Fiber and Your Child: How Much Fiber is Enough?
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Fiber Content of Selected Foods (in grams)
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Fiber Content of Selected Foods |
grams |
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Apples (with skin) |
3.5 |
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Peas (1/2 cup) |
3.6 |
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Kidney beans (1/2 cup |
7.3 |
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All Bran cereal (1/2 cup) |
10-13 |
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Oatmeal, cooked (2/3 cup) |
3.0 |
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Whole wheat bread (1 slice) |
1.5 |
So, how much fiber is enough? Here are the most recent recommendations from the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI's):
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Fiber recommendations per day: |
grams |
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Children 4 to 6 years old |
25 |
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Boys 9 to 13 years old |
31 |
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Girls 9 to 13 years old |
26 |
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Adults |
25-35 |
When increasing fiber in your child's diet, it is best to do so slowly, because large, sudden increases can cause discomfort, gas and bloating. Make sure your child drinks plenty of water throughout the day. For fiber to do a good sweeping and sponging job there has to be enough water for it to absorb.
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