Let’s face it: Eating well-rounded meals is tough enough; trying to make sure your little picky eater is doing the same is even harder. We’d all love to live on a steady diet of mac and cheese and chicken nuggets, but—at the risk of being TMI here—you then deal with the whole issue of your kid not being, uh, regular. Thankfully, there are plenty of high-fiber foods for kids that will keep their digestive systems running smoothly. It’s all a matter of knowing how much fiber to aim for, how to find high-fiber foods for picky eaters and how to build an arsenal of high-fiber snacks for kids that they can munch on throughout the day.

While a quick internet search will give you varying results for dietary intake, the government’s updated 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans offers some solid recommendations.

If your child is... 

*Babies who are 1 year to 23 months old, though, do not have a set calorie goal but are recommended to consume 19 grams of fiber daily for adequate nutrition.

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According to Hackney, fiber is important in children’s diets for numerous reasons, including helping regulate bowel movements, aiding in digestion and combating constipation. 

Fiber can actually be helpful for potty training toddlers, as well as helping picky eaters become more adventurous since constipation can be an underlying cause of their disinterest in trying new foods, Hackney says. Chronic constipation can lead to many more serious issues, so exercise, plenty of water and of course, high-fiber foods, can help prevent this from affecting your child’s overall health.

What’s more, Hentz tells me that fiber-rich foods can help monitor blood sugar balance, thus decreasing the likelihood of developing related problems like diabetes and helping those who already have the disease manage it properly. Unfortunately, most people aren’t getting enough. “Studies show that an estimated 95 percent of Americans (adults and children) are not getting enough fiber. If you’re wondering how this could possibly be true, according to the CDC website, an estimated 60 percent of the American diet consists of processed foods, which— you guessed it —are high in calories, low in nutrients and practically devoid of any fiber whatsoever,” says Hentz. With that in mind, read on for some recommendations for the best high-fiber food for kids, courtesy of the experts.

All fiber content quantities courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture.

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