Keeping the Kids Healthy with Fiber-Rich Foods

It is important for kids to have a well-balanced diet to keep fit and healthy. Certainly fiber is one those food components that should not be left out of our kids' diet. What is fiber and its health benefits?

Fiber is an important component in our diet. It comes from the indigestible portion of plant-based foods. Though it doesn't really provide any nutrients, it has a couple of health benefits for the regular consumers.


Having fiber in the diet helps improve bowel movement. Moreover, the fiber acts like a broom when toxins as well as cholesterol and fats in the digestive system bind to it and are transported out of the body. This helps reduce the risk of having colon cancer and heart disease, too.

Another benefit of fiber is related to keeping slim or losing weight. With fiber in the diet, one feels full sooner and longer thus eating less. Compare eating with satiety a single serving of whole wheat bread to 2 servings of white bread.

Some examples of fiber-rich foods that can be easily included in one’s diet are legumes (lentils, dry beans and peas), vegetables, fruits, brown rice and whole grains (wheat, oats, barley).

The only question now is "How can we make our kids eat this type of food?" I thank God that my kids are able to eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains especially oats. Though some of them are a little picky. Brown rice, they have yet to try. As moms who prepare the food they eat, we need to train them early on to eat these sort of food. It also helps if we show them by example that we are eating these healthy food choices.