Fiber for toddlers: how much and how to add it

Why fiber matters

Fiber helps children feel full and keeps things moving through the gut, which helps prevent constipation (AAP). Foods that are good sources of fiber, like fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, also bring vitamins and minerals (AAP).

How much fiber?

Under 1 year: no target. The NIDDK says fiber guidelines aren’t available for babies under 1, and the US Dietary Guidelines set no fiber goal for 6 to 11 months. Breast milk or formula is still your baby’s main food. Offer a variety of fruit, vegetables, beans, lentils and grains as part of starting solids, and ask your baby’s doctor before making changes for constipation (NIDDK).

Toddlers: several numbers, one message. The official figures differ a lot:

• US Dietary Guidelines: an adequate intake of 19 g a day at 12 to 23 months, worked out from calories
• NHS: about 15 g a day for 2 to 5-year-olds
• AAP rule of thumb: “Eat 5” (at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day plus other fiber foods, and then there’s no need to count grams). The AAP’s “Add 5” rule (age plus 5 grams) is written for older children: its examples start at age 5, so it gives a much lower number for a toddler.

You don’t need to count. The AAP’s “Eat 5” is the simplest guide, and remember that a toddler serving is much smaller than an adult’s (see toddler portion sizes).

High-fiber foods, served safely

Good sources of fiber include vegetables, fruit, beans, peas, nuts and whole-grain breads and cereals (AAP, NIDDK). For toddlers, try:

Fruit

• soft pear and plum pieces, peeled if the skin is tough
• prunes, pitted, stewed or soaked until soft, then chopped or mashed
• raspberries, flattened or cut up
• kiwi, peeled and cut small
• apple, cooked soft or finely grated (not hard raw pieces, which the CDC lists as a choking hazard)

Vegetables

• peas, squashed flat
• broccoli, cooked soft
• sweet potato and potato, cooked soft (the NHS suggests potatoes with their skins on as a fibre source in family meals)

Beans and lentils

• lentils, split peas, chickpeas and black beans, cooked soft and mashed or squashed (the CDC lists whole beans as a choking hazard)
• hummus, spread on toast fingers or as a dip

Grains

• oatmeal
• smooth wholemeal bread, and wholewheat pasta
• brown rice, in small amounts alongside other grains (see rice and arsenic)

The CDC lists breads or crackers with seeds, nut pieces or whole grain kernels, whole kernels of cooked barley or wheat, and plain wheat germ as choking hazards for young children. Choose smooth breads and soft-cooked grains, and offer nuts and seeds only ground or as a thinly spread butter. See safe food sizes and shapes.

Dried fruit is high in fiber but sticky and sugary. The NHS suggests serving it with meals, not as a snack, to protect teeth. The CDC lists uncooked dried fruit like raisins as a choking hazard, so soak or cook dried fruit until soft first, then chop it into small pieces or mash it into a moist food.

Juice doesn’t count. The AAP says 100% juice lacks the fiber in whole fruit, and that eating fruit is always better than drinking juice. The NHS goes further and says to avoid fruit juice and smoothies up to age 4, because of their sugar. See juice for babies.

Add it gradually, with drinks

• Go slowly. The NIDDK suggests adding fiber to the family’s diet a little at a time, so everyone gets used to the change.
• Offer drinks with meals. The NIDDK says drinking enough liquid helps fiber work better. The AAP suggests about 8 to 32 oz (240 to 950 ml) of water a day at 12 to 24 months, plus about 16 oz (480 ml) of milk. See water for babies.
• Food first, not supplements. The AAP recommends fiber from food over fiber supplements, and warns that fiber supplements taken without enough water can make constipation worse. Don’t give a fiber supplement unless your doctor suggests it.

Not too much: under-2s and bran

More fiber isn’t always better for very young children.

• Not only wholegrains under 2. The NHS says it’s not a good idea to give under-2s only wholegrain starchy foods. Wholegrain foods can be high in fiber and may fill your child up before they’ve taken in the calories and nutrients they need. A mix of wholegrain and white bread, pasta and rice works well. After age 2, you can gradually offer more wholegrain foods (NHS).
• No unprocessed bran. NICE, the UK’s guideline body, advises against unprocessed bran for children because it can cause bloating and wind and reduce how well some nutrients are absorbed.
• Plant-based diets. Diets built on beans, lentils and whole grains can be very filling. Add energy with foods like avocado, thinly spread nut butter and a little oil: see vegetarian and vegan toddlers and healthy fats for babies and toddlers.

If your toddler is a slow grower or a small eater, talk to your pediatrician or health visitor before adding lots of high-fiber foods.

Fiber and constipation

Fiber from fruit, vegetables and whole grains is one of the main ways to prevent constipation, but the AAP says there’s no special “constipation diet”, and that extra water on its own isn’t an effective treatment. If your toddler’s poop is hard, dry or painful to pass, see foods that help with baby constipation for what to try, how much milk and cheese to offer, and when to see a doctor.

Where US and UK advice differs

• How much. The US Dietary Guidelines give an adequate intake of 19 g of fiber a day at 12 to 23 months. The NHS says about 15 g a day for children aged 2 to 5. The AAP suggests counting servings of fruit and vegetables instead of grams.
• Wholegrains. The US Dietary Guidelines say to offer young children whole grains more often than refined grains, to increase fiber, and the newest edition says to prioritize fiber-rich whole grains. The NHS says not to give under-2s only wholegrain starchy foods, and to add more gradually after age 2.