How much fibre do kids need in their diet?
Wondering how much fibre your child need in their diets, and what foods are rich in this carbohydrate? We take a look at the recommended intake.
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that is an important component of your child’s diet. It is especially well known for its beneficial action on the function of the colon. A diet high in roughage helps prevent or relieve constipation, increases feelings of fullness, which may help with weight control, lowers cholesterol, helps prevent heart disease and diabetes, and may lower the chances of getting some types of cancer.
How much fibre does my child need?
Experts recommend that children should get about 14 grams of fibre for every 1,000 calories they eat. Generally speaking, that means that little one’s ages one to three should get about 19 grams of fibre per day, and kids ages four to eight should eat around 25 grams of fibre daily.
Good to know: Adding too much roughage in your child’s diet too quickly can cause bloating, gas, and/or stomach cramps.
Water-soluble fibre vs non-soluble fibre
Fibre can be divided into two groups, as follows:
- Water-soluble fibre The digestive enzymes digest this type of fibre in the small intestine, and it performs different functions from the non-soluble fibre in the body. Water-soluble fibre is the better fibre to treat constipation in children.
- Non-soluble fibre This type of fibre is not digested in the small intestine and remains largely unchanged. It increases the intestine volume and accelerates the rate at which the contents of the intestines move, especially in the colon. Overuse of non-soluble fibre in children or having too little water with the fibre may increase constipation symptoms.
Is your child a picky eater? For more on this click here.
Different sources of fibre
- Seeds of legumes: Legumes contain large quantities of both types of fibre. Sugar beans, butter beans, white beans, kidney beans, and other boiled, dried beans have a high soluble and non-soluble fibre content.
- Oats: Rolled oats and oat bran are especially rich in soluble fibre.
- Fruit and vegetables: Pectin is the kind of soluble fibre mainly found in ripe fruit and vegetables. Ripe fruit contains more pectin than unripe fruit – apples are the richest source of pectin. Whole wheat, high-fibre bran, and the skin of fruit and vegetables are examples of insoluble fibre.
The fibre content in fruit
| Type | Serving | Fibre content (g) |
| Fig | 1 large | 9 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 6 |
| Grapefruit | 1/2 medium | 6 |
| Apple | 1 medium | 5 |
| Fruit salad (melon, banana, orange) | 3/4 cup | 4.8 |
| Raisins | 1/4 cup | 3.1 |
| Pear | 1 medium | 3 |
| Strawberries | 1 cup | 3 |
| Banana | 1 medium | 3 |
| Peach | 1 medium | 3 |
| Fruit juice | 200ml | 0.3 |
The fibre content in vegetables
| Type | Serving | Fibre content (g) |
| Broccoli | 1/2 cup | 5 |
| Peas | 1/2 cup | 4.5 |
| Butternut | 1/2 cup | 4 |
| Potato | 1 medium | 3.6 |
| Sweet potato | 1/2 cup | 4.4 |
| Green beans | 1/2 cup | 3 |
| Carrots | 1/2 cup | 2.4 |
| Spinach | 1/2 cup | 2.4 |
| Cabbage | 1 cup | 2 |
