19 Beans and Legumes High in Fiber

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Dr. Patricia Shelton
Evidence Based. References sourced from PubMed.
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19 Beans and Legumes High in Fiber

Beans are a great source of fiber, with the average cup of beans providing over 50% of the daily value (%DV). Eating more fiber significantly decreases the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and other serious medical conditions. (1)

Beans high in fiber include navy beans, small white beans, adzuki beans, split peas, lentils, pintos, mung, chickpeas, and kidney beans. The current daily value (DV) for fiber is 28 grams. (2)

Below is a list of 19 beans high in fiber. For more, see the nutrient ranking of over 50 beans high in fiber.

List of Beans High in Fiber

Navy Beans1 Navy (Haricot) Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
19g
(68% DV)		11g
(38% DV)		15g
(54% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Navy Beans. (Source)
Small White Beans2 Small White Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
19g
(66% DV)		10g
(37% DV)		15g
(52% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Small White Beans. (Source)
Adzuki Beans3 Adzuki Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
17g
(60% DV)		7g
(26% DV)		11g
(41% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Adzuki Beans. (Source)
Split Peas4 Split Peas
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
16g
(58% DV)		8g
(30% DV)		14g
(50% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Split Peas. (Source)
Lentils5 Lentils
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
16g
(56% DV)		8g
(28% DV)		14g
(49% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Lentils (Cooked). (Source)
Pinto Beans6 Pinto Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
15g
(55% DV)		9g
(32% DV)		13g
(45% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Pinto Beans (Cooked). (Source)
Mung Beans7 Mung Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
15g
(55% DV)		8g
(27% DV)		14g
(52% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Mung Beans (Cooked). (Source)
Cranberry Beans8 Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
15g
(54% DV)		9g
(31% DV)		13g
(45% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cranberry Beans (Roman Beans). (Source)
Black Beans9 Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
15g
(53% DV)		9g
(31% DV)		13g
(47% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Black Beans. (Source)
Chickpeas10 Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
12g
(45% DV)		8g
(27% DV)		9g
(33% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) (Cooked). (Source)
Great Northern Beans11 Great Northern Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
12g
(44% DV)		7g
(25% DV)		12g
(42% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Great Northern Beans. (Source)
Kidney Beans12 Kidney Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
11g
(40% DV)		6g
(23% DV)		10g
(36% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Kidney Beans. (Source)
White Beans13 Large White Beans
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
11g
(40% DV)		6g
(23% DV)		9g
(32% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Large White Beans. (Source)
Black Eyed Peas14 Black-Eyed Peas (Cowpeas)
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
11g
(40% DV)		7g
(23% DV)		11g
(40% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Blackeyed Peas (Mature Seeds). (Source)
Soy Beans15 Boiled Soybeans (Edamame)
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
10g
(37% DV)		6g
(21% DV)		7g
(25% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Boiled Soybeans (Edamame). (Source)
Natto16 Natto (Fermented Soybeans)
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
9g
(34% DV)		5g
(19% DV)		5g
(18% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Natto. (Source)
Broad Beans17 Broad Beans (Fava)
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
9g
(33% DV)		5g
(19% DV)		10g
(35% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Broad Beans (Fava). (Source)
A block of tofu18 Firm Tofu
Fiber
per Cup		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
6g
(21% DV)		2g
(8% DV)		3g
(11% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Firm Tofu. (Source)
Soymilk19 Unsweetened Soymilk
Fiber
per 16oz Glass		Fiber
per 100g		Fiber
per 200 Calories
2g
(7% DV)		0g
(1% DV)		2g
(9% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Unsweetened Soy Milk. (Source)
See All 68 Beans and Lentils High in Fiber Next ➞

How much fiber do you need each day?

The daily value (DV) for fiber is 28 grams per day. (2) This is the amount shown on food labels to help the average person compare the health benefits of different foods. However, for many people, this amount is actually too low.

The adequate intake (AI) is a more accurate daily target, and varies by age and gender. The AI for fiber is up to 38 grams per day. (3) We've included the specific values below for various groups below, so you can determine what your personal target should be.

The average American consumes far less than the DV for fiber, let alone the AI for their demographic group. (4)

Here is the breakout of the adequate intake by age and gender for fiber: (3)

Life StageRDA
Children
1-3 years old19g
4-8 years old25g
Males
9-13 years old31g
14-50 years old38g
50+ years old30g
Females
9-18 years old26g
19-50 years old25g
50+ years old21g
Pregnancy
14-50 years old29g
Lactation
14-50 years old29g
Extensive research has been done to determine how much fiber is needed to provide protection against cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and other serious health concerns. This research shows that men need more fiber than women in order to get the maximum health benefits, which is why the AI targets are higher for men. (3)

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that's found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It's more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Instutites of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily meal planner.

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.


View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. Thomas M. Barber, Stefan Kabisch, Andreas F. H. Pfeiffer and Martin O. Weickert The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre Nutrients. 2020 Oct; 12(10): 3209.
  2. FDA on Daily Values
  3. Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes
  4. Diane Quagliani, MBA, RDN, LDN and Patricia Felt-Gunderson, MS, RDN, LDN Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap Am J Lifestyle Med. 2017 Jan-Feb; 11(1): 80–85. Published online 2016 Jul 7. doi: 10.1177/1559827615588079
  5. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
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