Fiber is an essential nutrient for adults and kids alike. Fiber is the indigestible part of plants and is found in a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts. With a little planning and creativity, you can help ensure that your children are fulfilling their daily recommended fiber intake with kid-friendly meals.
Breakfast
Try preparing pancakes with whole-grain buckwheat flour, rather than refined-grain white flour. Add fiber-rich raspberries and blueberries to the batter. Also add thinly sliced raw unsweetened almonds. Another high-fiber breakfast option for kids is a peanut butter sandwich. Use finely milled whole-grain bread made with whole-wheat flour, instead of refined grain white bread. Peanut butter -- like all nuts and nut spreads -- is an excellent source of fiber. For an extra boost of fiber, add sliced banana to the peanut butter sandwich.
Lunch
For a kid-friendly high-fiber lunch, prepare tacos. Use soft tacos made with whole-wheat flour. Add your choice of fiber-rich beans, such as black beans, pinto beans, or vegetarian baked beans. Add whole-grain wild rice instead of traditional refined-grain Spanish rice. Prepare a fresh mild salsa with fiber-rich veggies such as diced tomatoes and sweet yellow corn. Top the tacos with grilled skinless chicken or seasoned lean ground beef.
Dinner
For dinner, try preparing a classic kids’ favorite – spaghetti. But instead of using regular spaghetti made from refined grains, choose whole-wheat spaghetti. Vegetables are an excellent source of fiber. If your child is not fond of veggies, try adding them to a tomato-base pasta sauce. Finely chop vegetables such as artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, and baby spinach, and mix them into the tomato sauce. For a high-fiber healthy alternative to traditional dessert, serve your kids a side of fresh strawberries.
Snacks
Contrary to popular belief, popcorn is actually a healthy choice of snack for kids. Popcorn is a whole-grain food, so it is rich in fiber. Choose a low-calorie variety that contains no butter and little salt. Another kid-friendly fiber-rich snack is homemade trail mix. Use about 1 ounce of unsalted and unsweetened nuts and seeds such as walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seed kernels and pumpkin seeds. Add 2 tablespoons of raisins.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating – Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; November 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Children’s Health – Nutrition for Kids: Guidelines for a Healthy Diet; July 2011
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness – Carbohydrates
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness – Whole Grain Foods
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating – High-Fiber Foods; Nov. 2009
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