Constipation and Diet

Here are some suggestions to help relieve constipation with diet. A diet high in fiber is very healthy. In addition to helping with constipation, fiber lowers bad cholesterol, increases good cholesterol, and reduces future heart disease and cancer risk. Ideally, an adult should eat 25 grams of fiber per day. Children should eat their age in years + 5. (i.e. a 10 year old should eat 15 grams per day). Remember that toddlers and children are notoriously picky eaters. As with any picky eater, the strategy is to offer the right foods and wait for them to be hungry enough to eat them. Don't try to force her to eat these foods. It is better to use a stool softener to deal with the constipation than to create food battles (which you will surely lose).

• Eat at least 2 servings of fruit per day with one of them being in a raw form, including the skin. The skin and peel are where the fiber is, and is why whole fruit is so much healthier than fruit juice.
• Eat 2 servings of vegetables per day and have raw vegetables (if age appropriate) at least every other day. Carrots and celery are good snacks.
• Try to increase fluid intake, especially water. Juice can be helpful, but don't exceed 6-8 ounces per day. Try to avoid juice completely if your child struggles with his weight; better to control the constipation with a stool softener.
• Use whole grain breads rather than more finely ground white breads. Look for the words "whole grain"; otherwise you are just getting white bread with wheat bread coloring.
• Read cereal labels for fiber content. Try mixing high fiber cereal with cereal that your child likes. Slowly increase the amount of high fiber cereal to get them used to it. Examples of such cereals would be bran, shredded wheat, whole grain, oatmeal, and granola.
• Use baked sweet or white potatoes rather than mashed potato. The potato skins are a good source of fiber.
• If over three years of age, use popcorn, nuts, and dried fruit for snacks. Avoid highly processed snack foods like potato chips.
• Beans are an excellent source of fiber and are high in protein and low in fat. Hummus (chickpea dip) is a great snack. Encourage your kids to dip fresh veggies or whole wheat pita bread rather than chips.
• Iceberg lettuce has almost no nutritional value- darker leaves, such as spinach and romaine are much healthier choices.
• Plan regular meal hours, allowing sufficient time for meals.
• Eat food slowly.
• Get some form of exercise daily.
• Set aside a regular time each day to have access to the bathroom when there is no rush or disruptions.
• Get adequate rest.
• It may be helpful to drink a warm/hot beverage before going to the bathroom.
• Use fruit or fruit-based foods rather than pastries, pies, cookies, or cake for dessert.

Beans: 8-10 grams of dietary fiber per serving

• Kidney beans, cooked - 1/2 cup
• Lentils, cooked - 1/2 cup
• Lima beans, cooked - 1/2 cup
• Pinto beans, cooked - 1/2 cup
• White beans, cooked - 1/2 cup

Vegetables: 2-4 grams of dietary fiber per serving

• Broccoli, cooked - 3/4 cup
• Brussels sprouts, cooked - 1/2 cup
• Cabbage, cooked - 1/3 cup
• Carrot, raw - 1 medium
• Corn - 1/2 cup
• Peas - 1/2 cup
• Potatoes, white or sweet (with skin) - 3/4 cup
• Spinach, cooked - 1/4 cup
• Squash, cooked (summer or winter) - 1/2 cup

Fruits and nuts: 2-3 grams of dietary fiber per serving

• Apple - 1 small
• Applesauce - 1/2 cup
• Blueberries, fresh - 1/4 cup
• Pear - 1 medium
• Strawberries, fresh - 3/4 cup
• Orange - 1 medium

Breads and Starches: 1-3 grams of dietary fiber per serving

• Bread, whole meal - 1 slice
• Bread, whole wheat - 1 slice
• Crackers, graham - 2 squares
• Crackers, whole wheat - 6 crackers
• Bran Muffin - 1 muffin
• Popcorn, popped - 1 cup
• Rice, brown, cooked - 1/2 cup

Cereals: grams of dietary fiber per serving

• Kellogg's All-Bran with extra fiber - 13
• Kellogg's All-Bran - 10
• Nabisco 100% Bran - 10
• Bran Chex - 5
• Cracklin Oat Bran - 5
• Quaker Oat Squares - 4
• Cheerios - 2