Small children who experience constipation may complain of stomach pain and experience hard, painful bowel movements. A diet rich in fiber helps make digestion run more smoothly, especially in toddlers. Many fiber-filled foods are hard for toddlers to chew, may cause choking or simply do not appeal to their tastes. With a little parenting ingenuity, you can come up with fun and tasty fiber snacks that your child will devour.
Sweet Potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes provide 4 g of fiber per ½ cup. Offer them as a creamy snack any time of day. Boil peeled potatoes and puree them with a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to make them appealing to your toddler's desire for sweet foods.
Bean Quesadilla
Nonfat refried beans provide 5.5 g of fiber per ½ cup. Spread the beans on a corn tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts, roll up and cut into bite-sized pieces. Serve with cubes of avocado, another source of fiber.
Bran Muffins
Getting your toddler to down a bowl of fiber-rich bran cereal can be a challenge. Hide the bran in a sweet treat instead. To make a toddler-friendly bran muffin with approximately 4 g of fiber per serving, stir together 1 ¼ cups bran with 1 cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 ½ tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp cinnamon. In another bowl, beat together ½ cup milk, 1/3 cup canola oil, 2 eggs and 1 peeled, finely chopped apple. Stir the two mixtures together until just combined and pour into 12 lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Vegetable Soup
Vegetables such as peas, broccoli, tomatoes and corn contain significant amounts of fiber. If your child does not like to eat them on their own, try putting them into a soup made with chicken or vegetable broth. Add whole wheat noodles to increase the fiber content. The fluid in the soup may also help ease constipation. To encourage your toddler to eat the soup, serve it in a big cup and let her practice her sipping skills.
Flaxseed Smoothies
Flaxseed meal is high in fiber and acts as a natural laxative. When you blend the meal into a smoothie, the taste is undetectable. In the jar of a blender, put ½ a frozen banana, ½ cup of frozen strawberries, 1 cup of orange juice and 1 tbsp. of flaxseed meal. Puree until smooth, adding extra ice cubes or juice to attain the desired texture.
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