Fiber provides numerous health benefits, including treating and preventing constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and high cholesterol. High fiber snacks such as an apple or a banana are low in calories and have the added benefit of satisfying hunger and providing a feeling of fullness, which can help ward off childhood obesity. Fiber also slows the rate at which sugar is absorbed from food into the bloodstream. Steady blood-sugar levels may aid children in learning, according to AskDrSears.com, a website from University of California, Irvine, pediatrician William Sears.
Recommended Amount
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that boys and girls ages 2 and 3 take in 19 g of fiber daily; boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 8, 25 g; girls between ages 9 and 11, 26 g; and boys between ages 9 and 11, 31 g, reports AskDrSears.com. A rule of thumb for the bare minimum amount of fiber for a child over 2 years of age is to add 5 g to the child's age; thus, a 3-year-old should eat at least 8 g of fiber every day. Monitor your child for symptoms that she might be getting either too much or too little fiber. Symptoms of too little fiber are constipation and hard or infrequent stools, while too much fiber can cause gas, bloating and abdominal pain.
Determining Fiber Content
According to KidsHealth from Nemours, a high fiber food contains 5 g or more of fiber per serving, while a good fiber source contains 2.5 to 4.9 g per serving. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans are all rich fiber sources. Check packaged food labels for their fiber content, and educate your child about how to read a nutrition facts panel so that he can make good choices on his own.
Adding Fiber
Make changes in the amount of fiber in your child's diet gradually, and offer a wide variety of high fiber foods, recommends the website High-Fiber-Health.com. Make sure that you increase her fluid intake--4 additional cups of liquid for preschoolers and 6 to 8 additional cups of liquid for school-age children--to ensure that high fiber foods move quickly through her digestive system.
Grains
Increase your child's fiber intake by serving pastas, crackers and breads made with whole grains rather than refined grains whenever possible. Make lunchtime sandwiches with whole-wheat or multigrain breads, since they may contain up to 2 g of fiber per slice as opposed to white bread, which contains only 0.5 g. Popcorn, oatmeal and whole-grain cereals are other excellent sources of fiber. Serve brown rice, which has 5.5 g per serving, in place of white rice, which has only 2 g of fiber per serving, according to the Dietary Fiber Guide website.
Vegetables and Fruits
Make fiber-rich vegetables part of your child's daily diet. Periodically introduce less familiar vegetables along with children's favorites. Get your child into the habit of enjoying a green salad with dinner, particularly ones made with fiber-filled dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach and romaine. Excellent fruit sources of fiber include apples, pears, berries, bananas and oranges, all of which contain between 3 and 9 g of fiber per serving. After washing the fruit well, serve slices of fruit such apples, pears or nectarines with the skin on to gain maximum fiber value. Serve whole fruits rather than fruit juices, which don't have the same fiber benefits.
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