How much fiber does a child need

Fiber (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

en español Fibra

What Is Fiber?

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body doesn't digest (break down). Dietary fiber is found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

Fiber can be soluble or insoluble:

• Soluble fiber dissolves in water. It helps lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar control.
• Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It helps with constipation.

Both kinds of fiber are important parts of a healthy diet.

What Are the Benefits of Fiber?

A diet high in fiber:

• helps prevent or relieve constipation
• increases feelings of fullness, which may help with weight control
• lowers cholesterol
• helps prevent heart disease and diabetes
• may lower the chances of getting some types of cancer

How Much Fiber Do Kids Need?

One way to estimate how much fiber your child needs is to take your child's age and add 5 or 10 to it. For example:

• A 5-year-old should get about 10–15 grams (g) of fiber every day.
• A 10-year old should get 15–20 grams (g) of fiber a day.
• A 15-year-old should get 20–25 grams (g) of fiber a day.

What Are Good Sources of Fiber?

Foods that are naturally high in fiber, include:

• whole grains, such as 100% whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal
• cooked dried beans, such as black beans, lentils, and split peas
• fruit and vegetables
• nuts and seeds

It is best for kids to get their fiber directly from foods rather than from pills or other supplements. Foods have nutrients and vitamins that are important for health. If your doctor recommends that your child take a fiber supplement, give it as directed.

Making Fiber Part of Your Family's Diet

Here are some tips to get more fiber in your family's diet:

• Read nutrition labels to find out how much fiber is in foods. Choose foods with 3 grams of fiber or more.
• Choose whole grains instead of refined grains. For example, try brown rice instead of white rice, or whole-grain pasta instead of regular pasta.
• Choose whole fruit instead of juice.
• Include fruit and vegetables with every meal. Aim for 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

To add more fiber to meals and snacks:

• Top yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal with fruit and nuts.
• Put veggies, like lettuce, tomato, or avocado, on sandwiches.
• Add beans to soups and salads.
• Add bran to baked goods.
• Offer air-popped popcorn, whole-grain crackers, fruit, or vegetables as healthy snack options.

What Else Should I Know?

• Add fiber to the diet slowly over a few weeks. Adding too much fiber too quickly can cause bloating, gas, and/or cramps.
• Kids should drink plenty of water, which helps move fiber through the intestines.

Talk to your doctor if your child has diarrhea, constipation, belly pain, or if you have questions or concerns about your family's diet.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: May 2022

How Much Fiber Do Children Need? – Cleveland Clinic

When visiting with pediatric doctors and specialists, moms and dads frequently voice concern that their child rarely eats food with fiber.

“I frequently hear from parents that they find it extremely difficult to get their carb-friendly toddler to eat different types of foods with good fiber content such as fruits, vegetables, almonds and whole grains,” says pediatric gastroenterologist Kadakkal Radhakrishnan, MD.

So why is fiber so important to include in your child’s diet? It can lower blood cholesterol, prevent diabetes and help move food through your child’s digestive system — promoting healthy bowel function and protecting against constipation.

What is dietary fiber?

First off, fiber is not digested by the body. It passes through your stomach, intestines, colon and then out of your body. Dietary fiber, often called roughage, is the indigestible plant-derived food component.

This now includes certain non-starch polysaccharides — large-sized carbohydrates that aren’t digested, but some of which are fermented once they reach the large intestine. They also contain resistant starch, which are resistant to digestion.

There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble fiber — found mainly in fruits and vegetables — and insoluble fiber, which is found mainly in cereals and whole grains.

Soluble dietary fibers easily dissolve in water and form a gel-like substance when water is added to it. This helps soften stool in the body. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water, but they can trap water to increase stool bulk and ease defecation.

How does dietary fiber work?

Dietary fiber works in three ways: It increases stool bulk, adds thickness to the stool and forms physiologically active products by fermentation. Most bulk-forming fibers are insoluble, such as cellulose and hemicellulose, but there are some that also can be soluble, like psyllium. They absorb water, add to stool weight and facilitate regular bowel movements and are hardly fermented.

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Viscous-forming fibers thicken in the lumen of bowel when mixing with water. They can help reduce absorption of fats like cholesterol and slow down absorption of sugars.

Examples of this type of fiber include guar gum, pectin and methylcellulose. Most of these fibers are fermented by the gut flora.

Fermentable fiber is used by the normal gut flora in the large intestine to form short chain fatty acids, while also adding some bulk to the stool. The short chain fatty acids provide energy to the cell lining of the large bowel and may have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

How much fiber does your child need?

The requirement for fiber varies with age. Here is a rough idea of fiber requirements for various age groups:

• Children 1 to 3 years: 19 grams of fiber/day.
• Children 4 to 8 years: 25 grams of fiber/day.
• Boys 9 to 13 years: 31 grams of fiber/day.
• Girls 9 to 13 years: 26 grams of fiber/day.
• Boys 14 to 19 years: 38 grams of fiber/day.
• Girls 14 to 19 years: 26 grams of fiber/day.

In realistic terms, it may not always be easy to achieve these fiber intake goals. However, by adding fiber-rich foods to your child’s diet, you can easily help ramp up your child’s fiber intake.

Try adding these foods into your little one’s lunch and dinner:

• 1/2 cup of beans or legumes (which gives 6 grams of fiber).
• 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables (which provides 3 grams to 4 grams) and 1/2 cup of fruits (which provides 3 grams).

The above requirements are estimates, and I recommend parents seek the help of a pediatrician or pediatric dietitian or if they have additional concerns.

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How to make fiber fun

“As a parent myself, I understand that making fiber fun — and tasty — for kids is the tough part of the equation,” he says. “To help fight this battle, I recommend parents try various kinds of food with good fiber content and add soluble fibers into drinks, making it less noticeable.”

When introducing more fiber into your child’s diet, it’s important to note that the fiber content should be gradually increased to avoid gas and bloating.

Fun ways to sneak fiber into your child’s diet include blending fruits into smoothies, pureeing vegetables into pasta sauces, choosing new whole-grain cereals and opting for whole-grain bread when making their favorite sandwich.

Some great snack ideas are apples (skin on!) with peanut butter, veggie kabobs, fruit salad and air-popped popcorn.

Try to switch up the menu periodically to keep your child interested, and don’t be afraid to get creative. Trying to make sure your child is getting enough fiber doesn’t have to be a chore.

How much fiber is needed for health?

Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet, but unfortunately, the diet of the vast majority of people around the world does not meet the recommended fiber content.
Much less common is excess fiber intake. Both too little and too much fiber in your diet can lead to digestive problems. It is important to consume enough fiber every day, distributing it throughout the day. High-fiber foods are an essential part of a healthy weight loss diet, and meeting your recommended daily fiber intake can provide many health benefits. Along with eating healthy amounts of fiber, it is also important to ensure that your daily diet is balanced with a variety of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

What is fibre? Fiber (insoluble dietary fiber) is dietary fiber made up of complex carbohydrates that are not digested or absorbed as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract. The optimal amount of daily fiber intake varies and depends on the age and sex of the person. According to current recommendations, the daily intake of fiber for an adult male should be about 34 g, and for an adult woman - about 28 g. The intake of insoluble dietary fiber may vary depending on age. For example, it is recommended that children consume less fiber than adults: adolescents aged 14 to 18 need 25.2–30.8 g of fiber, children aged 9up to 13 years - 22.4-25.2 g, children aged 4 to 8 years - 16.8-19.6 g, children aged 1 to 3 years - about 14 g.

It is known that most people around the world do not get enough dietary fiber. So a study conducted in 2008 showed that the average daily intake of insoluble dietary fiber is only 16 g per day, that is, almost half the recommended daily allowance (in the Russian Federation, the recommended daily allowance is 30 g). On the other hand, eating too much fiber can cause bloating, gas, and constipation. Such effects can appear after consuming 70 g of fiber per day or more, and in some people, when consuming as little as 40 g of fiber. Excessive fiber intake is less common, while dietary fiber intake below the recommended daily level is common.

Eating foods rich in fiber can affect appetite and promote weight loss. People who want to lose weight are advised to eat fiber-rich foods because they tend to be low in calories, rich in nutrients, and make a person feel full faster and longer. By adding bulk and slowing down digestion, fiber reduces hunger and minimizes snacking cravings, which is helpful when trying to lose weight. Eating more fiber, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight.

Research shows, however, that simply increasing fiber by eating more plant foods is not enough for weight loss. Indeed, when trying to lose weight, one should start by reaching the recommended daily intake by eating foods rich in fiber, but it is imperative to supplement your diet with regular exercise. Be wary of high-fiber dietary supplements that promise you weight loss without any effort on your part, physical activity, or changing eating habits.

It is better to start increasing the amount of fiber in your diet gradually so that the digestive system has time to get used to it.
It is not recommended to consume too much fiber. Eating more than 70 grams of fiber per day can lead to adverse effects such as bloating, gas, cramps, decreased appetite, and nutritional, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies (especially calcium, magnesium, and zinc, because fiber can limit their absorption), increased risk of intestinal obstruction (if too much fiber is consumed with insufficient fluid).

Fiber-rich foods include oats, bran, fruits and berries (such as apples, prunes, and figs), vegetables (such as broccoli, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower), whole grains (such as barley, quinoa, and wild rice) , whole grain bread, nuts (such as almonds, peanuts, pistachios, and pecans), seeds (including flax, chia, and pumpkin seeds), legumes (such as lentils and peas), psyllium husks, leeks, asparagus, garlic , onion and soy. The fiber content in one medium banana is 2.6 g, in one medium apple - 4.4 g, in 1.5 cups of broccoli - 7.7 g, in a cup of strawberries - 3.3 g, in 13 g of almonds - 1, 7 g.

Fiber is an essential component of a nutritious diet, with beneficial effects on health, including improving digestion, preventing constipation, reducing the risk of developing heart disease, the risk of type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, lowering low-density lipoprotein levels, improving the glycemic index in people with diabetes, affecting appetite (accelerates the appearance and increases the duration of satiety).
Increasing your plant-based diet, replacing regular bread with whole grains, and snacking on fruit throughout the day will help you reach your recommended daily fiber intake. If you are currently not eating enough fiber, we recommend that you gradually increase the amount of fiber in your diet over several weeks by eating a variety of fiber-rich foods as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Also remember to drink enough water throughout the day and always chew your food slowly and thoroughly.

Sources: https://www.medicalnewstoday. com/