There are different types of fiber. The fiber in grains and cereals is the most effective in preventing constipation. Bran, the outer coating of cereal grains, is one of the best sources of fiber. Fiber-rich foods can be eaten alone, or like bran, used as ingredients in your favorite recipes. Many of our parents, however, express difficulty in introducing new foods into their child’s diet, explaining that their child is “a very picky eater”. It has been our experience that the easiest way to increase fiber is not to add foodsbut rather substitute the foods he/she already eats.

In choosing foods with increased fiber, read the labels. Look for foods that contain 3g to 4g of dietary fiber per serving. This is listed under the Carbohydrates section of the label. Please refer to the attached examples of national brand foods and the amount of fiber/serving each contains.

In addition to adding foods with fiber, it is also important to avoid foods that tend to be constipating. We remind parents to avoid all the “white foods” – white bread, white pasta, white rice, white crackers (saltines), bananas, milk, cheese and chocolate. These are the areas where substitution really helps. Instead of white bread, use wheat bread. Note, however, that the label must read 100% Whole Wheat, or it doesn’t count. Try Triscuits or Wheat Thins instead of saltines. Use brown rice or wheat pasta instead of white rice and pasta. It is our recommendation that milk is okay in the morning and at lunch time, but water or fruit juice are better after lunch and at dinner.

Some great snacks that are high in fiber include: fruits, especially raisins, apples, pears, blueberries and oranges, (try to eat the skin of the apples and pears when possible as this is very rich in fiber), celery with peanut butter, nuts, sunflower seeds, raw carrots or try the recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies we have included.

Grains & Pasta
(Numbers are for cooked food)
	Fiber (g)		Fiber (g)
Barley (1C) or Bulgur (3/4 C)	6	Brown Rice (2/3 C)	3
Gardenburger (1)	5	Couscous, Macaroni or Spaghetti (1C)	2
Aunt Jemima Buckwheat Pancake Mix (4-4” pancakes)	4	White Rice (2/3 C)	1

Vegetables
(Serving Size: ½ cup cooked)
	Fiber (g)		Fiber (g)
Green Peas	4	Cauliflower or Green beans	2
Potato, baked with skin (1)	4	Lettuce, romaine (1 ½ C)	2
Sweet potato, baked with skin (1)	4	Carrots, raw or Corn kernels	2
Carrots	3	Mushrooms, raw (1 C)	2
Asparagus or Broccoli	2	Tomato, fresh, raw (1/2)	1
Cabbage or Spinach	2	Cucumber, sliced, raw	0

Cereals
(Serving Size: ½ cup cooked)
	Fiber (g)		Fiber (g)
Kellogg’s All-Bran with Extra Fiber (1/2 C)	15	Ralston 100% Whole Grain Wheat Chex (3/4 C)	5
		Wheatena (1C cooked)	5
General Mills Fiber One (1/2 C)	13	Quaker Oats (1C cooked)	4
Kellogg’s Bran Buds (1/3 C)	11	Quaker Oats Natural Low Fat Granola	4
Kellogg’s All Bran (1/2 C)	10	Total (3/4 C) or Wheaties (1 C)	3
Nabisco 100% Bran (1/3 C)	8	Kretshmer Wheat Germ (1 ½ Tbs)	2
Post Raisin Bran (1C)	8	Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Product 19, Rice Krispies or Special K.	1
Kellogg’s Fruitful Bran (1 ¼ C)	6	Quaker Oat Bran Cereal (1C cooked)	6
Nabisco Shredded Wheat (2)	6