The importance of regular bowel movements in kids.
Have you checked your child’s number 2’s? Poo talk depending on your child’s age is funny, disgusting, embarrassing and not generally a conversation starter! The thing is, poo is the end point of our digestion and without it, so many functions are impacted. The body can suffer with bloating, pain, nausea, headaches, poor sleep, poor appetite just to name a few. Imagine if these could all be minimised with a good consistent poo!
Firstly what classifies a good poo? Let’s look at the Bristol stool chart (shown below). Type 4, a smooth sausage is what we are aiming for but the question is, how can we make this happen?
⭐️ Establish a consistent toilet routine. Don’t delay the poo 💩! “You gotta go when you gotta go”
⭐️ Keep moving. Exercise and incidental moving are key to move the poo along.
⭐️ Water, water, water!
⭐️ Eating a balance of the five food groups each day
⭐️ Fibre balance with fruit, veggies
Today we are honing in on fibre balance because this can be tricky when it comes to kids especially getting in enough veggies. Below are 10 high-fibre foods that you can fry with the kids:
- Apples – very versatile with loads of flavour. Eat them stewed, fresh, grated or blended. Try and the skin on for an extra fibre boost.
- Berries – Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Eat them fresh, a great cereal topper and a smoothie essential
- Carrots – a sweet taste that can be blended as a dip or purée, baked, steamed or eaten raw. A great lunch box addition, raw or cooked in sweet or savoury muffins
- Broccoli – raw or cooked with melted cheese on top or try it with a dip or sauce to help the texture and flavour. It also goes very well blended in to soups, muffins and pikelets
- Sweet Potatoes – A delicious roasted or mashed side dish, soup addition, choc brownie blend and a great finger food option.
- Whole Grain Bread – Look for bread that contains at least 3 grams of fibre per slice.
- Oats – A versatile addition to smoothies, muffins, cakes, slices and the perfect winter warmer (check out our past post on pimping your porridge!)
- Brown Rice – A great base for many meals and blends into soups and casseroles. The perfect texture to progress from mashed/purées to lumps
- Lentils – A cup of cooked lentils has about 15 grams of fibre and can be used in soups, salads, casseroles, muffins and pikelets
- Popcorn – Air-popped popcorn is a great snack on the go, for staying awake and growing tongue strength needed to chew!
Don’t forget the water! Water is important for fibre absorption in the body. Encourage your child to drink plenty of water before, during and after eating to help soften their poo and prevent it from getting stuck!
Want more? Try my “Nutritious Family Friendly Recipes” ebook
