A healthy diet is a vital part of family wellness, especially when it comes to your child’s fibre needs. Kids need plenty of fibre in order to develop and grow, and this sets the stage for their wellbeing in the years to come. Without enough fibre, your child’s wellness may be at risk to constipation, obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and other health issues, so it’s important to get their nutrition sorted out early on. The best method is to add five to your child’s age to get their daily need for fibre in grams. For example, if your child is 5, he or she will need 10g of fibre each day, if you’ve got teenagers, they’ll need anything from 18-23g. But where are the best places to get it from?
1. Whole grain foods: Cereals and breads made with whole grains provide your child with the optimum nutrition, and are easily swapped in to replace white bread or sugary cereals. Foods like bran, oats, barley, quinoa, brown rice, brown pasta and even popcorn are great options, especially if you hide the fact their healthy by using yummy (but still healthy) sauces and toppings.
2. Vegetables: The best veggie sources of fibre are cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, collard greens and mustard greens – a cup of cooked peas can provide 8.8g of fibre! These vegetables are great on their own or with a nice fresh dip, but your child may prefer them in soups and sauces.
3. Fruits: Strawberries, bananas and figs are excellent fibre sources, while a cup of raspberries, an average sized pear and an apple offer around 7.6g, 5.5g and 4.4g respectively. Fruits are such a good fibre option as they also contain multitudes of minerals and vitamins, as well as both soluble and insoluble fibre. Try using them alongside cereal, in desserts or on their own as a snack.
4. Legumes: You can do a lot to experiment with legumes so there’s bound to be something to suit your child. The soluble and viscous fibre elements in beans and pulses lower your child’s serum cholesterol and balance blood sugar levels, so it’s worth giving your child plenty of navy beans, rajma and split peas. For 15g of fibre, go for a cup of cooked black beans, but a cup of canned baked beans adds 10.4g to your child’s daily fibre intake.
5. Raisins: Ok, these are technically fruit but raisins are such a good option for adding fibre to a child’s diet that they deserve a special mention. Just one cup adds 5.3g to your child’s daily nutritional needs, and this is both soluble and insoluble fibre. You can sprinkle a few onto your kid’s cereal, mix them up with nuts for a fun snack of trail mix, or else encourage your child to eat them on their own – raisins make a great lunchbox filler.
6. Flax seed: As well as being packed with soluble and insoluble fibres, flax seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids. These are vital for brain development, heart health and even preventing cancer, so why not sprinkle some flax seeds on your child’s bowl of yogurt, cereal or salads?
7. Lentils: Again, lentils can be included in a previous category, but they could use a special shout out. You’ll find this vegetable in a variety of Indian dishes, and it’s not hard to see why. Lentils are an effective source of fibre and easy to include in meals once you know how. Look online for a good daal recipe, and expand your child’s horizons as well as their fibre intake!
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