Fiber has a wide range of health benefits from normalizing bowel movements to aiding in weight loss. It helps your GI tract and your heart, and most Americans get nowhere near the recommended amounts. Above I have created a low fiber grocery list to compare against a high fiber one. You can see how making small changes in the foods you purchase can have a big impact on the amount of fiber you consume.
Recommended Daily Fiber Intake:
The Institute of Medicine recommends that females get 21-26 grams/day and males should get 30-38 grams/day.
Nice comparison with grocery lists. Should kids get as much fiber as adults? Or less?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Jaime! The recommendations for children are not the same as adults. No recommendations are given for infants due to the majority of their needs being met by formula and milk. 2-3 years of age, your children need 14-20 g of fiber daily. The need increases to 17-25 g of fiber a day for girls ages 4-8 years. Boys 4-8 years old need slightly more at 17-28 g of fiber each day. They get this fiber from the same sources as adults. Hope this helps!
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