Some of us with a sweet tooth who will always delight at getting a reason to eat chocolate, this is good news. Dark chocolate is good for us, for heart-healthy antioxidants. But it also contains something else that can help to control your appetite, promote digestive health, and protect against diabetes.
In need of fiber and sweet things, dark chocolate could do
The secret element: Fiber! A whopping 11 grams per 100-gram bar of dark chocolate made from 70-85% cocoa, to be precise. That comes out to 3 grams per 1-ounce serving. You can get your daily 25-gram dose of fiber per day in a variety of ways. In addition to dark chocolate, here are 8 more surprising sources.
Nuts
Everyone always thinks of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains when they think of high-fiber foods, but nuts are also a great source. For example, a quarter cup of almonds has 4 grams of fiber.
Artichokes
Packing more fiber per serving than any other vegetable, a medium cooked artichoke provides 10 grams of fiber, but is underused in most kitchens.
Avocados
With about 7 grams of fiber per raw half and jam-packed with vitamins and healthy fats, the avocado truly does deserve the title of “super food.”
Pears
A medium sized pear packs 6 grams; almost double that of an apple, and equals about 24% of your recommended daily value for fiber! Tip: The skin of the pear contains the majority of the fiber, so no peeling necessary.
Chia Seeds
These babies have a whopping 5 grams of fiber per tablespoon. When they meet with water, they form a gel that is great for thickening smoothies, making healthy puddings, or replacing eggs in cakes and cookies.
Onions
Although a medium onion only has 2 grams of fiber, it is the type of fiber that is important here. Onions have insulin, a water-soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol and promotes regularity.
Peas
With 9 grams fiber per cup of cooked peas, this veggie is an easy way to get fiber in your diet, and since they are commonly frozen, they are great to always have on hand.
Coconut
Rivaling other fiber sources such as psyllium, wheat bran, oat bran, and rice bran, a tiny (2 by 2-inch) piece of coconut supplies an impressive 16% of your daily value of dietary fiber.