Food & Nutrition Print High Fiber Foods Nutritional Basics for Kids By Vincent Iannelli, MD facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Vincent Iannelli, MD Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician Updated on February 03, 2020 Credit: RJW/The Image Bank/Getty Images More in Healthy Kids Food & Nutrition Coronavirus (COVID-19) Everyday Wellness Safety & First Aid Immunizations Fitness Since many children don't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and have a relatively high-fat diet, they tend to have diets that are low in fiber. This kind of diet can become pretty unhealthy. One of the more common and immediate consequences? Constipation. So how much fiber does a child need in their diet? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "a person's daily intake of fiber should equal his or her age plus 5 grams (thus, for a 7-year-old, 7 + 5 = 12 grams a day) up to a maximum of 35 grams a day." Still, many nutrition experts think that isn't enough fiber. The latest fiber recommendations state that kids should eat about 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories they eat. Older kids who eat more calories need to get more fiber in their diet. How Much Fiber Do Kids Need Each Day? High Fiber Foods In general, good sources of fiber include many fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans), breads, and cereals. For any prepackage foods, make sure you are actually getting things that contain a significant amount of fiber by reading the nutrition label. Some foods that are mistakenly thought to contain a good amount of fiber include grapes, melons, granola bars, non-bran cereals, oatmeal cookies, lettuce, and apples without the skin on them. A food that is considered "high fiber" would have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving or more. "Good" sources of fiber contain at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving. High fiber foods include: ArtichokesBaked beansBarleyBlack beansBran cerealBroccoliBrussels sproutsCouscousDatesGreen peasLentil soupLentilsLima beansNavy beansOat branPearsPrunesRaspberriesRefried beansShredded wheat cerealSpinachSplit peasTurnip greensWheat flourWhole wheat pasta Foods that are still pretty good sources of fiber that contain approximately 2 to 4.9 grams of fiber per serving—at least as compared to other foods without fiber, but not as high as the high fiber foods listed above—include: Air popped popcornAlmondsApples (skin on)ApplesauceBananasBrown riceBrussels sproutsCarrotsCeleryCheeriosCornFigsGraham crackersOatmealOrangesPeanutsPecansPistachio NutsPotatoes (baked with skin on)RaisinsRiceRye breadStrawberriesTomato paste (canned)Whole wheat bread Again, don't forget to check the nutrition label to find high fiber foods; avoid adding high-fat toppings to your high fiber foods; and encourage your kids to eat their fruits, like apples, with the skin on. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Heart Association. AHA Recommendation. Fiber and Children's Diets. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. 2005. Mayo Clinic Staff. Nutrition and Healthy Eating. (2015, October 8). USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Fiber, Total Dietary (g) Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure, sorted by nutrient content.