How much fiber does a child need a day? It is recommended that children get their age plus 5 grams of fiber a day. If you are looking to increase the amount of fiber in your child’s diet there are many high fiber kid friendly foods to choose from.

Fiber Foods for Kids

• Fruit - Fruits can be a great source of fiber for kids. Pears have 4-5 grams of fiber. Bananas have approx. 3 grams of fiber. Fruits are always a healthy snack for kids!
• Cereal - It is best to limit your child’s consumption of sugary cereals. Look for low sugar cereals made with whole grains. In order for a cereal to be considered high fiber look for cereals that have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. You can also buy cheerios and add some of your own high fiber cereal. For example, All Bran’s new Strawberry Medley is great but may contain more fiber than your child really needs. Therefore, just mix a handful in with your child’s cheerios or cereal of choice.
• Mott’s Apple Sauce with added fiber - Mott’s now sells an applesauce that has added fiber. This applesauce is definitely a high fiber kid friendly food!
• Oatmeal
• Hannover’s now has a bunch of whole grain snacks. My boys love there whole grain cheese puffs and they have 3 grams of fiber per serving. Look in the chip section in your grocery store.

Be sure to check our list of high fiber foods for more suggestions.

Although there is no identifiable deficiency disease caused by lack of fiber in the diet, research does indicate that a low intake of dietary fiber, or a dietary fiber deficiency, over one’s life can be associated with numerous health problems. These health problems include constipation, bowel irregularities, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, raised cholesterol levels, and obesity. In order to avoid these health concerns associated with a dietary fiber deficiency one should definitely consume 25-35 grams of fiber per day.

If you are looking for an organic drink with fiber you may want to try drinking Silk’s new product Silk Plus Fiber. It is an organic soy milk and provides 5 grams of fiber per serving. Silk Plus Fiber offers a delicious and convenient way to boost your fiber intake and help you meet your daily fiber needs. I love Silk’s soy milk and definitely recommend this product. It would be a great addition to a high fiber cereal.

Like I have mentioned in earlier posts, if you are increasing the amount of fiber in your diet, make sure that you increase your water intake too. Water will help fiber do its job and help prevent constipation and gas pains.