Children with constipation problems are often advised to have foods rich in fiber. Regular intake of fiber-rich foods, along with adequate amount of water or liquid helps food move smoothly down the digestive system, thereby minimizing constipation and improving bowel movements. However, dietary fiber has an even more important role to play and offers several other benefits too.
Fiber-rich foods mostly contain low saturated fat and bad cholesterol and are therefore considered healthy for children. Fiber also plays a significant part in reducing the possibility of many serious ailments.
Unfortunately certain studies indicate that most toddlers and preschoolers in the United States do not get the required amount of fiber.
Toddlers (age 1-3) require at least 19 grams of fiber every day, but intake averages only around 11.4 grams per day. Even though there may not be immediate serious implications associate with low fiber intake, it is advisable to get your toddler to have the required amount of fiber.
It is also important to note that more fiber than required may actually do harm rather than good. Fiber-rich foods tend to fill up the child quicker and for a longer period of time, hence they may not eat enough thereby depriving the body of adequate amount of vitamins and minerals. Foods which have between 2.5 to 4.9 grams per serving of fiber are considered good sources and those with more than 4.9 grams per serving fall in the high-fiber food category. Some of the best fiber foods for toddlers are as follows:
Many fruits are good sources of fiber, especially fruits which contain edible seeds like Guava and Raspberries. Guava is in fact one of the richest sources of dietary fiber. Also, fresh and frozen fruits should be consumed rather than fruit juices, because juices tend to lose a lot of the fiber, besides they are also high in sugar, which is not very good for the toddler. Some fruits which are high in fiber include:
Compared to whole grains and cereals, vegetables have lesser dietary fiber because they have more water content. Nevertheless, they are important sources of fiber, especially cruciferous vegetables (belonging to mustard greens family) or vegetables that create gas like, cauliflower and broccoli. Among vegetable sources legumes contain the highest fiber. Some vegetables and legumes which are good sources of fiber include:
Whole grain products should be chosen over refined grain products like white bread, pasta, white rice etc. Whole grains remain unaltered and in their original form with bran, germ and endosperm intact, while refined grains lose the barn and germ during processing. This bran contains the highest fiber as compared to any other food source. Among whole grains, Rye contains the highest fiber. Other fiber-rich whole grains (and their products) include:
Peas are very high on fiber. One cup of raw green peas (almost 138 grams), contains 30.3% of fiber. Peas can be included in your toddler’s diet as a snack by itself or as a side dish during lunch or dinner. If the child is not fond of raw peas, it can be cooked and offered as a soup or in rice pilafs. Cooked peas however contain lesser fiber (8.8 grams per cup) than raw peas.
Among fruits, raspberries are one of the best sources of fiber. A cup of raspberry contains 8 grams of dietary fiber. One serving of raspberry fruit has more fiber content than one serving of other fruits like apples, figs, pears etc.
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