Daily Recommended Intake Of Fiber

A diet rich in plant fiber from grains, vegetables and fruits plays an important role in your overall health. After you swallow a few bites of plant-based foods, the glucose, vitamins and minerals from the food are absorbed through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream. The fiber from the plant cells, however, remains inside your gastrointestinal tract to promote heart health and to control the level of glucose in your blood. Fiber also aids in weight management and ensures normal bowel function. Recommendations for your daily fiber intake will vary, depending upon your age or sex.

Children

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that children should get at least 10 grams of fiber from the foods they eat daily, plus an additional gram for every year of their age. For example, a 4-year-old boy needs 10 grams of fiber, plus 4 grams for his age, or 14 grams of dietary fiber daily. His 12-year-old sister needs 10 grams plus 12 grams, or 22 grams of fiber from her meals and snacks.

Adults

The Institute of Medicine recommends a minimum of 38 grams of dietary fiber daily for men up until age 50, when the requirement changes to 30 grams a day as their food consumption decreases. Women need 30 grams daily through age 50, and then at least 21 grams a day from that point forward.

Fiber Calculators

Fiber calculators sponsored by a number of professional health organizations and providers offer the opportunity to enter factors that influence your daily fiber requirement. To obtain a customized recommendation, the University of Maryland Health System online calculator allows you to select your age, height, gender, frame size and activity level. If you're 42 years old, 5-feet 2-inches tall, female, with a small frame and sedentary lifestyle, your individualized fiber intake recommendation is 18 grams per day. On the other hand, a 42-year-old woman who is 5-feet 10-inches tall, with a large frame and very active lifestyle, should eat at least 32 grams of fiber daily.

Considerations

When you follow the rule of thumb guidelines established by the USDA and Institute of Medicine, keep in mind that the members of a four-person family have significantly different fiber requirements. If you're a 42-year-old mom, you need to eat foods that add up to 30-plus grams of fiber a day. Your 49-year-old husband requires at least 38 grams of fiber from his meals and snacks, while the kids will need much less fiber. To help everyone reach their goals, serve plenty of whole-grain pastas, breads and cereals, along with an array of fresh fruits and vegetables, and make sure to control portion sizes.