Fruits, veggies and whole grains are essential, says registered dietitian Cara Rosenbloom, but don’t forget that nuts, seeds and beans are high in fibre, too. “The highest-fibre food is beans–chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans and all the rest,” she says. Here are age-by-age formulas for how much kids should be getting every day.
One- to three-year-olds: 19 grams of fibre
1 cup raspberries (8 g) + 1 cup whole wheat pasta (6 g) + 1 cup squash (5 g)
Four- to eight-year-olds: 25 grams of fibre
1 cup quick oats (4 g) + 1 oz flaxseeds + 1 medium pear (6 g) + 1 cup cauliflower (5 g) + 2 oz raisins (2 g)
Nine- to 13-year-olds: 26 to 31 grams of fibre
2 slices whole-grain bread (4 g) + 1 cup blueberries (4 g) + 1 oz almonds (4 g) + 1 cup chickpeas (12 g) + 3 cups air-popped popcorn (4 g)
Read more:
The super 7 power foods
4 ways to get your kid to eat more fruit
5 food traps you’re falling into with your kids
A version of this article appeared in our January 2016 issue with the headline, “You vs. Poo,” pp. 51-56.
