Fibre. Is there anything more boring to talk about? Fibre. Is there anything more important in our diet? Fibre's importance ranks right up there with vitamins and minerals as a part of a well balanced diet. As I kid, I didn't eat nearly enough fibre, which lead to one thing...constipation (yep, I'm going there). I grew up in a lot of discomfort and pain. To be honest, I thought it was "just me"...how my body was built. Until I had my first colonoscopy, 3 years ago, and discovered that the lack of fibre in my diet was taking a toll on my body. When the doctor told me I HAD TO GET MORE FIBRE IN MY DIET I knew somethings had to change. Here I was raising two beautiful children who might end up with the same fate as me, a low-fibre diet. So, we did a little research and made a few changes and came up with 5 ways to get more fibre in our family's diet.
Whole Wheat Swap Out ~ White bread is made from grains that have been refined and stripped of the bran and germ. Basically, all the fibre is taken out. By simply swapping whole wheat bread for white bread you get the benefit of the entire grain...fibre and all. The easiest way to make the change is to always eat whole wheat bread. We try and purchase whole wheat breads, bagels and pitas that don't have any added seeds in the dough...my kids will complain if the bread has too many "seeds".
Start the Day off Right ~ Starting the day off with a fibre rich cereal like Fibre 1 is an easy way to know your kids are getting enough fibre in their diet. General Mills has just introduced Fibre 1 Almond & Cluster Delight...a delicious new addition to the Fibre 1 family of cereals. I've included Fibre 1 in my breakfast routine ever since that first colonoscopy 3 years ago. With Fibre 1 Almond & Cluster Delight I am finally able to convince my kids to eat a high fibre breakfast. They don't know the cereal is packed with fibre...they just know that they like how it tastes.
Fibre Packed Fruit ~ Fruit is a great way to add fibre to a child's diet. Add a handful of fruit to a bowl of cereal, yogurt or blend it up to make smoothies and popsicles. Some of the highest fibre fruits are; raspberries, strawberries, pears, apples, oranges and bananas.
Pick Fibre Rich Veggies ~ Not all kids love eating vegetables...I know. In our house we eat our veggies as they are, we don't "sneak" them into other foods. However, the sneaky technique works for lots of moms and dads. Adding pureed vegetables to smoothies, pasta and baked goods is a great way to add more fibre to kids' food. Some high fibre veggies are; peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and spinach.
Nuts and Legumes ~ Okay, this one is a much harder addition to our regular diet. I'm not gonna lie, we are not big fans of lentils...and they are packed full of fibre. So, instead we've upped our consumption of nuts and beans. A delicious way to get more nuts in a kids' diet is through pesto. We make our pesto with almonds, which pack a serious fibre punch. Adding beans to our taco night table is another great way to get more fibre. High fibre nuts and legumes include; lentils, almonds, black beans, kidney beans, peanut butter and pinto beans.
With a few simple swap outs any family can easily enjoy more fibre in their diet without even knowing it. A diet with the recommended daily amount of fibre leads to lower cholesterol, controls blood sugar levels, helps maintain healthy weight and helps with constipation. To help out, General Mills is offering EVERYONE a chance to try the new Fibre 1 Almond & Cluster cereal for FREE. They are releasing a free one-day coupon, redeemable on July 16th. Look for the coupon at the Life Made Delicious Facebook page.
How do you get more fibre in your family's diet? Any tips and tricks to share?
Disclosure – I am participating in the Fibre 1 Almond & Cluster Delight Cereal blogger campaign by Mom Central Canada on behalf of General Mills. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.
