Healthy Eating for Children Blog

Children are not happy when they hear about fiber, it is not one of their favorite topics to discuss. Having a high fiber diet can be a preventable measure for many chronic diseases and obesity.
I am sure their thoughts are more on sweeter, more delicious food than fiber rich foods. Many delicious appétitzing foods are filled with fiber despite the taste. If you are feeding your family a balanced diet then your kids are eating many of those fibers.
Fiber rich foods are beneficial to the body and in itself have no calories however, the things that are added will contribute to the added calories. Drinking sufficient water will help food pass through the digestive tract and can prevent cancer and constipation. It may also help prevent diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Fiber has been known as a broom for the body.
Knowing your fiber
It is important to check labels for the amount of fiber in a product. Fiber can found in various foods including:
Apricots
Plums
Apples
Oranges
Mangoes
Berries
Whole grain breads and cereal
Vegetables
Beans and legumes will be met.
It is important that both adult and children to get the recommended amount of fiber. Dietitians recommend calculating the amount of fiber by age+five. Take the child’s age and add five to get the recommend grams daily.
Children should not consume too much fiber for fear of not getting their daily required nutrients. Adults should be getting 30 grams daily.
Ideas to incorporate fiber in the diet
Add one cup of pureed kidney beans to one pound of ground beef, use to make hamburger or lasagna. Add ground flax seed to hot cereal. Add pureed beets or carrots to tomato sauce. Add pureed broccoli or cauliflower to soups and sauces. Granola is great on yogurt and cold cereal.
Ensure that children are eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables by having them readily available.