Fiber is an essential ingredient for your growing child. A healthy and balanced diet must include fiber as it is very important for digestive health and regular bowel movements.

Why do we need High Fiber Foods for kids?

One of the most apparent advantages of giving high fiber food for kids is that it helps in the proper digestion of food.

Having a fair amount of fiber in your kid’s diet would keep their digestive tract in the right direction and would cure their constipation problems.

How Much Fiber Does your Child Need?

Let’s work on getting a ballparked estimate on how much fiber your child needs. There is a basic thumb rule which says- add 5 to the child’s age.

Let me explain this to you. If your child is 5 years old, he/she would need about 10 grams (5 of age + 5 in addition) of fiber daily. Likewise, if your child is 10 years old, then the daily requirement would become 15 grams, and so on. While following this rule, just keep in mind that the maximum recommended fiber intake is 25 grams per day.

How do I know my child’s diet lack sufficient fiber?

If you are unsure about your child missing essential fiber then here are some warning signs. If your kids show any of these signs then their diet may be lacking sufficient fiber.

  • If your child has irregular bowels or less bowel movements of fewer than 3 times a week then chances are your child has constipation problem. This is largely due to low fiber and less fluids in their diet.
  • Your child is low on energy and constantly staying tired.
  • He/She feels hungry after meals. This indicates the food they ate had no or less fiber so they didn’t feel fuller.
  • Your kids find it difficult to lose weight as they feel hungry and tend to eat something or the other throughout the day.

High fiber foods for kids

The good news is that there are a lot of options available that provide high-fiber foods for kids. To get your child the fiber they need, you don’t have to push only vegetables on them. You can also add a bunch of other fiber-rich foods into your daily diet.

Below are 10 such foods that are great sources of fiber and your kids would definitely love eating them.

1. Apples – High fiber foods for kids

Every child enjoys the flavor of a fresh and juicy apple. We all remember the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away “. Well, most of the diseases are somewhere linked to our food and digestion, and apples seem to work just where it’s needed the most.

A medium-sized apple contains around 3-4 grams of fiber.

The fiber in apples helps to regulate blood sugar and improve gut health.

2. Berries – High fiber foods for kids

Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are all high in fiber. They help in losing weight by lowering calorie intake.

Berries contain high fiber, which helps your child feel fuller and maintains his calories to optimum levels.

3. Oatmeal – High fiber foods for kids

The delicious bowl of oatmeal includes nearly 4 grams of fiber. You can make it tastier by adding kid’s favorite stuff in it like raisins, almonds, etc.

Oats are rich in beta-glucan, a soluble fiber with various health benefits. It lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels, encourages good gut bacteria, and makes you feel fuller.

4. Bananas – High fiber foods for kids

Bananas are a great option as they are super nutritious and most kids enjoy eating them. They are also rich in fiber.

It would interest you to know that a medium-sized banana contains approximately 3 grams of fiber.

This is surely the fruit that the grannies of the house would give to their grandkids to prevent and relieve their constipation problems.

5. Chickpeas – High fiber foods for kids

Another wonderful option for kids is chickpeas.

They are high in fiber and protein, which make them a good choice for bones, muscles, and skin health.

In addition, chickpeas are also cholesterol-free and hence they are beneficial in lowering the cholesterol levels in the blood and reducing the risk of heart diseases.

6. Dryfruits – High fiber foods for kids

Most dry fruits are a good source of fiber. Almonds, for instance, is the most fiber-rich dry fruit which contains up to 3.5 grams of fiber in a 1-ounce serving. The next on the list is peanuts as they contain 2.5 grams of fiber in the same serving. Besides this, you can also give pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cashews, and sunflower seeds to boost their energies.

7. Tomatoes – High fiber foods for kids

Tomatoes are 95% water. The remaining 5% of tomatoes is mostly carbohydrates and fiber. A cup of chopped tomatoes provides as much as 2 grams of dietary fiber. Your kids can enjoy ripe tomatoes in salads or in some form of the tomato-rich dish.

8. Pears – High fiber foods for kids

Pears make it a great fruit for the small munch breaks. Pears are full of nutritional value and a medium-size pear is sufficient to provide up to 5.5 grams of fiber to your kids.

9. Millets – High fiber foods for kids

Millets belong to the cereal family and contain a decent amount of fibers which are helpful in normalizing irregular bowel movements. Kids can enjoy millets in foods such as muesli, roasted millets snacks, millets pancakes, etc. A 4 ounce serving of millets contains 3.1 grams of fiber.

10. Brown Rice – High fiber foods for kids

The husky brown rice is a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fibers. They are known to soothe the stomach and heal problems related to digestion such as constipation. A 4 ounce serving of brown rice contains 1.8 grams of fiber.

Side Effects of consuming excess of high fibre foods for kids

Like everything, taking excess fiber in your diet is not good for the body. It can cause bloating and gastric problems. To ease this one must be sufficiently hydrated.

A few words from CityMom

Although we have discussed a handful of high fiber foods for kids, however, if you want to add some more to the mommy’s list then consider giving your child some lentils, avocado, broccoli, etc.

Fiber is a vital component for a child’s growth as it keeps their little gut happy. A fiber-rich diet helps in improving their digestion.

Now that you know the importance of fibers in the daily diet, you must start giving these healthy options to your kids from today!

Besides these high fiber foods, if your child feels drained and exhausted try these iron rich foods for kids and these health drinks for kids to provide them with the needed nutrition.

References

niddk.nih.gov | health.qld.gov.au and many others!