How to Sneak More Fiber into 3Yo's Diet?

Beware if the flaxseed, as it's harsh for some people's systems -- I work with people in the wellness-arena and one client using flaxseed was having terrible stomach issues that cleared up once we removed that, and added my company's patented fiber product (which, by the way, is safe and helpful for kids; my kids are 2 & 4 and have taken it since as young as 1 year, along with their kids vanilla or chocolate nutrition shake.)

You got a lot of good advice here, but I'll still add my two cents - stay away from apple juice!!! It caused constipation problems for both of my kids. Use pear juice, or watered-down prune juice instead. If he will eat oatmeal for breakfast, that will be a big help. You can even add it to pancake batter - or make oatmeal cookies. Good luck.

Hi, you might try to find a few books that help you cook with more fruits and veggies. I bought 2 books that have awesome recipes. One is The Sneaky Chef. The other is by Jessica Seinfeld, she was Oprah and has a book, it is "Deceptively Delicious". Both are very good. I fix certain things and test it out on my kids and adult friends. They never know what is in it! They love it!

Have fun!
C.
Pampered Chef Consultant

FiberOne makes yogurt and cereal bars that are pretty kid-friendly.

Lots of water!! Also, Miralax is totally safe for kids and not habit forming. It's great!!

Mix milled flax seed into anything you can. Pancakes, smoothies........

Mirilax is a laxative that is safe for all ages. 1/2 adult dosage is good for kids (doctor told me to give this dosage to my 2-1/2 year old) Mix it into juice. I used to tell my boy he had to drink it all so his poopy didn't hurt. That was enough for him to down it. Can't taste it in the juice anyway. Some people use this every day. I am not a fan of continuous meds. I would say use this while you try to improve his diet.

I grind up veggies and fruits and put them in pancakes and turkey burgers.

hello,

My 3 yr old has the same issue, he actually has a prescription for Enulose to help keep things moving. I don't really like to give him medicine but even with no milk and a prune everyday for breakfast we were still having issues so I use it, just a small amount 1/4 tsp everyday. We also use PlumSmart - plum juice with fiber, Pediasure vanilla with fiber, all fruits that begin with P are good - Plums, prunes, peaches, pears adn even apricots. We are also supposed to watch his milk consumption but then the dentist doesn't want him to drink too much juice (for his teeth) and he hates straight water so we have a tough time there. He gets watered down juice, pediasure and milk mostly. Good Luck.

Hi, A.! My daughter is 22 months, and has decided to eat just about nothing but cheese. It has backed her up a little bit, so I was sure to give her mandarin oranges, and the next day, we were back in business! If he will eat fruit, give him plenty of it (minus bananas) and he should get back on track. Good luck!

Hi A.,
Have you tried the Fiber One products?
My kids love the Carmel Delight cereal and the Chocolate and Oats granola bars!

First step is to make sure he's getting enough water. Juices don't count as much because of all the sugar. Anything with caffeine doesn't count because it counteracts the effects and backfires on ya. And for goodness sake don't give a kid anything with artificial sweeteners - that really messes things up. Just stick with ice cold water.

As for fiber... therese days you'll find fiber in everything. However, the best sources are the skins of fresh fruit and veggies, whole grains, beans, etc. With a picky eater, I know how hard that is, though. My son was first diagnosed with encopresis 3 years ago so we've had a few years to figure out how to get him to drink enough and get enough fiber.

-Whole grain white bread - not as good as 'real' whole grain bread but many kids (and adults) prefer the texture and color
-FiberOne products - the yogurt tastes/looks/feels like normal yogurt; my kids fight over the pop-tarts just as much as the regular Kellogg's ones; the cereals are tasty and my kids love 'em (one tastes like cinnamon toast crunch - my son's favorite); and last but not least - the FiberOne granola bars. Those things are delicious and pack 9 grams of fiber into one yummy chocolate bar. My son would eat 2-3 a day if we let him!

As for supplements, Miralax is what most doctors recommend these days for children. It's a white powder that dissolves in water/juice/milk/whatever and is tasteless. An average dose is half-capful in a glass of water once a day. It's not habit forming and is safe to use for long periods of time.

Hi A.,

My daughter drinks Pediasure with Fiber...actually I switched to Kroger brand because it is always cheaper and works just the same. My daughter at first was a little unsure of it, but now she asks for her Pediasure. Just watch though...I only let her have it every other day because her bowels started to get too loose....good luck! I feel so bad for kids that are constipated and feeling like there is nothing you can do!

Will he eat raisins? How about putting some peanut butter on a celery stalk, set the raisins in the PB and call it "Ants on a Log"? A lady I know said a long time ago that PB sandwich and black coffee always made her go....I understand you don't want your kid on coffee, but maybe the PB will help.

How about rye-krisp crackers? again you can put PB or cheese or something on them if he won't eat them plain.

I agree with others who said "more water" also. That could also come in the form of soups (hot or cold).

Does he like salads? Try to sneak in some non-Iceberg lettuce.

K. Z.

My 2 yr old has the same situation and I add the gerber apple prune juice into his juice at snack time. That usually gets him going again.

My kids like the Fiber One brand muffins (from the mix) and granola bars.

Try adding wheat germ to his diet. Its very good him, tasteless pretty much and has other benefits besides digestive. you can find it at almost any grocery store. You can mix it with yogurt, oatmeal, applesauce, pretty much anything. And its completely safe!

Hi A.,
I know how hard it can be to make sure your kids get enough fiber. My daughter was but on miralax (sp?) when she was 3 because of her bathroom issues. I hated that because I don't like chemical stimulants, especially for kids!
What I use now is Arbonne's Fiber Booster... it is tasteless and oderless, so you can add it to cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, spaghetti sauce, drinks, and none the wiser. It contains 12 grams of fiber each serving. If you are interested in trying some let me know. ###-###-####

Benefiber for Children worked well for my 5 year old daughter who had similar problems. I mixed it in her drink and she never knew it was there.

Good Morning A.:

I have been there with my son who is now 7.

I found that the mixtures are all still a bit chalky and leave traces in the glass so I was never sure how much of the mixture he really had.

My solution has been to use the shakes that are like Ensure. I buy them in quantity from Sam's Club. I buy the Sam's Club brand and they are just as good and help with his Fiber intake. They have different flavors but my son is kind of a purist so he likes the Vanilla. We refer to them as Vanilla shakes and they do taste good so he likes them. (I drink them as well on ocassion and I like them too).

This may be an easier solution for you.

Let us know what you do and how it works for you,
T.

I know you've already written your update, but I wanted to let you know about a good cookbook called Deceptively Delicious by Jerry Seinfeld's wife. It has a bunch of recipes that "hide" good-for-you stuff in foods so your kids will eat them. In general, I think kids should learn to eat their fruits and vegetables, but in the case that the child's health is suffering, this is a good option. You might check your local library if you don't want to buy the book right away.

How about trying acidophilus? You can get it in powdered form and add it to juice or some other liquid in one of his meals! That usually helps digestion and builds their immune system.

Good luck!
A.

How about raisins, or yogurt raisins, Raisinettes- if you're desperate? Prune juice, applesauce or apple slices, oatmeal or Oatmeal-To-Go bars, corn, coleslaw?

Getting fiber into a 3yo is pretty hard to do unless you have a kid you will eat lots of fruits and veggies. Well, considering most 3yo's aren't going to do that. Use Miralax, it over the counter and totally safe for kids and non-habit forming. My twins were born very premature and had gut issues and we had to go to a ped GI doc and she had them on that at 2yo before it was over the counter. So, instead of making meal time an issue, just put a capful of this in any drink and it's totally tasteless. And take from someone who had a child with oral sensory issues and if she can't tell it's in there than no one will.

My son has always had constipation issues since he was little. This is what we're doing:

1) Plums or apricots in his fiber-rich cereal
2) Activia yogurt (1/day)
3) Lots water during the day
4) Avoid bananas, anything with too much starch.
5) Fiber One bars are great treats

We have also tried these:
(initially worked but didn't seem as effective after a while)
1) Miralax
2) Chocolate-flavored Metamucil

Good luck !

My dr suggested to use BeneFiber with my 2 year old. I found out though that if he eats oatmeal with flax seed mixed in that helps a lot. If you mix the flax seed in before you cook it, you can't even tell it's there. Also, Miralax I've used with 2 and 3 year olds. It's over the counter.

Not sure if your son takes vitamins yet or not, but I was just looking online for you and came across Yummi Bears fiber supplement. A chewable gummy bear type fiber supplement that may help. This age is hard with their eating habits, but you are doing a good job mom! Breads, cereal, cereal bars, whole wheat pasta,oranges, strawberries, avocado, blueberries, apple with skin are all good fiber foods too. Good luck!

Have you tried oatmeal or prunes? I know prunes are ick, but some kids like them. If that doesn't work maybe talk to your childs pediatrician about pedia sure with fiber or myrolax. Myrolax is a gentle laxative. I wouldnt do either of these without talking to his dr first.
J.

my son loves the fiber one cereal bars - the chocolate one has chips in it, so he thinks its really bad for him. :)

Hey,

I don't know if your son likes granola bars but my 4yr old son loves fiber one bars. Basically all I had to do was get the chocolate chip ones and tell everybody they were mine. Sooooo then they all wanted them because they were mine. Good luck!!! I'm not sure about metamucil, but maybe there is a kid version. Have a good day.

I think Benefiber makes a kid formula. My son is 5 and was big enough for the regular. He couldn't taste it..I kept an eye on days he didn't need it and when he did. Also popcorn is a good one.

Are you sure he doesn't need more water in his diet? Staying well hydrated certainly helps with easier bowel movements too.
I think Metamucil is safe for children and they do make it in flavored form now that can easily be slipped into water for easy usage. I even got a sample of it in the mail. It wasn't bad at all.

CONTINUALLY TRY NEW THINGS and talk about how much fun it is to try new things. Remind him that you don't have to like everything, but a "three courtesty bite" rule is what I've had. Try three bites - they don't have to be big ones. DONT make a big deal out of something you don't like. Just say, I don't care for that and move on. TRY THEM if you expect HIM to try them, too. Food is a GREAT learning tool......where it comes from, how it grows, what it does for your body, etc. Look up info together on the internet or book or whatever.

I started talking about this when Abbie was 3. She knows more about nutrition at 7 than most adults. There are VERY few things she doesn't like and will try pretty much everything! Make it FUN!

Fletcher's - smells (and probably tastes) like root beer.

There is something like it but it requires a scrip. My daughter in law had to get it for the grandbaby. He refusses to drink it now. Even though they say you can't taste it I think he has figured it out. I would suggest more juice if he likes juice. I use to baby sit a little girl who if she had too much milk would lock up but one bottle too much of juice gave her the runs.

Yogurt with fruit, cereal- shredded wheat bites size- a lot of kids like cereal dry as a snack, try serving froz veggies cold- like peas and carrots- he may like them cold as finger food, Oatmeal cookies- cut sugar in half- add raisins if he likes them, applesauce, popcorn.

hi A....my niece used metamucil when she was lil ( around 3) and alil added to their drink every nite is ok...butunderstandable if you are unsure. My oldest boy (18 now) used to take 1-2 teaspoons of mineral oil a nite( doctors orders) when he was 4yrs. he didn't mind it. took alil time for it to start working, and he continued on it for a long time. it is just another thought. you buy it at wal mart, it is not a prescription. well good luck :)

Per docs orders we add Myrlax to my childs drink. He's six and I was told to give the adult dose (starting out small and working our way up) but she said it's totally safe and not habit forming.
It works like a pro...just give like a tsp. once a day to start and slowly work up. Once he's "loose" you can slowly work your way down. My son actually likes to have his daily cup now because his poop is soft all the time and hes not uncomforable when he goes.
Previously we have also tried increasing veggies, only whole grain and such but for some reason it didn't work.
I have tried the myrlax before I gave it to him. It mixes 100% into juice and has absolutely no taste.

I have noticed that different fruits that the kids might not get all the time that they might like? ex: blueberrys, black berries and maybe rasberries, seem more like a treat than us adults harping all the time about "EAT YOUR FRUIT" my kids love them and my 2yr old has almost 3-4 dirty diapers a day!