Dietary fiber is the part of the plant fiber that we eat as food. In recent years, scientists have found that the human body requires fiber to maintain good health. The outer part of the grains such as whole wheat, brown rice, corn, and oats are called bran and are a rich source of fiber. Almost all of the fiber in the grains is found in the bran. The brans from different grains have varying types and amounts of fiber.
Wheat bran has a higher concentration of fiber than most other brans.
Among the sources of fiber most widely accepted by children are fruits, vegetables, and pre-sweetened fortified breakfast cereals. Good sources of fiber can often be found in wheat bran-based and whole wheat cereals like raisin bran and whole wheat biscuits. Americans should eat 20-35 grams of fiber each day. Currently, we only consume an average of about 11 grams of fiber each day. Fortunately, there are ways to improve our fiber consumption.