The 20 highest-fiber vegetables, ranked
"Eat your vegetables" hides a ten-to-one spread. A cup of green peas has nearly nine grams of fiber. A cup of lettuce has under one. If you're eating vegetables specifically to close a fiber gap and you're choosing based on what feels healthy, you're probably picking from the bottom of this list.
Quick Answer
The highest-fiber vegetables per cooked cup are green peas (~8.8g), artichoke (~7g for a medium globe), winter squash and butternut (~6.6g), parsnips (~6.2g), collard greens (~5.3g), broccoli (~5.1g), okra (~5.1g), Brussels sprouts (~4.1g), spinach (~4.3g), and green beans (~4g). Lettuce, cucumber, celery, and other high-water vegetables are at the bottom - they're worth eating, but not for fiber.
The ranking
Approximate values per typical serving, cooked unless noted, from USDA data.
| # | Vegetable | Serving | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Green peas | 1 cup cooked | ~8.8 g |
| 2 | Artichoke | 1 medium globe | ~7.0 g |
| 3 | Winter squash / butternut | 1 cup cooked | ~6.6 g |
| 4 | Parsnips | 1 cup cooked | ~6.2 g |
| 5 | Collard greens | 1 cup cooked | ~5.3 g |
| 6 | Broccoli | 1 cup cooked | ~5.1 g |
| 7 | Okra | 1 cup cooked | ~5.1 g |
| 8 | Turnip greens | 1 cup cooked | ~5.0 g |
| 9 | Spinach | 1 cup cooked | ~4.3 g |
| 10 | Sweet corn | 1 cup | ~4.2 g |
| 11 | Brussels sprouts | 1 cup cooked | ~4.1 g |
| 12 | Green beans | 1 cup cooked | ~4.0 g |
| 13 | Sweet potato, with skin | 1 medium | ~3.8 g |
| 14 | Potato, with skin | 1 medium | ~3.8 g |
| 15 | Beets | 1 cup cooked | ~3.8 g |
| 16 | Carrots | 1 cup raw | ~3.6 g |
| 17 | Cabbage | 1 cup cooked | ~2.8 g |
| 18 | Asparagus | 1 cup cooked | ~2.8 g |
| 19 | Kale | 1 cup cooked | ~2.6 g |
| 20 | Cauliflower | 1 cup cooked | ~2.1 g |
At the bottom, for reference: a cup of romaine is about 1g, cucumber about 0.5g, and celery about 1g. Perfectly good foods, nearly irrelevant to a fiber target.
The salad problem
This is the most common misconception in the category. People eat a large salad, feel like they've done something significant for their fiber intake, and have consumed about 2 grams. Lettuce is roughly 95% water - it's bulk without much substance.
A salad can absolutely be a high-fiber meal, but the fiber comes from what you put on it: a cup of chickpeas is 12.5g, half an avocado is 5g, a tablespoon of seeds is 2-5g, and roasted vegetables add several more. Build salads around those and the leaves become the vehicle rather than the point.
Does cooking destroy fiber?
No. Fiber is structural material and it survives cooking largely intact - cooking changes texture and can soften fiber, which often makes it easier to tolerate, but it doesn't meaningfully reduce the amount. Per-cup values look higher for cooked vegetables mainly because cooking shrinks them, so a cup of cooked spinach contains far more actual spinach than a cup of raw.
Two things do reduce fiber: peeling (skins carry a disproportionate share) and juicing (removes it almost entirely).
Frozen vs fresh
Frozen vegetables are nutritionally comparable to fresh for fiber purposes, and often better in practice because they're picked at ripeness, they don't spoil, and they're cheaper. Frozen peas are one of the highest-fiber, lowest-effort foods available - a cup into anything adds nearly 9g in about two minutes.
The realistic way to eat more vegetable fiber
Four habits that add 10g a day
Frozen peas in everything. Pasta, rice, soup, curry, eggs. ~9g per cup, no prep, no spoilage.
Double the vegetable portion at dinner. Not a new vegetable - twice as much of the one you already cook.
Keep the skins. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash where edible. Free fiber you're currently binning.
Add a legume to the vegetable. Chickpeas roasted alongside the broccoli. This is where a vegetable side becomes a real fiber contribution.
Vegetables won't get you to target alone
Even a strong vegetable habit lands most people around 8-12g a day, which against a 28g target leaves a lot of ground. The 25-35g diets all look the same: legumes at one meal, a whole grain at another, fruit and seeds around the edges, vegetables everywhere. Vegetables are the base layer, not the answer.
See beans and legumes ranked and the highest-fiber fruits for the rest of the picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which vegetable has the most fiber?
Green peas top the list of common vegetables at around 8.8g per cooked cup, followed by artichoke at roughly 7g for a medium globe and winter squash at about 6.6g per cup. Peas are the most practical of the three - frozen peas keep indefinitely, cost very little, and can be added to almost any dish with no preparation.
Is lettuce a good source of fiber?
Not really. Lettuce is around 95% water, so a full cup provides roughly 1g. A large salad built only on leaves contributes very little toward a daily fiber target. That doesn't make salad pointless - it makes the toppings the important part, since chickpeas, avocado, seeds, and roasted vegetables can turn the same bowl into a 12g meal.
Does cooking vegetables reduce their fiber?
No. Fiber is structural material that survives cooking largely intact - it softens, which often makes it easier to tolerate, but the amount doesn't meaningfully change. Cooked vegetables show higher fiber per cup simply because cooking shrinks them, so a cup of cooked spinach contains much more spinach than a cup of raw. Peeling and juicing are what actually remove fiber.
Are frozen vegetables as good as fresh for fiber?
Yes. Freezing doesn't degrade fiber, and frozen vegetables are typically picked and processed at peak ripeness. For practical purposes they're often better: cheaper, always available, no spoilage pressure, and no prep. Frozen peas in particular are one of the highest-fiber, lowest-effort additions you can make to a meal.
Related Articles
- The 20 Highest-Fiber Fruits, Ranked
- Beans and Legumes, Ranked by Fiber
- The High-Fiber Foods List
- High-Fiber Lunch Ideas
- High-Fiber Meal Prep
- Fiber Calculator: How Much Fiber Do You Need?
Scope
Fiber values are approximate and drawn from USDA FoodData Central and standard nutrition references; actual amounts vary by variety, ripeness, portion size, and preparation. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice - if you have IBS, IBD, diverticular disease, a history of bowel obstruction, or you are on a prescribed diet, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making big changes. FiberUp is made by the author of this site.