When it comes to eating better many of us are focusing on making healthier choices by adding in more REAL non-processed foods and starting to eliminate the toxins, by removing sugars, dyes, partially hydrogentated oils, GMO’s etc… but how many of you focus on how much fiber you are consuming?
Fiber is an integral part of our daily diet and studies have shown that most people are not consuming the daily recommended amounts of fiber. The average dietary fiber intake among kids is much lower than the recommendations. Many kids (let alone adults) get less then 50% of their daily recommended fiber per day.
Here are some stats from (www.superkidsnutrition.com)
- Children 1-3 years: 19 grams of fiber per day
- Children 4-8 years: 25 grams of fiber per day
- Boys 9-13 years: 31 grams of fiber per day
- Girls 9-13 years: 26 grams of fiber per day
- Boys 14-19: 38 grams of fiber per day
- Girls 14-19: 26 grams of fiber per day
Here is a comparison of the amount of foods you would need to eat in order to consume approximately 12 grams of fiber in a day. If our kids are not getting enough fruits, veggies and whole grains, they are not getting enough fiber which have many benefits, one being to assist in elimination of the toxins in their bodies.
- 1 Avacado
- 1 1/2 c Oatmeal
- 2 Tbsp Chia Seed
- 3 Apples
- 7 Slices of Whole wheat bread
- 18 Prunes
- 5 Cups Broccoli
- 18 Cups Spinach
- 40 Baby Carrots
- 79 Almonds
I encourage you to pay closer attention and become more aware of whether or not your family is getting enough fiber in their diet. Lack of fiber could be a factor in some of the health issues your family may be facing.