Toddlers can be picky eaters, devouring a food one day and disdaining it the next. When your youngster tries a new food, she may put a piece in her mouth only to spit it out because it has an unfamiliar taste or consistency. You may need to offer new menu items several times before your child accepts them into her diet. While it can be challenging to incorporate enough dietary fiber into meals and snacks, fiber plays an important role in preventing and treating constipation in toddlers.
Normal Bowel Function
Fiber refers to the parts of fruits, vegetables and grain products that your child can't digest. As fiber passes through his intestines, it isn't absorbed like protein, fat or glucose is. Instead, soluble fiber combines with water to increase the size of his stools and make them softer. These bulky stools move through his bowels more readily, reducing the chance of constipation or relieving constipation if it's already present.
Fiber Intake
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, children should eat at least 10g of dietary fiber a day, plus an additional gram for each year of age. A 1-year-old boy, for example, needs 10g plus 1g, or 11g a day. His 2-year-old sister needs more fiber to keep her bowels functioning normally. Her daily requirement is 10g plus 2g, or 12g of fiber from food each day.
High-fiber Foods
Whole-grain breads, cereals, pastas and other menu items are rich in soluble fiber that promotes normal bowel function in toddlers. Choose whole-grain products that contain 3 to 5g of fiber in a serving and list a whole-grain product as their first ingredient. Legumes, including dried peas, beans and lentils, deliver plenty of fiber as well as protein. Blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and other berries offer plenty of fiber. You can also give your toddler apples, plums, pears and dried fruits, such as raisins, dates and apricots. Leafy greens, including spinach, kale, Swiss chard and collards are rich fiber sources. Other fiber-rich options include cruciferous, or gas-producing vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Sweet corn, potatoes and carrots are also fiber-rich.
Tips
Your child needs to drink plenty of water, juice, milk and other liquids along with her high-fiber diet. If she doesn't have enough water to combine with the fiber, her stools will be harder and smaller and can cause constipation.
Warnings
Toddlers can choke easily on hard fruits and vegetables, particularly if the skin or membranes are still intact. Even though you sacrifice some of the fiber when you remove the skin from an apple or potato, you need to do so for safety reasons. Many companies manufacture canned or bottled toddler foods that feature softer, smaller bites of fruits and vegetables. You can also make your own at home by dicing peeled peaches or pears into small pieces. Try pureeing fiber-rich fruits and spooning them into yogurt or making them part of a smoothie. Run some cooked vegetables through a blender, and add them to pasta dishes or sauces.
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