As the table below illustrates, different whole grains vary widely in their fiber content. A full serving of whole grains — 16 grams of whole grains — will contain from just over a half gram of fiber to around 3 grams of fiber.
| Grain |
% of grain |
Fiber in 16g of this Grain |
| amaranth | 6.7% | 1.1 grams |
| barley | 17.3% | 2.8 grams |
| brown rice | 3.5% | 0.6 grams |
| buckwheat | 10.0% | 1.6 grams |
| bulgur wheat | 18.3% | 2.9 grams |
| corn | 7.3% | 1.2 grams |
| Kamut® khorasan wheat | 11.1% | 1.8 grams |
| millet | 8.5% | 1.4 grams |
| oats | 10.6% | 1.7 grams |
| quinoa | 7.0% | 1.1 grams |
| rye | 15.1% | 2.4 grams |
| sorghum | 6.3% | 1.0 grams |
| spelt wheat | 10.7% | 1.7 grams |
| teff | 8.0% | 1.3 grams |
| triticale | 14.6% | 2.3 grams |
| wheat | 12.2% | 2.0 grams |
| wild rice | 6.2% | 1.0 grams |
All values from USDA National Nutrient Database SR 26, updated September 2013.
In the U.S., foods labeled “High in Fiber” must contain at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Most foods must have added fiber (extra bran, resistant starch or other fibers) in addition to whole grains, to be considered high fiber foods.
Some people mistakenly believe that a food really isn’t made with whole grain, if it isn’t high in fiber. As the figures on this page illustrate, fiber alone is not a good gauge of whether a product is truly a whole grain food.