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High Fiber Diet
What is fiber?
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that our body is not able to break down. Foods
that are highest in fiber are fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed grains.
Why does my child need a high fiber diet?
Increasing the amount of fiber that your child eats can help with constipation,
diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome. Fiber does this by helping with the
movement of the GI tract and increasing the volume and weight of the stool.
How much fiber does my child need?
A general rule of thumb for children is to take their age in years and add 5 grams.
For example, a 10 year old child will need 15 grams of fiber per day. Once a child
begins to consume 1500 calories/day, fiber intake should increase to 25-30 grams
per day.
How do you determine how much fiber is in a food?
First look at the serving size on the food label of the item you are going to eat.
Then look to see how much fiber is in that one serving.
The more processed a food is, the lower the fiber content of the food will be.
What if a child will not eat enough fiber?
Several over the counter fiber supplements (such as Benefiber) are available.
These supplements can be mixed with foods or liquids. Check with your doctor
first before giving them to your child. Speak to your child’s health care team
about the use of stool softeners and laxatives if the problem is constipation.
Tips for Adding Fiber to the Diet
1. Include fiber from a variety of sources throughout the day.
2. Slowly increase the amount of fiber your child is eating by replacing
low/no fiber foods with foods higher in fiber. Over the span of a few days,
increase fiber by no more than 5 grams. Increasing too quickly may cause
gas and bloating.
3. Have a consistent amount of fiber each day.
4. Try to have your child eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
5. Read food labels to determine the fiber content of the foods you eat now,
and new foods you will try. Look for 3 or more grams of fiber per serving.
6. Be sure your child is drinking enough fluid: 6-8 cups per day. Not taking in
enough fluid may cause constipation
7. Mix a high fiber cereal with a cereal your child likes.
8. Offer raw vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes for
snacks and with meals.
9. Use whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat crackers, bran muffins,
barley and bran cereals or oatmeal. Use fewer refined white flour breads,
cereals and other starches.
10. If your child is constipated, offer 4-6 ounces of prune, apple, orange or
pear juice each day. (Remember that fresh fruit has more fiber than juice).
11. Add flaxseed to foods. Start with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or flaxseed
meal added to cereal or applesauce.
12. Try snacks of dried fruit (such as prunes, raisins, dried cranberries).
13. Drink plenty of water and other fluids to help the fiber move through the
body.
Below is a list of the fiber content of some foods for your child to eat.
Fruits
Food
Apple with skin
Banana
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Grapes
Mango
Nectarine
Orange
Papaya
Peach with skin
Pear with skin
Plums
Strawberries
Dried fruit (raisins )
Amount
1 med
1 med
½ cup
1 cup
½ cup
1 cup sliced
1 med
1 med
1 cup
1 small
1 med
2 small
1 cup
3 Tbsp.
Fiber (grams)
3
2
2
1
1
3
2
3
3
1
4
2
3
3
Amount
½ med
½ cup
½ cup
1 med
¾ cup
½ cup
½ cup
1 med
½ cup
1 cup
1 med
Fiber (grams)
2
2
2
2
2
<1
1
4
2
1
4
Vegetables
Food
Avocado
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumber slices
Mashed potato
Baked potato with skin
Peas
Romaine lettuce
Sweet potato
Bread/Grains/Pasta
Food
Bagel
White bread
Whole wheat bread
Pasta, cooked
White rice, cooked
Brown rice, cooked
Whole Wheat Crackers
Corn Tortilla (6 inches)
Amount
1 med
1 slice
1 slice
½ cup
½ cup
½ cup
4
1
Fiber (grams)
1
<1
2-3
1
1
2
1.7
1.6
Amount
24 pieces
1 cup
1 cup
1 cup
1 cup
½ cup
¼ cup
¾ cup
¾ cup
½ cup
½ cup
½ cup
1 cup
1 cup
1 cup
Fiber (grams)
6
4
3
7
5
2
2
2.3
2.7
14
4
12
13
9
11
Breakfast Cereals
Food
Frosted Mini- Wheats
Raisin Bran Crunch
Multi-grain Cheerios
Multi-Bran Chex
Wheat Chex
Oatmeal
Granola with raisins
Cheerios
Total Wheat Flakes
Fiber One Original
Cracklin’ Oat Bran
100% Bran
Fiber One Honey Clusters
Fiber One Carmel Delight
Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters
Miscellaneous/Snacks
Food
Baked beans
Beans (Pinto, Kidney, Black, Lima)
Popcorn
Peanuts, dry roasted
Chewy Brand Granola bars
Lentils
Fiber One Bars
Fiber One Yogurt
Fiber One Toaster Pastry
Fiber One Pancake Mix
Snyder’s Honey Wheat Sticks
Snyder’s Multigrain Pretzel Sticks
UTZ Organic Seven whole Pretzel Sticks
Amount
½ cup
½
1 cup
¼ cup
1 bar
½ cup
1 bar
4 oz.
1 pastry
3 pancakes
7 sticks
7 sticks
7 sticks
Fiber (grams)
3
4-7
1
3
1
4
9
5
5
5
3
3
3
Sample Menus
10 Grams of Dietary Fiber
Breakfast:
½ small banana
½ cup Cheerios
½ -¾ cup milk
Morning Snack:
vanilla pudding
Lunch:
1-2 oz. sliced
turkey
1 slice whole
wheat bread
½ med. orange
½ -¾ cup milk
Fiber:
1
1
0
0
Afternoon Snack:
4 saltine crackers
American cheese slice
Fiber:
0
0
Evening Meal:
1-2 oz. baked chicken
½ cup mashed potatoes
½ cup green beans
½ -¾ cup milk
margarine
0
1
1
0
0
Evening Snack:
½ - ¾ cup milk
1 medium apple
0
3
0
2
1
0
15 Grams of Dietary Fiber
Breakfast:
½ small banana
½ cup Cheerios
1 slice whole
wheat bread
margarine
½-¾ cup milk
Morning Snack:
½ - 1 cup juice
3 whole wheat
crackers
Lunch:
1-2 oz. sliced
turkey
1 slice whole
wheat bread
½ med. orange
½ -¾ cup milk
Fiber:
1
1
Afternoon Snack:
½ med. apple
Fiber:
1.5
2
0
0
Evening Meal:
1-2 oz. baked chicken
½ cup mashed potatoes
½ whole wheat roll
¼ cup green beans
½-¾ cup milk
0
1
1
1
0
Evening Snack:
2 graham crackers
½ - ¾ cup milk
2
0
Afternoon Snack:
1 med. apple
Fiber:
3
Evening Meal:
2-3 oz. baked chicken
½ cup mashed potatoes
whole wheat roll
margarine
½ cup green beans
1 cup milk
0
1
2
0
2
0
Evening Snack:
2 graham crackers
1 cup milk
2
0
0
1
0
2
1
0
20 Grams of Dietary Fiber
Breakfast:
½ small banana
½ cup Cheerios
1 slice whole
wheat bread
margarine
1 cup milk
Lunch:
1-2 oz. sliced turkey
2 slices whole
wheat bread
1 lettuce leaf
1 med. orange
1 cup milk
Fiber:
1
1
1
2
0
0
0
4
0
2
0
25 Grams of Dietary Fiber
Breakfast:
½ small banana
1 cup Cheerios
1 poached egg
2 slices whole
wheat bread
margarine
1 cup milk
Lunch:
2-3 oz. sliced turkey
2 slices whole
wheat bread
1 lettuce leaf
1 med. orange
1 cup milk
Afternoon Snack:
1 med. apple
Fiber:
1
3
0
4
0
0
0
4
0
2
0
Evening Meal:
3-4 oz. baked chicken
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 whole wheat roll
margarine
½ cup green beans
½ cup lettuce & tomato
2 Tbsp. salad dressing
1 cup milk
Fiber:
0
2
2
0
2
1
0
0
Evening Snack:
2 graham crackers
1 cup milk
2
0
3
Additional Information:
If you have questions, call:
Phone: (717) 531-
, Registered Dietitian
or (717) 531-8406
Copyright American Dietetic Association. This handout may be duplicated for client education.