Are you worried about your toddler’s regular fibre intake? Or are you looking for ways to include fibre-rich foods in your toddler’s diet? If you answered yes to any of the questions, then fret not, because we are here to help you. We have compiled a list of high-fibre foods for toddlers that enrich your child’s daily fibre intake and also keep them healthy and strong. We have also included a bunch of delicious high-fibre food recipes that will help improve your child’s digestion, keep their metabolism level high, and provide relief from stomach concerns like constipation, bloating, and flatulence.
10 High Fibre Foods For Toddlers
Dietary fibre can be achieved through natural, plant-based sources, such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, grains, and seeds. The best part about these food sources is that you can add them to various nutrient-rich meals and customise them to make them more appealing and delectable for your toddler. Some high-fibre foods for toddlers include:
Pears
Fresh pear with peel is a good source of dietary fibre, potassium, and bioactive compounds like flavonoids and anthocyanins that promote strong gut health. A medium-sized pear packs 5.5 gms of fibre and you can include a cup of it in your child’s regular diet. Some mouth-watering pear recipes for toddlers that are worth trying are pear sandwiches, pear salad, and pear milkshakes.
Beans
Beans are seeds of leguminous plants that are rich in dietary fibre, protein, and essential nutrients like zinc, iron, folate, and lysine. You can feed your child a wide variety of beans to offer them an assortment of dietary fibre and nutrients. A few bean recipes for toddlers include bean stew, bean soup, bean salad, bean sauces/dips, and curries.
Green peas
Green peas, either fresh, frozen, or canned, contain 3.5-4.4 gms of dietary fibre per half a cup. Furthermore, green peas offer healthy amounts of protein, essential micronutrients, and phytochemicals to support strong growth and development. You can make nutritious recipes like green pea pancakes, soups, rolls, and dips for your child to enjoy.
Apple
Apples with peel are an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fibre, phytochemicals, and antioxidants like vitamin C to support overall health. A small apple has about 3.6 gms of fibre, and munching on it can be an excellent way to increase your tot’s daily fibre intake. You can give your child an apple as a snack, or prepare tasty breakfast recipes like apple oatmeal pancakes, apple with peanut butter, and apple cinnamon bread.
Berries
Berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cranberries add tons of colour, flavour, and nutrition to your child’s diet. Whether consumed in fresh, frozen, or canned form, they provide significant quantities of fiber and nutrients like vitamins C, E, selenium, and phytochemicals that promote a healthy gut and maintain a steady metabolism level.
Banana
A medium-sized banana provides 3 gms of fibre and other vital nutrients like vitamin B6, potassium, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. You can use this nutrient-dense fruit to make various recipes for your children, such as banana milkshakes, smoothies, porridge, and desserts.
Sweet Potato
This sweet-tasting root vegetable is a favourite among children and can be consumed in grilled, baked, roasted, and boiled forms. One medium-sized sweet potato offers about 3.8 gms of dietary fibre and other nutrients vitamin A, magnesium, and potassium. You can include this veggie in your toddler’s lunch or dinner menu for fibre enrichment.
Avocado
Avocado is packed with 7 gms of fibre, monosaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and phytosterols. This pulpy fruit helps aid digestion in kids and also regulates their bowel movement. The best part is that you can use avocado in both sweet and savoury recipes like avocado salad, dips, smoothies, milkshakes, and pudding.
Nuts And Seeds
Nuts and seeds are enriched with vegetable protein, fibre, MUFA, and other micronutrients and phytochemicals. They support your toddler’s gut health and also keep concerns like flatulence and constipation at bay. Some healthy nuts and seeds you can serve your child are almonds, walnuts, pistachio, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.
Dried Fruits
Dried fruits are energy-dense and contain considerable levels of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and certain bioactive compounds. Moderate consumption of dried fruits can enhance your child’s health and promote a healthy metabolism. Dried fruits like prunes, pears, dates, and figs can be included in your toddler’s diet in the form of smoothies, desserts, shakes, and porridge.
Delicious High Fibre Food Recipes For Toddlers
Banana And Berry Oatmeal Porridge
This yummy, nutrient and fibre-rich recipe is a perfect breakfast option for your toddler.
Ingredients:
- 1 banana, evenly diced
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- 1 cup of mixed berries
- 1 tablespoon of mixed nuts
- 2 cups of skimmed milk
How to prepare:
- Put oats, nuts, and milk in a thick bottom pan on medium heat.
- Cook the mixture while stirring it constantly until it thickens.
- Transfer the porridge to a serving bowl, and garnish with chopped berries and other fruits. You can also add a dash of chia seeds to boost your child’s fibre intake.
Green Pea And Cream Cheese Sandwich
You can serve this flavourful high-fibre recipe as a midday or mid-evening snack to your child.
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of whole rye bread
- 1 cup of uncooked green peas
- ¼ cup of cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon of the herb mix and virgin olive oil
How to prepare:
- Put olive oil in a frying pan, add peas, and saute until they are tender.
- After cooling, blend the cooked peas, herb mix, and cream cheese to form a coarse paste.
- Toast the bread slices lightly and transfer them to the serving plate.
- Spread the green pea and cheese mixture on the bread and serve with boiled or scrambled eggs.
Veggie Loaded Whole Grain Pasta
This mouth-watering pasta recipe contains different plant-based sources of fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole-grain penne pasta
- 1 cup of mixed bell peppers, onion, and fresh spinach (chopped)
- 2 cups of tomato (chopped)
- 1 cup of sweet corn kernels (boiled)
- ½ cup of button mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon of garlic paste and cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon of herbs mix and sesame seeds
- 2-3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
How to prepare:
- Cook the pasta first as per the instructions on the pack and then set it aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan, add garlic paste and onions and saute for two minutes.
- Add tomatoes, salt, and herbs mixed, and cook the mixture until it turns mushy.
- Add the remaining veggies to the pan, and cook with the lid covered for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, add the boiled pasta and some water, and cook with occasional stirring.
- Transfer the pasta into a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds and cheddar cheese.
Sweet Potato Wedges
This is a nutritious and flavoursome snack option that your child will love to have!
Ingredients:
- 2 small sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons of chives and fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon of avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon of herbs mix
- Salt to taste
How to prepare:
- Preheat your oven to 415°F.
- Clean the sweet potatoes and carefully cut one-inch thick wedges.
- Mix the sweet potato wedges with the remaining spices in a bowl.
- Line the potato wedges on a baking sheet, and bake them for about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the potato wedges to a bowl and serve with homemade dips to add more taste and nutrition.
These high-fibre foods for toddlers will definitely help meet your child’s daily fibre requirements, and the recipes that we’ve mentioned will help make their meals more delectable and appealing. Make sure to include these food items regularly in their diet to boost their gut health and encourage a steady metabolism rate.
Also read:
Fruit and vegetable smoothies for toddlers: Looking for fun ways to include fruits and veggies in your child’s diet? Here’s a list of smoothie recipes that might help.
Baby brain development foods: Want to stimulate your little one’s brain power? Then add these food items to their daily menu line-up.
Featured image: Freepik.com
