Fiber needs for toddlers aged 2

There are many nutritional needs that children under five need to support their growth. One of them is fiber which can smooth the digestive system of your little one. Foods containing fiber are also high in vitamins and minerals that can reduce the risk of disease. Then, what is the need for fiber for toddlers? Should you eat high-fiber foods every day? Here's the explanation.

Why is the need for fiber so important for toddlers aged 2-5 years?

During growth, fiber plays an important role in balancing your baby's digestive system. Quoting from the Kids Health page, fiber is very good for intestinal health because of its properties that can facilitate bowel movements.

In addition, foods high in fiber can reduce the risk of diabetes in your little one. Not only that, there are other benefits provided by fiber for your little one's body, namely:

Helps control children's hunger.
Keep blood sugar stable.
Maintain an ideal and healthy body weight.

There are two main types of fiber, namely water-soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Both of them play an important role for health.

In addition, both soluble and non-soluble fiber help food move stably in the digestive system. This makes your little one's bowel movements smoother.

Benefits of water soluble fiber

Types of foods that are included in the water soluble fiber group have benefits for the body, including:

Decreases fat absorption

Fiber that is soluble in water helps reduce fat absorption and maintain a toddler's ideal weight. How it works, foods that are included in water soluble fiber will block fat that is not digested and absorbed.

Lowers cholesterol

Fiber that dissolves in water can also reduce cholesterol levels in foods that have entered the body.

Over time, the soluble fiber in water can reduce the amount of free cholesterol in the blood. Although this is more common in adults, the benefits for toddlers are also likely to be obtained.

Feeds the good bacteria in the intestines

Foods that are rich in this type of fiber play a role in nourishing the good bacteria in the intestines. The reason is, water soluble fiber helps bacteria grow longer because it is fermented in the large intestine. Therefore, fiber needs for toddlers need to be fulfilled every day.

Insoluble fiber in water

Even though it seems bad, actually insoluble fiber also has many benefits for the health of toddlers, namely:

Prevents constipation

It's no secret that fiber is capable of smooth bowel movements. This is important because it can make toddlers avoid constipation.

As an indigestible material, insoluble fiber will stay in the digestive tract and absorb the liquid which is ready to form into feces.

The presence of soluble fiber in water makes bowel movements faster to treat waste. It is this factor that helps prevent blockage and constipation in the digestive tract.

Helps reduce the risk of disease

Given that fiber has many benefits for the nutritional needs of children under five, fiber foods help reduce the risk of disease.

As for the diseases that can be reduced by fiber intake, namely obesity in children, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.

How much fiber do toddlers need?

Fiber can be found in several types of food. However, a survey published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics states that 95 percent of toddlers and adults do not consume enough fiber.

In fact, children and toddlers often do not meet the recommended daily fiber requirements.

In fact, fiber-rich foods can help control hunger, keep blood sugar levels stable, and help maintain a toddler's ideal weight.

Based on the 2013 Nutritional Adequacy Rate (RDA), the need for fiber for toddlers aged 2-5 years in one day, namely:

Toddlers aged 1-3 years: 16 grams
Toddlers 4-6 years: 22 grams

Adjust the diet rich in fiber with your little one's eating portions. Add other types of food with various other nutrients to further arouse your toddler's appetite.

Choice of fiber sources to meet the nutritional needs of toddlers

There are many high-fiber foods that are good for the nutritional needs of toddlers. However, this will be a challenge if your little one doesn't have an appetite because it looks less attractive.

So, it is important for you to combine various foods so that high-fiber foods can still be eaten with gusto by toddlers.

Here are some foods that contain fiber that is sufficient for the nutritional needs of toddlers:

Oatmeal

This fibrous food can be a breakfast or snack for your little one. Cooked oatmeal contains 4 grams of fiber which can be mixed with other foods.

Other types of food that are usually mixed with oatmeal are fruit, milk, and your little one's favorite yogurt. You can also add cereals so that snacks are more varied and meet your little one's fiber needs.

Carrot

Based on Indonesian Food Composition Data, 100 grams of raw carrots contain 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of protein and 36 calories of energy. Meanwhile, 100 grams of boiled carrots contain 0.8 grams of fiber, 28 calories of energy, and 92 grams of water.

Carrots are often found in various types of food, such as soup, capcay, or as a companion in Skotel pasta and macaroni.

Try to process carrots into foods that are not only delicious but also attractive in appearance. That way, your little one's appetite and fiber needs can be fulfilled properly.

Apple

Toddlers aged 2-5 years are happy to try various types of food with different flavors. You can give your little one fresh apples which contain 2.6 grams of fiber, 14.9 grams of fiber, and 58 calories of energy.

Apples also have important benefits for the body, namely controlling blood sugar and contain antioxidants that can ward off free radicals.

For a variety of foods with apples, you can make your little one a fruit salad. Apart from apples, you can add pears, strawberries, grapes, and kiwi in a fruit salad for toddlers to meet their daily fiber needs.

Banana

Compared to other types of food, bananas are one of the high fiber foods. About 100 grams of bananas contain 5.3 grams of fiber and 120 calories of energy.

If your little one does not like bananas in the form of a whole fruit, it can be varied by making fried banana snacks or mixed with ice cream such as banana split.

Choose a banana that is ripe and tastes sweet so that your little one eats it. Apart from improving digestion, bananas also have many other benefits, one of which is to lower blood pressure.

Wheat bread

As a food variation and introduce other types of snacks to your little one, you can replace white bread with whole wheat bread.

One sheet of whole wheat bread contains 2 grams of fiber. Breakfast using whole wheat bread can be varied with chocolate jam, peanut butter, and jelly.

You can also make sandwiches with a mixture of omelet, vegetables, and mayonnaise.

Sweet Potatoes

In 100 grams of sweet potatoes, there are 3.8 grams of fiber and various other nutrients that have health benefits. Sweet potatoes can be processed by steaming or roasting.

Sweet potatoes have a sweet taste so your little one will love them. Serve with the sweet potato still warm so toddlers can eat well.

Meeting the needs of fiber for toddlers every day is as important as other nutrients. For that, process various sources of fiber into an attractive snack for your little one.