Any suggestions on how to get more fiber into a fussy eating 7 year old???

Becky - posted on 02/02/2009

Eat more whole grains (bread, pasta) Use brown rice instead of white. Make muffins or cookies with lots of seeds and nuts. Add pureed beans and veggies to spaghetti sauce. Make burritos. Make white bean dip or hummus for veggies or whole grain pitas to dip. Make smoothies with 100% juice and frozen fruit. Avoid any refined foods (ie: white bread, pasta, rice) Get her involved in helping to make the food and maybe she'll be more inclined to eat it :)

good luck !

Erica - posted on 02/02/2009

What about good old oatmeal. My kids like the oatmeal with brown sugar in it.  I've also bought wheat Germ and put it in my kids cereal.  It's sold a lot of times by the oatmeal in a jar.  It's fine like bread crums.  You could also use it as a breading on baked chicken.  It doesn't really have much of a taste, so you can hide it pretty easily. Belive it or not popcorn has a lot of fiber in it as well.  Hope this may help.

Christine - posted on 02/02/2009

I would highly recommend the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.  I bought it recently and it shows how to hide healthy fruits and veggies in regular foods.  In some of them, I think it would be easy to even double the amounts of fruits or veggies.  If I get a minute later I'll look through it to find some fiber recipes...my babe needs me.

Cindy - posted on 02/02/2009

Thanks for your help, I will go on line to find some recipes that may help.  I would like to try to get the fiber into her with natural foods instead of running to CVS for fiber supplements but may have to go that way eventually!!  Thanks again!!

Audrey - posted on 02/02/2009

Get some bran.  Not bran-flakes or All-Bran, just the sawdust type you feed to chickens!  It is inexpensive and available from health food shops.  Then sneak some into her food.  It will disguise in most things, soups, casseroles, mashed potato, even ice cream!  This is an excellent form of fibre and will regulate her in no time.  You may have to experiment with amounts, giving little at first then increasing until you have a regular, soft stool each day.  Also encourage the child to drink plenty of fluids to bulk out the bran in her bowel.  Don't enter into a complicated food battle with your daughter, its a waste of time - its a phase they all go through and if she senses it is upsetting you, she will do it all the more.  I had a very self-willed 3 year old who went through a stage where he would only eat Marmite toast fingers.  So that is what I gave him.  He eventually got bored with it.  He then went through a phase where he wouldn't eat in front of me.  So I  just left food on plates around the house and it all disappeared!  You'd be surprised how crafty and manipulative children can be!  Don't fall for it.  Get crafty yourself!  Good luck darling.  xx

Leilani - posted on 02/02/2009

One word. Benefiber.

Charlene - posted on 02/02/2009

Hi There,



My granddaughter was exactly the same - then we tried getting her to help make some muffins - bran, raisin etc. & don't forget cookies - there are so many recipies that are easy and kids love to help eat what they make so it might just work - it did for us!



Good Luck