Written by: Jara Negrin
10 Best (and yummy) High Fiber Foods for Kids
It’s not a topic you want to bring up on your next girl’s night over an apersol spritz–“Anyone know of high fiber foods for my little Billy, he’s extremely constipated and cannot poop, hasn’t gone for three full days”. Constipation and kids is a hugely common yet under covered subject. Yet, high fiber foods that zap constipation are super common and can actually be delicious.
You don’t need to make high fiber foods too tasty when it’s for an infant—just blend up a few dates with some coconut milk and spoon feed. But as kids get older, even a toddler will make you shake in your pants at the prospect of feeding them a brown paste. High fiber, as they get older, becomes not as easy of a sell. There are many delicious and high fiber options that will not be flung across the table to land on you and then in the garbage. You raise an eyebrow and doubt–I can see it through the screen, but they exist. Fiber is also a precursor to probiotics which through the gut increase immunity so increasing fiber intake make just decrease the many colds your kids will get this season.
Let’s start with fruit (and ways to make them more appealing) for kiddos that will please the hardest kid to convince.
High Fiber PB&J for the Pickiest Kids Out There
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a high fiber constipation cure—now you love me more as little Billy’s already eating two of those a day! But Uncrustables don’t really count in the quest for a high fiber cure. The bread is white, not whole grain, and the jelly is just that—jelly. Jam is the secret ingredient you want to add here. Jams are made from crushed whole fruit, so fiber content is usually higher, and its magical effects are more abundant. Add half a cup of crushed whole raspberries to any flavor jam and the high fiber sandwich has now gone even higher with four more grams added.
All nuts contain fiber, but your average peanut butter has 1.6 fiber grams in two tablespoons, replace the peanut butter with almond butter and score 3.3 grams of fiber—more than double the fiber—woo hoo. What? Your kid is too smart and won’t go for almond butter? Even the most savvy peanut butter connoisseur won’t be able to tell you’ve blended pinto beans into the peanut butter to create a high fiber (and poop inducing) gourmet meal. Blend the beans with a few drops of
(hard to detect the taste) grapeseed oil and then spoon blend into your peanut butter. Start slow in fiber adding. When you add a little at a time you trick their mini taste buds into not noticing the change and avoid getting pushback.
Top (and bottom) this sandwich with a whole grain bread and you’ll be escorting Billy to the bathroom before you know it!
Simple High Fiber Fruit Options to Induce the Poop
An apple with peanut (or almond butter) will do the trick, but don’t think of peeling the apple as that houses the majority of the fiber!
Any fruit including raspberries, pomegranate seeds, and blueberries to top a cup of ice cream will do the fiber trick and what kid says “no” to ice cream”? Pack the highest fiber punch take an avocado and mash with a potato masher. With a spoon blend that into any flavor ice cream to rack in fiber grams. If your kid loves vanilla and questions the green hue—you can call it “Halloween ice cream” and they might even take to the spookiness and like it better than traditional boring white vanilla.
Speaking of avocado-this high fiber beauty of a fruit has 4.6 grams in just a half. Making a smoothie with a base of avocado. Add banana and almond milk (remember all nuts have fiber) and take high fiber to the max—even adding Nutella (hazelnuts add fiber) will ensure bathroom success as a shoe in.
Pears are another high fiber darling. A Medium sized pear has 5.5 grams if you include the skin. Blended with an apple and apple juice in a smoothie is a highly glycemic but surefire high fiber way to get things moving!
Veggie High Fiber Options made for Kids
The air fryer is a magical machine made just for kids. Not only can chicken nuggets be served up quickly and to perfection, but many high fiber veggies can pass the kid test when spending fifteen minutes in the fryer.
Carrot fries (cut thinly) have 3 grams of fiber per ten fries. You can also make your average fry made from potatoes or sweet potatoes in the air fryer. If the skin remains on you have increased the fiber content by a whooping 5 grams. Mickey D’s fries can’t tout those numbers but does actually weigh in with a few grams of fiber too.
Pastas made from zucchini or hearts of palm are high fiber and big time nutritious. Kids that don’t fall for veggies in the shape of pasta with butter or sauce on top can possibly be swayed into a fiber filled meal with a legume-based pasta such as one made from chickpea or lentil flour. Fiber content varies depending on the legume used but will certainly be more than everyday white pasta.
Cereals for A Crunchy High Fiber Snack
Even the all-time favorite Cheerios have 1.5 grams of fiber per serving, not a qualifier for all-time highest fiber cereal but certainly easy to offer and be received. Oatmeal blows packaged cereals away for fiber content. Overnight oats made with cinnamon, vanilla and syrup is a high fiber food that also makes mornings super easy as it’s just a grab from the fridge. If mush is a turn-off and chocolate is a turn towards eating then simply spread some oats on a baking tray and sprinkle with M&M’s. and drizzle with maple syrup. Bake at 300 degrees for 7 minutes or as long as the needed for the chocolate to melt. Rest assured the high fiber treat will be a well-received breakfast or snack food with about 7 grams of fiber.
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