With so many children suffering from stomachaches due to constipation, parents need to be vigilant about how much fiber kids are eating. Fiber is a key component in staying regular.
Simple grocery store swaps can increase your child’s fiber intake. Coupled with plenty of water and exercise, you can help prevent constipation.
How much fiber should kids get each day?
- Toddlers (age 1 to 3) = 19 grams
- Kids (age 4 to 8) = 25 grams
- Older girls (age 9 to 13) = 26 grams
- Teen girls (age 14 to 18) = 26 grams
- Older boys (age 9 to 13) = 31 grams
- Teen boys (age 14 to 18) = 38 grams
Foods considered high in fiber have 5 grams or more of fiber per serving; a good source of fiber is one that provides at least 2.5 grams per serving.
While no vegetables in the following chart fall into the high-fiber category due to serving size (Do you know a child who will eat a cup of peas?), they are still important to feed your child because they have nutrients that growing bodies need. The chart is meant to be a comparison for making healthy choices.
Healthier choices
| Instead of this | Eat this |
| 1 cup Corn Chex and 1 cup melon (2.4 g fiber) | 1 cup oat squares and 1 cup strawberries (10 g fiber) |
| Peanut butter and jelly on white bread, potato chips and grapes (about 5.7 g fiber) | Peanut butter and jelly on multigrain English muffin, 1 medium apple, potato chips (about 15.3 g fiber) |
| 1 cup regular spaghetti with ½ cup Italian tomato sauce and ½ cup green beans (about 8.7 g fiber) | 1 cup whole-wheat spaghetti, ½ cup Italian tomato sauce and ½ cup peas (about 13.5 g fiber) |
| Total for the day: about 16.8 g fiber | Total for the day: about 38.8 g fiber |
Fiber choices
| Highest fiber | ||
| Food | Serving size | Fiber (g) |
| Cereals | ||
| Fiber One | 1/2 cup | 14 |
| All-Bran | 1/2 cup | 10 |
| Frosted Mini-Wheats | 21 biscuits | 6 |
| Quaker Oatmeal Squares | 1 cup | 5 |
| Breads and crackers | ||
| Light multigrain English muffin | 1 | 8 |
| Multigrain tortilla (soft taco size) | 1 | 5 |
| Beans | ||
| Lentils | 1/2 cup | 8 |
| Lima beans | 1/2 cup | 6 |
| Baked beans | 1/2 cup | 5 |
| Black beans | ½ cup | 14.5 |
| Grains (cooked) | ||
| Whole-wheat spaghetti | 1 cup | 6.3 |
| Fruit | ||
| Pear (with skin) | 1 medium | 6 |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 8 |
| Blackberries | 1 cup | 8 |
| Dried fruit | ||
| Prunes/dried plums | 6 pieces | 12 |
| Good source of fiber | ||
| Serving size | Fiber (g) | |
| Cereals | ||
| Oatmeal (cooked) | 1 cup | 4 |
| Cheerios | 1 cup | 2.6 |
| Vegetables | ||
| Green peas | 1/2 cup | 3.5 |
| Broccoli | 1/2 cup | 3 |
| Breads and crackers | ||
| Triscuit Minis | 28 crackers | 4 |
| Whole-wheat bread | 1 slice | 3 |
| 12-grain bread | 1 slice | 3 |
| Reduced-fat Wheat Thins | 16 crackers | 3 |
| Grains (cooked) | ||
| Brown rice | 1 cup | 4 |
| Regular spaghetti | 1 cup | 3 |
| Fruit | ||
| Apple (with skin) | 1 medium | 4 |
| Strawberries | 1 cup | 4 |
| Banana | 1 medium | 3 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 3 |
| Dried fruit | ||
| Dried apricot | ½ cup | 4.5 |
| Low fiber | ||
| Serving Size | Fiber (g) | |
| Cereals | ||
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | ¾ cup | 2 |
| Corn Chex | 1 cup | 1 |
| Vegetables | ||
| Carrots | 1 medium | 2 |
| Green beans | 1/2 cup | 2 |
| White potato (large) | 1/2 | 2 |
| Sweet potato | 1/2 cup | 2 |
| Carrot (medium) | 1 | 1.7 |
| Sugar snap peas | ½ cup | 1.5 |
| Corn | 1 ear | 1 |
| Breads and crackers | ||
| Original English muffin | 1 | Less than 1 |
| Flour tortilla (soft taco) | 1 | 1 |
| Ritz crackers | 5 | .4 |
| White bread | 1 slice | 0-1 |
| Saltine crackers | 5 | 0 |
| Grains (cooked) | ||
| White rice | 1 cup | 1 |
| Fruit | ||
| Cantaloupe | 1 cup | 1.4 |
| Grapes | 1 cup | 1.4 |
| Watermelon | 1 cup | .5 |
| Dried fruit | ||
| Raisins | 1/4 cup | 2 |
