Fiber Fulfills a Range of Benefits
Fresh fruit and vegetables – diligent parents plan menus around them and point grazing children toward them. But beyond their rich harvest of vitamins and minerals, there's another, often overlooked bonus tucked inside the produce aisle: Fresh fruits and vegetables are dynamite fiber-delivery systems.
Fiber helps with a feeling of fullness as a child eats, then aids the intestines for regularity.
Fiber's Multiple Payoffs
"There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble," says Susan Smith, RD, CSP, LD, a dietitian at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "You find soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, in fruits, oat bran and dried beans and peas. This forms a gel that slows the emptying of the stomach, making a child feel fuller longer, and slows the absorption of sugar from the intestine. This helps control the blood sugar level, which is very important for children with diabetes.
"Soluble fiber also helps lower harmful cholesterol, yet doesn't lower good cholesterol," she adds.
Insoluble fiber, found in whole grains and vegetables, makes children feel full and can slow down their eating, which can help with weight control in children with obesity problems. "Insoluble fiber is a natural laxative, too," explains Ms. Smith. "Fiber softens and adds bulk to stool to speed its passage through the system. Too little fiber can make a child constipated."
Sources of Fiber
With a well-balanced diet of three vegetable and two fruit servings a day, a child will eat a good mix of both types of fiber. Whole fruits such as pears, grapes and apples, with their skins intact, are preferable to juice. Potato skins are a great source of fiber, "even in mashed potatoes," says Ms. Smith.
Parents can serve popcorn as a snack or tuck beans into casseroles for extra fiber. In the morning, they can mix a bit of bran cereal into the child's favorite breakfast cereal. It's also easy to add fiber by switching from white to brown rice and from white bread to whole-grain.
How Much is Enough?
Fiber becomes important after a child reaches age 2. To calculate how much a child needs, "Just take the child's age and add five," says Ms. Smith. "So a 6-year-old would need 11 grams of fiber each day." Many package labels list grams of fiber per serving.
"Incorporate the fiber slowly, because children are extremely sensitive to slight changes in their diets," she advises. "And be sure a child is getting enough liquid to avoid discomfort and constipation."
It is possible to overdo. "Some parents may think the more fiber the better, but for children, too much may interfere with absorption of iron, calcium and zinc, which are vital for growth and development."
She cautions parents against using fiber supplements with children. "The fiber may not work as it does from food, and the child is missing the vitamins and minerals in fiber-rich foods.
"Fortunately, fiber is not absorbed by the body, so children won't have deficiencies if they don't have enough," says Ms. Smith. "But they will be missing out on the benefits of fruits and vegetables – fiber foods by definition are very nutritious."
