Fiber aids in bowl regulation and keeps your body healthy. The recommended daily intake of fiber for children is based on their age. Adding 10 to your child's age equals the number of grams of fiber your child needs on a daily basis. There are a variety of delicious, fiber-rich, kid-friendly foods that your child can enjoy eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time.
Grains, Cereals and Pastas
Add fiber to your child's diet by feeding him whole grain breads, pastas and cereals. Serve either a breakfast of oatmeal, which has 4 g of fiber per cup, a 2-oz. wheat bagel, which boasts 6 g of fiber, or a bran muffin, which contains 6 g of fiber. Wheat flakes, bran flakes with raisins and oat ring cereals contain between 1.8 to 5.4 g of fiber in a 3/4 cup serving.
Pack your child's lunchbox with a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread for a mid-day boost of flavor and fiber. There are 1.7 g of fiber in a slice of wheat bread. Serve popcorn as a fiber-rich snack, adding 3.5 g of fiber for a 3-cup serving.
For pasta dinners, opt for whole-wheat pasta because it contains 6.8 g of fiber per cup. For casseroles use brown rice, averaging 3.5 g of fiber in a single cup serving.
Fruit
Fruit gives kids a boost of fiber and makes a handy snack that travels well. Blackberries, raisins, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries contain between 3 to 8 g of fiber for a 1 cup serving. Add berries or raisins to whole-grain breakfast cereals or pack them in your child's lunchbox for a sweet, fiber-rich snack. Medium-sized pears have 5.1 g of fiber, apples have 3.3 g of fiber, bananas contain 3.0 g of fiber and oranges have 3.1 g of fiber. Serve fruit in salads, or cut them up and serve them with plain yogurt to increase your child's daily fiber intake.
Legumes, Nuts and Seeds
Prepare hot soups or stews using fiber-rich legumes for a warm, comforting meal for kids. Split peas contain 16 g of fiber, while lentils have 15.6 g and black beans have 15 g. Kidney, lima and baked beans have between 10 to 13 g of fiber. Add beans to rice dishes and salads to add fiber to your kid's meal. Peanuts have 2.3 g of fiber per 1-oz serving, while 1 oz. of almonds boasts 3.5 g of fiber and 1 oz. of pecans contains 2.7 g of fiber. Sunflower seeds have 3.9 g of fiber in a 1/4 cup serving. Serve nuts and seeds as snacks or add them to salads for extra fiber and crunch.
Vegetables
Although vegetables aren't always a favorite among kids, there are ways to make them more appealing to your child. Serve raw celery, carrots, broccoli or cauliflower--which contain between 1.7 to 3.1 g of fiber per cup--with peanut butter or a low fat dip for an after school snack. Add peas, which have 4.5 g of fiber per cup, or green beans, that contain 4.0 g of fiber per cup, to soups. Potatoes, with the skin, and sweet potatoes both contain over 4 g of fiber and are best served baked. Sprinkle baked potatoes with low-fat cheese to make them more appealing to your child's palate. Prepare salads using romaine lettuce, which has 1.7 g of fiber per cup, along with other fiber-rich vegetables like carrots, celery and tomatoes. Serve the salad with whole wheat rolls for a light dinner option.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture: Healthy Meals Resource System: Fiber Facts [PDF]
- The Ohio State University Medical Center: High Fiber Diet: Children [PDF]
- Colorado State University Extension: Dietary Fiber
- University of Wisconsin Madison: Nutrition Care for You: Fiber
- MayoClinic.com: High-Fiber Foods
- Wheat Foods Council: List of Fiber Foods
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