You Need Fiber In Your Diet - How Much Dietary Fiber Is In Oranges?

You probably know that fiber is important to good health, but do you know if you are getting enough? Most Americans aren't. Women need 25 grams of fiber per day, and men need 38 grams per day, according to the Institute of Medicine. The average adult only eats 15 grams of fiber per day.

Eating more plant foods -- vegetables, beans, fruit, whole grains, and nuts -- is the best way and is one of the major recommendations from the U.S. government's Dietary Guidelines.

Eating the segments of an average sized navel orange provides about twenty percent of an adult’s daily need for dietary fiber.

An orange weighs from 2 to 10 ounces, including seeds and peel, depending on its size and variety. Most commercially grown oranges from common and navel varieties weigh 5 to 6 ounces. Smaller oranges, such as mandarins, typically weigh 2 to 3 ounces each.

One medium-sized orange contains approximately 80 calories, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 14 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein. Navel oranges, which are seedless and have a thicker peel, are commonly sold for fresh eating, while most Valencia oranges, which have a thin peel, are sold for juicing. The smallest oranges, including Satsumas and clementines, are sold for snacking. Hybrids, such as the Cara Cara and blood oranges, are often used in salads, dressings, sauces and smoothies.

Fiber helps rid the body of some dietary fat. Because the human body is unable to break down fiber, it leaves the body pretty much in the same form it entered. As fiber winds its way through your digestive system, it grabs fats and carries them all the way through to the colon, where a fat-and-fiber package is bundled, water is extracted, and the bundle eliminated from the body. Keep in mind, though, that it’s all a matter of proportion.

The amount of fiber you need is tied to the number of calories you eat in a day. For healthy adults, the USDA recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed. So a person eating 2,000 calories a day should try to consume 28 grams of fiber daily. In “food” terms, you could hit (and even try to exceed) that target by eating the following types of foods over the course of a day: ½ cup oatmeal (3 grams fiber), 1 small banana (3 grams), ½ cup cooked red or black beans (7 grams), 1 orange (3 grams), ½ cup lentils (8 grams), and ½ cup blueberries (3 grams).

Well, there you are, go out and eat the right amount fiber to help you stay healthy.

If you are looking for the perfect wholesome gift for a business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We sell only the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391