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Step 1
How much fiber should your child have? The general rule of thumb is to take their age and add 5 grams of fiber. A 6-year-old child should have at least 11 grams of fiber daily.
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Step 2
Start the day with a fiber-rich cereal. One cup of Raisin Bran offers 7 grams of fiber. If your child turns up their nose at cereal with higher fiber, try mixing it with their favorite sugar cereal. You may not get the entire 7 grams of fiber, but you will definitely up their intake. On cold winter mornings, cook up a half cup of oatmeal and add 4 grams of fiber to your child's day.
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Step 3
Add more fruits and vegetables. A small apple with the skin or 1 cup of strawberries have 3 grams of fiber. One half cup of blueberries, raspberries or blackberries add nearly 4 grams of fiber. Watch out though, as some fruits are lower in fiber than others. One half cup of pineapple contributes less than 1 gram of fiber to your child's diet.
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Step 4
Make the switch to whole wheat pasta. Since pasta is generally covered by rich meaty sauces, children generally don't notice the switch. One cup of whole wheat pasta typically packs in 5 to 6 grams of fiber. If your family boycotts the whole grains, try mixing whole wheat pasta half and half with regular.
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Step 5
Nuts keep a body healthy. Nuts are a wonderful and tasty way to add fiber to your child's diet. Just a 1/4 cup of almonds contain 4 grams of fiber. Not all nuts are created equal though. The same 1/4 cup of cashews contain only 1 gram of fiber. Be sure to check the nutritional information on the back of packages.
Comments
Derren said
on 3/29/2009 Great how-to article. Enjoyed reading it.