Looking for soluble fiber foods to help lower your cholesterol? According to the Portfolio diet, eating 20 grams of soluble fiber, also known as viscous fiber can help you lower your LDL cholesterol levels by 5-10% (1).
If lowering your LDL cholesterol is one of your heart health goals, you’ve come to the right place. Below is a chart of 76 foods, with how much soluble fiber is in a typical serving of each to help you reach your daily goals. Most of these foods overlap with the foods to unclog your arteries.
How soluble fiber foods help lower cholesterol
Fiber is the part of plant foods your body can’t digest. Soluble fiber is the type that dissolves in water. When it does, it turns into a thick gel that slows digestion and helps you feel full. It also helps lower LDL cholesterol, the kind that builds up in your arteries.
Soluble fiber helps with blood sugar too, which is good news if you’re managing diabetes.
A good goal is 20 grams of soluble fiber a day. Most foods in the chart have between 0.5 and 2 grams per serving, so the grams add up when you spread them across your day. Half a cup of cooked lima beans has 3.5 grams, and so does a tablespoon of psyllium husk. Scroll to the end for a sample day that adds up to 20 grams.
Soluble fiber and the Portfolio Diet
Soluble fiber is one of the five parts of the Portfolio Diet, the cholesterol-lowering eating plan created by Dr. David Jenkins at the University of Toronto. As the author of the Portfolio Diet cookbook, I’ve seen the most success with this plan because it focuses on adding foods to your eating plan instead of restricting them.
The plan calls it viscous, or sticky, fiber and sets that same goal of 20 grams a day. On its own, that fiber is expected to lower LDL cholesterol by about 5 to 10%. Together with the plan’s other parts (nuts and seeds, plant protein, plant sterols and oils rich in monounsaturated fats), the expected drop is about 30%. Those are the plan’s own estimates, and results depend on how consistently you eat this way.
Pick a few favorites from the chart and add them one at a time. Be sure to add fiber slowly and drink more water as you go, so your body has time to adjust.
Soluble fiber foods chart
Serving sizes are cooked unless noted. Grams are soluble fiber only.
Fruits
| Fruit | Serving size | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Passion fruit, purple | ½ cup (125 mL) | 6.5 |
| Pear | 1 medium | 2.2 |
| Fig, dried | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 2.0 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 1.8 |
| Avocado | ½ medium | 1.6 |
| Fig, fresh | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.5 |
| Blackberries | 1 cup (250 mL) | 1.4 |
| Apricots, dried | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 1.4 |
| Grapefruit | ½ medium | 1.2 |
| Plum, with skin | 2 fruits | 1.1 |
| Apple | 1 medium | 1.0 |
| Applesauce | 1 cup (250 mL) | 0.9 |
| Strawberries | 1 cup (250 mL) | 0.9 |
| Mango | ½ medium | 0.8 |
| Nectarine | 1 medium | 0.8 |
| Prunes, dried | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 0.8 |
| Banana | 1 medium | 0.7 |
Vegetables
| Vegetable | Serving size | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Winter squash | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.9 |
| Brussels sprouts | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.9 |
| Parsnip | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.8 |
| Sweet potatoes and yams | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.4 |
| Green peas | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.3 |
| Broccoli | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.2 |
| Carrots | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.1 |
| Turnip greens | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.1 |
| Okra | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.0 |
| Beets | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.0 |
| Onion | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.0 |
| Green beans | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.0 |
| Asparagus | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.7 |
| Eggplant | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.4 |
Cereals
| Cereal | Serving size | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Bran cereal with added psyllium | ½ cup (125 mL) | 3.8 |
| Granola | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.3 |
| Oat bran | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.3 |
| Oatmeal, cooked | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.9 |
| O-shaped cereal | 1 cup (250 mL) | 0.9 |
| Oat cereal, muesli | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.7 |
| Wheat germ | 2 tbsp (30 mL) | 0.5 |
| Wheat bran | 2 tbsp (30 mL) | 0.3 |
Grains, bread, rice and pasta
| Grain | Serving size | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Konjac noodles | ½ cup (125 mL) | 3.0 |
| Amaranth, dry | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 2.4 |
| Soy flour | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 2.0 |
| Oat bran muffin | 1 medium | 1.4 |
| Potato flour | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 1.3 |
| Corn flour | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 1.2 |
| Barley, cooked | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.9 |
| Barley flour | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 0.8 |
| Rye bread | 1 slice | 0.6 to 1.0 |
| Quinoa, cooked | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.6 |
| Millet, cooked | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.6 |
| Whole wheat bread | 1 slice | 0.5 |
| Pasta, whole wheat, cooked | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.4 |
Beans and legumes
| Beans & legumes | Serving size | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Lima beans | ½ cup (125 mL) | 3.5 |
| Soybeans, roasted | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 3.4 |
| Kidney beans | ½ cup (125 mL) | 2.8 |
| Black beans | ½ cup (125 mL) | 2.4 |
| Navy beans | ½ cup (125 mL) | 2.2 |
| Refried beans | ½ cup (125 mL) | 2.1 |
| Pinto beans | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.9 |
| Tofu, cooked | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.9 |
| Edamame (green soybeans) | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.7 |
| Chickpeas | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.3 |
| Split peas, yellow or green | ½ cup (125 mL) | 1.1 |
| Lentils | ½ cup (125 mL) | 0.6 |
Nuts and seeds
| Nuts & seeds | Serving size | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Flax seeds, ground | 2 tbsp (30 mL) | 1.8 |
| Hazelnuts, without shell | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 1.1 |
| Chia seeds | 2 tbsp (30 mL) | 1.0 |
| Sunflower seeds | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 0.7 |
| Peanuts | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 0.7 |
| Macadamia nuts | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 0.6 |
| Tahini (sesame seed butter) | 2 tbsp (30 mL) | 0.6 |
| Peanut butter | 2 tbsp (30 mL) | 0.5 |
| Almonds | ¼ cup (60 mL) | 0.4 |
Baking
| Baking | Serving size | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa powder, unsweetened | 1 tbsp (15 mL) | 0.4 |
Supplements
| Supplement | Serving size | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Psyllium husk | 1 tbsp | 3.5 |
| Metamucil | 1 tbsp | 3.4 |
Sources: Alberta Health Services, Eat More Soluble Fibre (2025), and PEN, Food Sources of Soluble Fibre (Dietitians of Canada, 2012).
A sample day with 20 grams of soluble fiber
Here is one way to reach 20 grams in a day, using only foods and serving sizes from the chart above. Swap in your own favourites from the chart to match what you like to eat.
| Meal | What you eat | Soluble fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | ½ cup oat bran with 2 tbsp ground flax seeds and 1 cup blackberries | 4.5 |
| Snack | 1 medium pear and ¼ cup almonds | 2.6 |
| Lunch | Bowl with ½ cup black beans, ½ cup sweet potato, ½ cup broccoli and ½ medium avocado | 6.6 |
| Snack | ½ cup edamame | 1.7 |
| Dinner | Chili made with ½ cup kidney beans, served with ½ cup Brussels sprouts | 4.7 |
| Total | 20.1 |
You can also check out my portfolio diet recipes for meal inspiration as I prioritize high soluble fiber ingredients when creating these dishes.
Increase soluble fiber slowly
Going from a little fiber to 20 grams overnight can leave you gassy, bloated and uncomfortable. Your gut needs time to get used to it, so add one or two high soluble fiber foods at a time and build up from there.
Drink more fluids as you eat more fiber. Water, milk, coffee, tea, broth and soup all count. The extra fluid helps the fiber work better and helps prevent gas, bloating and diarrhea.
It also helps to spread your fiber foods out over the day instead of eating them all at one meal, the way the sample day above does.
If you use a psyllium supplement, follow the directions on the package and drink the amount of fluid it says. Too little fluid can cause gas, cramps and bloating. Talk to your healthcare professional before starting a fiber supplement and to help determine how much fiber is right for you.
Final Thoughts
Are you prioritizing soluble fiber to lower your LDL cholesterol levels? If so, tell us in the comment below your favorite food or recipe that helps your reach your daily goals.