How to Know How Much Fiber Your Child Needs

This article addresses foods that will add fiber to your child’s diet as well as guidelines by age for the amount of fiber he should be eating per day. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Just as adults needs fiber so do children. Children need the number in years of age plus 5 to 10 grams. So a 5 year old would need between 10 and 15g of fiber per day. (5 years old plus 5g equals 10g, 5 years old plus 10g equals 15g)
2. Unless you have the time and energy to prepare all natural homemade meals for your children here are some guidelines to use when choosing prepackaged food. If the front of the package claims the product is made with whole grains you should still check the ingredients on the back or side of the package.
3. If the product is made of mostly whole grains, one of the first ingredients listed should be a whole grain such as; whole wheat flour, whole grain flour, or oat flour (basically it should not be white flour).
4. Another indication of the fiber content is on the label. Under carbohydrates, the amount of fiber per serving should be listed. This number should help you determine if this food will suit your child’s needs when combined with the rest of his diet for that day.
5. Good sources of fiber are: whole grain breads, crackers or cereal, fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t forget how much your child imitates you! You should set a good example by eating the healthy foods you feed him!