Children in urban are definitely going through a “nutrition transition” that worries us. There is clear evidence to show that their diets have become higher in fat and refined, processed foods and that they eat fewer fruits and vegetables. This change is causing health problems at a young age, like high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes. Usually, it’s better to talk about the whole diet than to talk about individual nutrients. However, we need to make an exception for iron and fiber so that we can better understand what they do!
So, What Is Dietary Fiber? What’s The Point?
Dietary fiber comes from plant foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. It is the part of plant food that is hard for the body to digest or absorb. You might wonder if fiber doesn’t get digested and doesn’t add calories, what it does for the body. A diet high in fiber can do a lot of good. It can help you have regular bowel movements, feel full, eat less, keep your weight steady, and lower your cholesterol and blood sugar levels after a meal. Many health organizations around the world have approved health claims about fiber because there is so much scientific evidence to back them up.
There are two types of fiber: one that dissolves in water and one that doesn’t. Both types are important. Both types can be found in foods, but some foods might have more of one or the other. Soluble fiber turns into a gel in the body, which slows down how quickly the stomach empties. Most people also know that it can help lower cholesterol and make good bacteria grow. Insoluble fiber soaks up water and adds bulk, which makes waste move through the body more quickly and is the key to avoiding constipation.
Barley, oats, nuts, rajma, channa, peas, apples, pears, and flax seeds are all good sources of soluble fiber. Whole grain cereals like wheat bran or whole wheat flour, brown rice, nuts, seeds, dates, and vegetables are all good sources of insoluble fiber.
How much fiber should kids get?
Based on a 2000-calorie diet, the recommended amount of fiber in our country is 40g per day, but we don’t have any specific recommendations for children. Guidelines from other countries say that 4–8-year-olds should have 18 g, 9–13-year-olds should have 20–25 g, and 14–18-year-olds should have 22–28 g. These numbers show that the amount needed is not small and that most do not get enough fiber every day.
How to get kids to eat more fiber
We all know that we can’t know how many grams of fiber our kids are getting from the food we give them. Also, not many kids will want to eat lots of fiber-filled foods. So it’s hard, but here are some tips that can help make sure your child gets enough fiber every day.
At each meal, think about where the fiber is coming from. If you feel like one meal doesn’t have enough fiber, make sure to make up for it at other meals. For example, if you plan to have white bread and cheese on toast for breakfast, make sure to have some fruit for a snack, more vegetables at lunch, and rajma/channa for dinner.
Switching from maida to whole wheat is easy. You can buy whole wheat or multigrain bread, make whole wheat muffins or pancakes, use whole wheat as the base for pizza, and buy good aata for rotis and parathas.
Kids might not like oats porridge, but making granola bars with rolled oats, wheat flakes, nuts, seeds, honey, and brown sugar as a binder is a fun way to get your child to eat whole grains and seeds. There are also oat-based cereal bars on the market.
Millets like ragi are hard to polish because of their size, which is a good thing. Using ragi could be an interesting way to add fiber, like in ragi porridge for kids or ragi roti/dosa.
Switch out a few meals with brown rice. Soy sauce can help hide the colour of brown rice in dishes like Chinese fried rice.
Cook more rajma, channa, peas, and whole pulses (green gram and black gram) than plain lentils (spilt dals).
Include nuts and seeds in your child’s diet, like sunflower, flax, watermelon, and cucumber seeds. Roasted nuts and seeds are easy to add to cereals, salads, parathas, and sandwich fillings. The amount may be small, but they are good sources of fiber.
Make sure your child gets enough fruits and vegetables. Variety is important, but if your child is picky, make sure he gets his favorite fruit or vegetable at one meal.
Look for ways to add vegetables and fruits to the food you make, like grated carrots, shredded cabbage, chopped greens, and chopped fruits in milk or cereal.
Takeout, fast food, and foods high in fat are usually low in fiber, so eat less of them.
Lastly, all of the above will only work if your child drinks enough water. The digestive system needs 4-6 glasses of water a day to stay healthy.
So get your child used to eating enough fiber now to set them up for a healthier adulthood.
