiber: “Chia, seed, dried” (34.4 g per 100 g), “Breakfast cereals, very rich in fibre, plain, fortified with vitamins and minerals” (33.1 g) and “Flaxseed, brown, seed” (26.9 g).
What it does
Fiber is the carbohydrate your small intestine can't digest, plus lignin: it reaches your colon intact. Its most direct effect is on bowel regularity. But the benefits go further. In a series of meta-analyses published in The Lancet in 2019 (185 prospective studies, 58 clinical trials), people eating the most fiber had a 15 to 30% lower risk of death, coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer than those eating the least. The trials also showed lower body weight, blood pressure and cholesterol with higher intakes.
The ranking: the 25 everyday foods highest in fiber
| Rank | Food | Group | g / 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chia, seed, dried | Nuts and seeds | 34.4 |
| 2 | Breakfast cereals, very rich in fibre, plain, fortified with vitamins and minerals | Breakfast cereals | 33.1 |
| 3 | Flaxseed, brown, seed | Nuts and seeds | 26.9 |
| 4 | Split pea, dried | Legumes | 25.5 |
| 5 | Broad bean, dried | Legumes | 25 |
| 6 | Carrot, dehydrated | Vegetables | 23.6 |
| 7 | Flageolet bean, green, dried | Legumes | 23.4 |
| 8 | Crispbread, with bran, source or rich in fibre | Breads and similar | 21.9 |
| 9 | Frik (crushed immature durum wheat), raw | Pasta, rice and grains | 19.3 |
| 10 | Lupin, seed, dried | Legumes | 18.9 |
| 11 | Beans, mung, mature, seeds, dried | Legumes | 18.3 |
| 12 | Barley, wholegrain, raw | Pasta, rice and grains | 17.3 |
| 13 | Sesame seed, grilled, husked | Nuts and seeds | 16.9 |
| 14 | Lentil, green, dried | Legumes | 16.4 |
| 15 | Lentil, dried (average) | Legumes | 16.3 |
| 16 | Coco bean, boiled/cooked in water | Legumes | 15.8 |
| 17 | Lentil, pink or red, dried | Legumes | 15.4 |
| 18 | Haricot bean, dried | Legumes | 15.2 |
| 19 | Red kidney bean, dried | Legumes | 15.2 |
| 20 | Rye, wholegrain, raw | Pasta, rice and grains | 15.1 |
| 21 | Peach, flesh and skin, pitted, dried | Fruits | 14.3 |
| 22 | Coconut, pulp, dried | Nuts and seeds | 13.7 |
| 23 | Biscuit (cookie), thin, lemon or orange lavour | Sweet biscuits | 13.6 |
| 24 | Biscuit (cookie), without chocolate, reduced fat | Sweet biscuits | 13 |
| 25 | Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, bar | Chocolate and chocolate products | 12.8 |
Outside the ranking, the absolute record-holders in the table are foods eaten in very small amounts: “Curry, powder” (53.2 g/100 g), “Cinnamon, powder” (53.1 g/100 g), “Toothed wrack or bladder wrack (Fucus serratus et vesiculosus), dried or dehydrated” (46.3 g/100 g).
How much you need
There is no nutrient reference value (NRV) for fiber. The only label benchmark comes from EU nutrition claims (Regulation 1924/2006): "source of fibre" from 3 g per 100 g, "high fibre" from 6 g. As for needs, EFSA (2010) considers 25 g a day adequate for normal bowel function in adults. France's ANSES (2016) aims for 30 g a day, because the lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and colon and breast cancer sometimes appears from 25 g and more consistently at 30 g. The Lancet meta-analysis found the greatest benefit between 25 and 29 g a day.
Best sources, food group by food group
| Food group | Food | g / 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | Meat, cooked (average) | 0.01 |
| Poultry, cooked (average) | 0 | |
| Meat, white, cooked (average) | 0 | |
| Fish and seafood | Caribbean-style fish fritters, fish acras, prepacked | 3 |
| Rillettes, crab, prepacked | 2.61 | |
| Fish nuggets, breaded croquette, prepacked | 2.5 | |
| Eggs and dairy | Chocolate mousse, plant-based, refrigerated | 5.1 |
| Custard dessert, chocolate, canned | 3.6 | |
| Chocolate cake, with creamy chocolate heart, refrigerated | 3.07 | |
| Legumes, grains, tubers | Split pea, dried | 25.5 |
| Broad bean, dried | 25 | |
| Flageolet bean, green, dried | 23.4 | |
| Fruits and vegetables | Carrot, dehydrated | 23.6 |
| Peach, flesh and skin, pitted, dried | 14.3 | |
| Tomato, dried | 12.3 | |
| Nuts and seeds | Chia, seed, dried | 34.4 |
| Flaxseed, brown, seed | 26.9 | |
| Sesame seed, grilled, husked | 16.9 |
Practical tips
- Swap refined for whole grain. ANSES recommends whole-grain starches every day. In the Ciqual table, cooked whole-wheat pasta provides 5.1 g of fiber per 100 g (3.5 oz), versus 2.2 g for regular pasta; whole-wheat bread 7.3 g, versus 2.7 g for white bread.
- Legumes several times a week. ANSES considers current intake too low. Even cooked, kidney beans, lentils and chickpeas provide 8 to 12 g of fiber per 100 g (Ciqual).
- Add seeds. Chia (34.4 g per 100 g) and flaxseed (26.9 g) top the Ciqual ranking: a spoonful in yogurt or oatmeal quickly makes a difference.
- More fruit and vegetables. ANSES finds average intake too low and calls for a clear increase, favoring vegetables.
How this ranking is built
Values per 100 g of the food as described (raw, cooked, drained…), as published by ANSES, France's food safety agency, in the 2025 Ciqual table (3484 foods; fiber content known for 3284 of them). The everyday ranking leaves out spices, herbs, seaweed and condiments, supplements and foods for special medical purposes, baby foods, alcohol, and raw meat or fish (the cooked version is kept). To keep the examples varied, only one food per main name is kept (the richest). Values listed as “traces” count as zero; values below the quantification limit are not ranked.
Frequently asked questions
Which food has the most fiber?
Top of the everyday foods in the 2025 Ciqual table from ANSES: “Chia, seed, dried”, with 34.4 g per 100 g, ahead of “Breakfast cereals, very rich in fibre, plain, fortified with vitamins and minerals” (33.1 g) and “Flaxseed, brown, seed” (26.9 g).
How much fiber should I eat per day?
EFSA considers 25 g a day adequate for normal bowel function in adults, and France's ANSES recommends 30 g. A large meta-analysis published in The Lancet in 2019 found the greatest benefit between 25 and 29 g a day, and suggested that more could protect even further.
Which fruits are highest in fiber?
Among fresh fruits in the Ciqual table, passion fruit (6.8 g per 100 g), guava (5.4 g), blackberries (5.2 g), red currants (4.6 g) and raspberries (4.3 g) lead the way. Dried fruit ranks higher, like dried figs (8.15 g), but its sugars are concentrated just as much.
Sources
- Anses. Table de composition nutritionnelle des aliments Ciqual 2025. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17550133
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for carbohydrates and dietary fibre. EFSA Journal. 2010. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1462
- Anses. Actualisation des repères du PNNS : révision des repères de consommations alimentaires. Avis et rapport d'expertise collective. 2016. anses.fr
- Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet. 2019. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9
- Règlement (CE) n° 1924/2006 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 20 décembre 2006 concernant les allégations nutritionnelles et de santé portant sur les denrées alimentaires, annexe. Journal officiel de l'Union européenne. 2006. eur-lex.europa.eu
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