Make sure children get enough fibre
Make sure children get enough fibre
Research has shown that the average South African child is not getting enough fibre in his/her daily meals. As far back as 2006 a study published in the South African Journal of Clinical Nutritionconcluded that the diet of South African children between the ages of one and nine years has little dietary variety, is low in animal derived foods, particularly dairy foods, and contains insufficient amounts of legumes, fruit and vegetables. It also showed that many South African children between the ages of one and nine years have an inadequate intake of dietary fibre7.
Megan Pentz-Kluyts, a registered dietetics consultant and nutrition coach from Cape Town, said the finding that carbohydrates supply the bulk of the energy, is in accordance with the South African guideline for healthy eating. The guideline states that people should “Make starchy foods the basis of most meals”. Pentz-Kluyts said that unrefined or minimally processed cereal and grains are the ideal forms of starchy foods for children. However, with the exception of brown bread, the main sources of carbohydrates for children in the study above were refined foods, such as white bread, maize meal, white rice and white sugar.
Dietary fibre or fibre comes in two forms, namely soluble and insoluble, which play different roles and are both important for a child’s health. Soluble fibre slows down the absorption of glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. Children need this so they do not have a sudden peak in blood sugar, followed by a rapid drop. Good sources of soluble fibre can be found in fruit and vegetables, oats and barley and dried beans.
Insoluble fibre, on the other hand, is found in unrefined cereals and grains. Children need insoluble fibre to keep their digestive systems healthy and able to absorb growth and development nutrients. This needs to be taken with sufficient fluidto keep a child’s digestive system regular and to prevent constipation. Fibre-rich foods also help to keep children feeling fuller for longer, preventing overeating. These foods can help to reduce the incidence of obesity, high cholesterol levels, hypertension (high blood pressure), certain cancers and type 2-diabetes.
The recommended minimum intake of dietary fibre for children older than two years is approximately 5g plus the age of the child or 0,5g per kg of body weight4. However, because of the bulky nature of fibre-rich foods, and the small stomach capacity of children, Pentz-Kluyts warns that diets very high in fibre are not recommended. “Children should therefore have a balanced daily intake of fibre and nutrients,” she says.
For example, for an eight-year old child, a minimum of 13g of fibre is recommended, which relates to1:
2 x 80g servings of Fruit (4g fibre)
2 x 80g servings of Vegetables (4g fibre)
1 x 20g to 30g serving of Fibre Cereal (2,4g fibre)
1 slice whole-wheat bread (2g fibre)
Providing the same eight year old with the maximum recommended amount of 25g of fibre, the child’s daily servings could consist of the following1:
2 x 100g servings of Fruit (4,8g fibre)
3 x 80g servings Vegetables (6g fibre)
1x 20g to 30g serving of Fibre Cereal (2,4g fibre)
3 slices whole-wheat bread (6g fibre)
60g Baked Beans (4,5g fibre)
100g Potato (1,5g fibre)
Getting your child to eat enough fibre daily may be challenging. However, Pentz-Kluyts says there are ways in which parents can sneak tasty fibre into their children’s diet. She offers the following tips:
§ Breads and cereals
Choose breads with more fibre, such as seedloaves, low GI brown and whole-wheat and rye breads. Start every day with a breakfast cereal that contains fibre. Read the label. A cereal must have at least 2,4g of fibre per 100g to be deemed as ‘a source of fibre’.
New Weet-Bix Bites from Bokomo is an excellent source of fibre in cereals. It contains 6,2g of fibre per 100g, making it a ‘high source of fibre’ with 2,5g of fibre for each serving of approximately 40g. It is also high in vitamins B1, B2, niacin and iron, while being low in fat and is a naturally cholesterol free food.
§ Make fruit and cereals part of each snack
Make bran muffins with added fruit, such as pureed apple or banana. Add dried fruit or fruit bars to lunch boxes. Make fruit smoothies with whole seasonal fruits and add oats. Make fruit kebabs from seasonal fruits and get the kids to help. Make a vegetable platter of fruit and vegetable crudités with cream cheese dips for a healthy snack.
§ Make air-popped popcorn for a fibre-rich snack
§ Slip vegetables, grains and legumes into dishes
Puree carrots and lentils and mix them into lean ground mince for burger patties. Add pureed cauliflower and butternut to lasagne. Add barley and lentils to soups. Adding a few spoonfuls of oats to stews will increase the fibre, without changing the taste. Make a vegetable kebab for your next braai.
References
1. MRC Foodfinder Program, 3rd ed.Tygerberg, South Africa: Medical Research Council.
2. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) booklet (2003).Nutrition Information Centre, University of Stellenbosch.
3. "Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fibre, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2002)." Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine.
4. Edwards C.A. & Parrett A.M. (2003) Dietary fibre in infancy and childhood. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society62, 17–23.
5. Shaw V. & Lawson M. eds. (2001) Clinical Paediatric Dietetics, 2nd ed. Blackwell Publishing: Oxford.
6. Policy Statement. (2003) Prevention of pediatric overweight and obesity. American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics112, 424–430.
7. Steyn NP, Maunder EMW, Labadarios D and Nel JH.Foods and beverages that make significant contributions to macro- and micronutrient intakes of children in South Africa – do they meet the food-based dietary guidelines?SAJCN.2006, Vol. 19, No. 2
