Dietary fiber in the diet of children

Parents are trying to prepare the best and healthiest menu for their child, but they often make an error, which may have a negative impact on the health of their child. Experts often warn that the daily amount of fiber in our diet is inadequate. That is why parents think they should include fiber into the menu since their earliest age.

 

Dietary fiber should, of course, be a part of daily diet of each of us, but the amount of fiber in the diet of the child and the adult are significantly different. Small children often consume a disproportionately large amount of fiber which parents, in the pursuit of the healthiest diet, included into menu. But, they do not realize that it is not appropriate to give the child whole grain products full of indigestible flax seed.

 

The excessive consumption of fiber may result into many medical complications. The simplest and perhaps most easily removable problem, after adjusting diet, is constipation and diarrhea.

 

A large amount of fiber in the diet + less fluids (child drinks less) + weak physical activity = constipation, bloating, abdominal pain.

 

Large amounts of fiber + lot of fluids + physical activity = diarrhea.

 

The amount of fiber in accordance with the child's age

When including the fiber in diet of the child, you should take into account his age. There applies relatively simple formula to calculate the correct amount of received fiber. Add 5g of fiber to the age of the child.

 

Formula: age + 5 grams of fiber.

 

Accordingly, the recommended daily dose for the three year old children is (3 +5) = 8 grams of dietary fiber, five years old (5 +5) =10 g, thirteen years old (13 +5) =18 g, etc. (For comparison, an adult should take 30 g of fiber).

 

Infants

Receive oligosaccharides (soluble fiber) in breast milk or in artificial nutrition. In the form of weaning foods (fruits and vegetables) It is recommended to serve fiber in the 17th week of child's life at the earliest and at least in the 26th week.

 

Up to 10 years old child

White bread should prevail in the diet. Many believe that white bread does not contain any fiber. The opposite is true. It contains 1 -2 grams of fiber, the whole grain bread contains 3-5 grams of fiber per 100 g of product. Children under 10 years of age should receive more fruit than vegetables.

 

Above 10 years

Intake of fruit and vegetables should be changed with the fact, that at this age child should begin to eat more vegetables than fruit. Children over 10 years should have included in their regular diet whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, and increased the proportion of the above-mentioned vegetables.

 

 

100g of food g of fiber 100g of food g of fiber

graham rolls  

8

tomatoes

3

whole grain bun

6

paprika

1,6 - 1,9

white roll

2

zucchini

3

fat bun           

3

letucce

1,5

white bread

3,5

spinach

3

oatmeal

8

lentil

13  - 15

cornflakes

4

beans

17  - 24

wholemeal flour

8

peas

11  - 24

cornmeal

5

bananas

3,1

white flour

2

pineapple

1,3

potato

1

orange

1,8 - 2,5

broccoli

3

grapefruit

1,6

carrots

2,5 - 3

apple

2

kohlrabi

1,5

pineapple

2,4 - 4

cabbage

2,7 - 4

plums

1,5

 

 

grapes

1,5

 

 

almonds

6

 

 

nuts

2,5

 

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