Fiber improves digestive health, lowers blood cholesterol, helps control blood sugar, and keeps you feeling full. Your options for eating more fiber go beyond whole grains. Here are six ways to boost your fiber intake.

Don't peel it away.

The edible skin of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, pears, and zucchini, contains valuable fiber. A medium raw apple contains 3.7 grams of fiber, but if you peel it, you only get 1.7 grams of fiber.

Bring on the berries.

Foods with edible seeds provide extra fiber. One cup of fresh raspberries has 8 grams of fiber, and one cup of fresh blackberries has 7.6 grams of fiber.

Eat your peas.

Split peas have one of the highest fiber contents with 16.3 grams in 1 cup of cooked peas. One cup of boiled fresh peas contains 8.8 grams of fiber. If you aren’t a fan of peas, try lentils. One cup of cooked lentils has 15.6 grams of fiber, and they make a great addition to soups or salads.

Get brave with beans.

Much like split peas and lentils, beans are high in fiber. Get creative and look beyond plain whole beans. One cup of canned chickpeas contains 14 grams of fiber, and 1 cup of edamame contains 10 grams of fiber. Both can be used to make delicious hummus. One cup of fat-free refried beans contains 12 grams of fiber and adds protein to a taco salad. One cup of canned cannellini beans also contains 12 grams of fiber, and they can be used as a base for white bean dips.

Sprinkle on nuts and seeds.

A sprinkle of nuts or seeds is a good way to add more fiber to salads, yogurt, and cereals. A quarter cup of sunflower seed kernels has 4 grams of fiber. One ounce of almonds (24 nuts) or pecans (19 halves) has 3 grams of fiber. Pistachio nuts are not far behind with 2.9 grams of fiber in 1 ounce (49 nuts).

Cut up some cruciferous vegetables.

Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kale, provide fiber while also supplying phytochemicals that protect against disease. One cup of steamed broccoli contains 5.5 grams of fiber, and 1 cup of boiled Brussels sprouts contains 4.1 grams of fiber. Add 1 cup of cooked cauliflower to your meal and get 3.3 grams of fiber, or choose 1 cup of cooked kale and add 2.6 grams of fiber.

You should not feel overwhelmed by trying to get enough fiber. By making healthy choices, you can get all the fiber you need through food. The Mayo Clinic estimates women should eat at least 21 to 25 grams daily, and men should eat 30 to 38 grams daily.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.