Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch | Q. What are some high fibre foods that are appealing to small children?

Home Expert Advice FAQs - Getting kids to eat right Q. What are some high fibre foods that are appealing to small children?

Q. What are some high fibre foods that are appealing to small children?

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The question in full:

Q. I need to increase the fibre intake of my 3-year -old daughter. Do you have any suggestions for foods that will be appealing to small children?

A. Toddlers can often miss out on fibre due to poor eating habits. Fruits (fresh, dried and canned), vegetables, grains and legumes (beans, lentils) are good sources of fibre but not always acceptable to little ones.

Vegetables are often hard to get into toddlers. You need to find fun ways to present them such as celery sticks for dipping or making a 'vegetable face' to entice your duaghter.

Many parents end up hiding vegetables in mixed dishes, such as grated carrot in meatloaf or mashed kidney beans in a bolognaise sauce, and this can work well to improve their fibre intake. See my ideas for encouraging kids to eat their vegetables.

You can also swap to higher-fibre but kid-friendly options of everyday foods such as:

  • breakfast cereal (go for Sultana Bran or similar, porridge oats or wheat biscuits made mushy with milk)
  • bread (try soft wholemeal or high-fibre white bread with 'invisible fibre')
  • whole grain crispbread or rice crackers
  • canned baked beans.

Dried apricots and sultanas add fibre - just make sure they get chewed well before swallowing.

Remember to increased fluid intake to aid regularity. Water is best for this.

 

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