High Fiber Recipes to Beat Constipation

Written By molly latin

Fiber gets less attention than protein and probiotics, but it does a lot of the work in your gut. Higher fiber intake is linked to lower cholesterol, better blood pressure, and a lower risk of heart disease. It also keeps things moving, which matters if you're stuck.

Below is how much fiber to aim for, which foods give you the most of it, and the recipes I use in clinic for constipation in kids and adults.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Adults: 30–50 g per day for good cardiovascular health.

Kids: age + 5 = grams of fiber per day. A 5-year-old needs about 10 g a day (5 + 5).

High-Fiber Foods

Fruits

  • Raspberries (1 cup) – 8 g

  • Pear (1 medium, with skin) – 6 g

  • Apple (1 medium, with skin) – 4 g

  • Banana (1 medium) – 3 g

  • Orange (1 medium) – 3 g

  • Avocado (½ medium) – 10 g

Vegetables

  • Artichoke (1 medium) – 10 g

  • Brussels sprouts (1 cup cooked) – 6 g

  • Broccoli (1 cup cooked) – 5 g

  • Carrots (1 cup raw) – 4 g

  • Sweet potato (1 medium, with skin) – 4 g

  • Spinach (1 cup cooked) – 4 g

Legumes

  • Split peas (1 cup cooked) – 16 g

  • Lentils (1 cup cooked) – 15 g

  • Black beans (1 cup cooked) – 15 g

  • Kidney beans (1 cup cooked) – 13 g

  • Chickpeas (1 cup cooked) – 12 g

  • Edamame (1 cup cooked) – 8 g

  • Green peas (1 cup cooked) – 6 g

Whole Grains

  • Farro (1 cup cooked) – 8 g

  • Barley (1 cup cooked) – 6 g

  • Quinoa (1 cup cooked) – 5 g

  • Oats (1 cup cooked) – 4 g

  • Brown rice (1 cup cooked) – 4 g

  • Popcorn (3 cups air-popped) – 4 g

Nuts and Seeds

  • Chia seeds (2 Tbsp) – 10 g

  • Flaxseeds (2 Tbsp) – 6 g

  • Pumpkin seeds (¼ cup) – 5 g

  • Almonds (¼ cup) – 4 g

  • Pistachios (¼ cup) – 3 g

  • Sunflower seeds (¼ cup) – 3 g

Other High-Fiber Foods

  • Avocado toast (whole-grain bread + avocado) – 10 g

  • Hummus (½ cup) – 7 g

  • Trail mix (nuts, seeds, and dried fruit) – 5–8 g per serving

  • Unsweetened shredded coconut (¼ cup) – 4 g

  • Dark chocolate, 70–85% cacao (1 oz) – 3 g

  • Organic bean pastas

Easy High-Fiber Snacks

  • Chia pudding with berries – 15 g

  • Apple slices with almond butter – 8 g

  • Carrot sticks with hummus – 6 g

  • Popcorn with nutritional yeast – 4 g

Gut-Friendly Fiber and Polyphenols

Polyphenols are worth a special mention. They're non-fermentable, so they won't feed bacterial overgrowth. They increase beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Akkermansia. They're anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, and since they're absorbed into systemic circulation, the benefits go beyond the gut.

Fiber sources I like: slippery elm, psyllium, ground flax, pectin, oat bran, chia, fruits, legumes, and avocado.

  • Ground flax: 10 g per day. I prefer it over psyllium.

  • PHGG (partially hydrolyzed guar gum): 5 g per day

Fruit:

  • Aim for 3–4 servings of fruit per day.

  • All fruits are great except bananas (which can cause constipation)

  • Kiwi doesn't increase gas.

  • Red dragon fruit is excellent. The powder is easy to find; use 10 g per day. It's a great addition to yogurt.

Recipes

Kiwi-Dragon Fruit Yogurt Bowl

  • Vaalia natural yogurt or Activia yogurt

  • 2 sliced kiwis

  • 10 g red dragon fruit powder

  • 1–2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

  • Optional: 5 g PHGG

Mix and enjoy.

Constipation Jam

  • 1½ cups applesauce

  • ½ cup chopped prunes

  • 2 Tbsp slippery elm powder

  • 2 Tbsp psyllium husk powder

  • Enough prune juice to make a paste

Mix to a paste-like consistency. Keep it in the fridge. Take 1 Tbsp twice daily, followed by a cup of water.

Pumpkin-Fig-Hemp Puree (from Dr. Mary Bove)

  • 1 can pumpkin puree

  • 10 figs, soaked overnight

  • Hemp oil

Blend the pumpkin and figs. Add 1 tsp hemp oil to each 2 Tbsp serving. Take 2 Tbsp 2–3 times daily.

Nightly Pumpkin-Date Mash

For light, fluffy bowel movements, this is a gentle option to consider instead of Miralax.

  • ½ can pureed pumpkin

  • 1 date or cooked fig

  • A drizzle of olive oil

Blend in a food processor. Take 2 Tbsp every night after dinner.

Constipation Smoothie (adapted from Kids Eat in Color)

Smoothies work well for constipation because they combine several high-fiber foods and add fluid at the same time.

  • 1 cup prune juice

  • ½ cup water

  • ½ pear

  • ½ cup frozen blueberries

  • 1 Tbsp flaxseed

  • A small handful of spinach

Blend everything and serve.

Simple Stool-Softening Drink

  • 2 oz apple juice

  • 8 oz water

  • 1 tsp ground flaxseed

  • Optional: 1 Tbsp liquid bentonite clay

Stir and drink.

Constipation Popsicles (for kids over 1 year)

  • Miralax [dose]

  • 6 Tbsp Ready! Set! Go! syrup

  • 2 cans (5.4 fl oz each) coconut cream

  • ¼ cup prune juice

  • 2 tsp raw honey

  • Juice of ½ lemon

Add everything to a blender. Pour into popsicle molds (makes 6) or ice cube trays and freeze. If your molds don't have attached sticks, freeze for about 30 minutes, insert the sticks, then finish freezing. Up to 2 per day.

GI Relaxant Tea

Equal parts:

  • Chamomile flowers

  • Fennel seeds

  • Lemon balm

  • Catnip

  • Cramp bark

  • Spearmint

Steep 1 Tbsp of the blend in 1 cup of boiling water for several minutes. Add 2 oz blueberry juice. Drink 1–3 times daily.

A Few More Tips

  • Stimulate bile flow with lemon juice, artichokes, beets, and raspberry vinegar.

  • Add healthy oils: 1–3 tsp flax or hemp oil daily.

  • Limit constipating foods: meat, white flour, dairy, pizza, and bananas.

molly latin
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