Higher fiber foods your kids like to eat?

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for higher fiber foods to rotate into my DD's diet, she is 4 and having constipation issues. She won't eat salad, spinach, or greens of any kind (yet) but she does like green beans, brocoli, peas and artichoke. Are there certain foods that your kids like that are really good for fiber? Any recipes you've successfully used to sneak high fiber food into normal looking snacks?

[Anonymous]

Kashi GoLean - by the handful (i.e. not in milk) for breakfast or snack.

[Anonymous]

My daugher likes fiber one bars, but they can cause big time gas. There are high fiber chocolate pop tarts (and brown sugar and strawberry). Also, when DD's constipation was realy bad, we would have her eat cinnamon sugar tortillas. Basically, a Mission brand high fiber tortilla (they may be labeled "carb-smart"). Spray with PAM or other cooking spray, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and put in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes. The big tortillas have 20+ grams of fiber each.

Beans are also good. Roasted chick peas are a hit. Drain a can of chick peas and rinse. Toss with some healthy oil or spray then with cooking spray and add some salt or other seasoning. Roast in a 350 degree oven until firm. I can't remember how long we'd roast, but not more than about 30 mins, I'd say.

[Anonymous]

Blueberries!

[Anonymous]

Blueberries
Prunes (call them dried plums!)

[Anonymous]

Trader Joe's sells organic fruit leather called Fiberfull that has 6 g of fiber per strip. There is psyllium and flaxseed added to the fruit.

[Anonymous]

Black beans & rice

Enchiladas (beans)

Cooked oatmeal for breakfast (quick-cooking but not instant; 1 cup milk & a half-cup of oats - three minutes in a large Pyrex in the microwave and you are good to go)

[Anonymous]

Steel cut oats with raisins. Every. Single. Morning. DS won't knowingly eat walnuts so I chop them up super-fine and sprinkle them on top with some sweet, store-bought granola. He loves it. Sliced red bell pepper almost every night - that's his "salad." Whole grain tortillas (make sure it says whole grain, not whole wheat).

[Anonymous]

Lentils! And berries of all sort. I do lentil soup and add other small veggies...carrot, celery and tomato juice, so it has tons of veggies too. Just made one great Turkish recipe with eggplant in it and some pomegranite molassas (only 1 Tbsp), which might just give it an interesting (slightly sweet) enough taste to interest her....

[Anonymous]

Dates! My 3 yr old prefers them to candy.

[Anonymous]

My kids BEG for the Fiberful from TJs.

[Anonymous]

The "What's Gnu?" psyllium husk etc. Espresso Brownie Bars are instant poop makers. Like within a couple hours instant.

[Anonymous]

Blueberries.
Frosted Miniwheats.
Oatmeal with ground flaxseed.

[Anonymous]

I snip prunes using kitchen shears to the size of raisins and put them in his oatmeal along with 2 tsp flax oil when he's having constipation issues. I learned about flax oil from Dr. Sears web site-- it seems to help.

You can mix oatmeal into homemade meatballs, use wheat germ as a coating for chicken strips.

Honestly though, we still had occasionally constipation issues despite a relatively high fiber diet. I was against using Miralax, thinking it would become something he needed chronically, but if the dietary changes aren't working, I've found just one 1/2 dose of Miralax helps to remove the blockage. So far, we've only had to use Miralax once, but if I find ourselves in a constipation dilemma again, I don't think I'll wait as long as I did the first time.