All about: Fibre
Fibre is a carbohydrate that moves through the gut without being digested. There is a lot to be said about increasing fibre in your little ones diet as there is tons of evidence to support the health benefits of fibre, even for the littlest eaters. Fibre is an important nutrient and it’s benefits are more that keeping things moving.
Why is Fibre so great?
It plays an important role in improving digestion, benefitting the microbiome, keeps bowels moving regularly and best of all promotes healthy by fighting agains chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, such as colon cancer. Fibre helps to fight against these chronic diseases by managing cholesterol and blood sugar levels and keeping the gut moving smoothly.
Did you know that there are two different types of fibre?
The two types of fibre are:
Soluble: This type of fibre is best for promoting healthy blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol. It helps to manage blood sugar by slowing down the rate at which food is digested therefore minimizing the spike in blood sugar. To help manage cholesterol, soluble fibre binds to cholesterol in the body and helps to excrete it. Soluble fibre can be found in foods such as, oats, barley, pysllium, apples, carrots, eggplants and beans and lentils
Insoluble: This type of fibre helps to keep the GI moving and helps to prevent constipation. Insoluble fibre can be found in different types of brans and most fruit and vegetables.
Many foods have a mix of both types of fibre.
How much fibre to kids need?
Ages 1-3 19g
Ages 4-8. 25g
Ages 9-13. 26-31g
Ages 14-18. 26-38g
An important thing to remember about fibre, is that if you aren’t offering many foods with fibre right now, you should be careful to increase slowly. Too much fibre all at once can cause GI discomfort, gas and bloating and even constipation. So start slowly and ensure adequate fluid intake to make sure fibre does its job properly and without any discomfort along the way.
Which foods contains fibre?
Fibre can be found in many foods.
Whole grains: wheat flour, breads, cereals, pasta, oats, rice, quinoa, millet, barley, amaranth, buckwheat, brown rice, bulgur, crackers (be sure to choose processed foods such as breads, pasta, cereals and crackers made with whole grain ingredients, you can ensure this is the case by checking the ingredient list, the first ingredient should be say WHOLE followed by the name of a grain)
Fruit and Vegetables: Berries pack a huge punch when it comes to fibre in addition to many other fruit and vegetables such as pears, apples, bananas, prunes, dates, figs (fresh and dried), avocado, peaches, plums, leafy greens (think kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts), potatoes with the skin left on, raisins and apricots (fresh and dried), jicama, chayote and persimmons, just to name a few.
Beans and lentils: kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, lima beans, lentils, edamame, green peas and split peas, among others types of beans and peas.
Nuts and seeds: chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts and walnuts in addition to many others.
How to get enough:
I hate the thought of already busy parents counting up grams of any nutrient, including fibre. I feel it’s just not realistic to expect parents, or anyone, to start counting up the grams of nutrients from the food they are serving to their children each day. The best way to work around this is to aim for including more high fibre foods at each meal or snack. Here are a couple ideas of how you can do this.
At Breakfast:
Choose whole grains breads and cereals (check food labels and ensure 2-4g of fibre per serving), make homemade muffins, cookies, pancakes and waffles using whole grain flour in addition to oats, oat bran, wheat bran, flaxseeds or chia seeds mixed in.
Always serve a fruit or vegetable at breakfast. Think berries in a smoothie, avocado spread on toast or spinach and broccoli added to an omelette.
Top yogurt with homemade granola that contains nuts, seeds and dried fruit (best to keep this option for older kids, for children under 4, nuts, seeds and dried fruit are choking hazards)
At Snack:
Prepare trail mix with whole grain cereal, nuts, seeds and dried fruit
Offer a bean dip such as hummus with veggies, whole grain pita or crackers for dipping
Prepare a smoothie or fruit salad
Prepare chia pudding, love this recipe
Try roasted chickpeas or edamame in the pod, kiddos love popping them out of the pod to eat and enjoy
At lunch and dinner:
Choose whole wheat pasta, whole grains breads, quinoa, brown rice, barley or bulgur as part of main or side dish
Serve potatoes with the skin on
Always serve cooked or raw vegetables and offer a bean dip on the side for dipping
Include plant based proteins such as beans and lentils more often
Offer fruit for a sweet dessert
Including high fibre foods at each meal and snack can help you meet your kids nutritional requirements for fibre each day. Check out the following links for more information about the amounts of fibre in different food sources.
Unlock food - Getting More Fibre
And don’t forget to check out my Recipe page for some delicious high fibre recipes!