Pediatric Healthy Eating: When Your Child Becomes Constipated HF#196

In this handout you'll find some ways to help your child return to a normal bowel movement pattern.  Constipation can be caused by a buildup of dry, hard stools or very large size stools.  This can happen when food moves too slowly through the body.  Bowel movements are less frequent and are hard to pass.

Some factors that add to constipation are: 

 

• Not being physically active
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Diet low in fiber or "roughage"
• Irregular bowel habits

 

What is fiber?

 

Fiber is what remains after the plant food we eat has passed through the digestive tract.  Soluble fiber dissolves in water and affects digestion and absorption of food.  Good sources of soluble fiber include: whole grain oats, oat bran, pectin in fruits, dried beans and peas, barley, and vegetables.

Insoluble fiber or 'roughage’ promotes regularity.  It absorbs water to soften and add bulk to the stools.  This promotes faster movement through the gut.  Thus, it helps relieve constipation.  Good sources of insoluble fiber include: whole grain breads and cereals, wheat and rice bran, dried peas and beans, vegetables, and nuts*.

Fiber and water work together to help prevent and relieve constipation. Liquids add fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass.  Help your child to drink 6-8 cups of fluid per day as you increase the fiber in their diet.

*Peanuts, nuts, and popcorn should not be given to children under 2 years of age.  Young children may choke on these foods.
 

These hints may help your child return to a normal bowel pattern

• Plan meals at set times.  Allow for plenty of time for the meal.
• Set aside a time of day for using the toilet when your child won’t be rushed.
• Give your child plenty of fluids.  Six to eight cups each day is the goal.  Water, milk, fruit juices, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, gelatin, and popsicles are all fluids.
• Warm liquids often start the action of the bowel.  Warm lemon water in the morning or at night may be helpful.
• Provide choices of foods high in fiber such as raw fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, popcorn*, and bran.  These can be served at meals or as snacks.  Raw vegetables or fruits may be grated into salads or gelatin.
• Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of bran or wheat germ into cooked cereals, casseroles, cookie dough, pancake batter, and other baked goods. Add nuts* and dried fruits to baked goods or cereals.
• Prunes or pears and their juices may be used for their laxative effect.
• Light exercise will also help stimulate bowel activity. 

 

Guidelines for Increasing Fiber Intake

• The amount of fiber your child should have each day is at least the child's age plus 5 grams.  For example, a 6 year old should take in 6 grams plus 5 grams for a total of 11 grams of fiber per day.

• Gradually increase your child's dietary fiber to avoid bloating or gas.  Increase higher fiber- foods slowly over 3-4 weeks.

• Write down a couple days of intake and add up the amount of fiber to see how much your child is eating.  Read labels to find out the grams of fiber in foods.

 

High Fiber Foods (approximate fiber content)

 

Fruit	Serving	Grams
Apple	1 medium	2-2.5
Avocado	½	2.0
Banana	1 medium	1.8
Blackberries	1/3 cup	2.0
Cantaloupe	1-1 1/2 cups	2.0
Figs, dried	2	3.5
Grapes, seedless	1/2 cup	1.0
Grapefruit	½	1.6
Kiwi	1	2.6
Orange	1 medium	3.1
Peach with skin	1 medium	1.4
Pear with skin	1 medium	4.3
Pineapple	½ cup	1.2
Prunes, dried	3	1.8
Raisins, seedless	¼ cup	1.9
Strawberries	1 cup	3.9
Watermelon	1 cup	0.6
Fruit preserves	5 TBsp.	2.0

 

 

Ideas for increasing fruits in your child’s diet

• Slice fruit into slices or coins and serve with yogurt, caramel, or chocolate dips.
• Spread with crunchy peanut butter.
• Use quick fruit cup snacks in ready-to-use containers.
• Add dried or fresh fruit to muffin mixes, pancake batter, cereal, salads, quick breads, and cookies.
• Make fruit kabobs on popsicle sticks.
• Make trail mix with dried fruit.
• Leave peels on when possible.  

High Fiber Vegetables

(Approximate fiber content)

 

Vegetables (cooked )	serving	grams
Asparagus	½ cup	1.6
Broccoli	½ cup	2.5
Carrots, raw	1/2 cup	3.4
Cauliflower, raw	½ cup	1.2
Green beans	½ cup	2.1
Popcorn	2 cups	1.8
potato, baked w/skin	1 medium	3.6
Spinach	1/2 cup	2.5
Sweet potato, w/skin	1 medium	3.4
Zucchini (raw)	½ cup	1.8
Cabbage, shredded	1 cup	1.7
Carrots	1 medium	2.3
Cauliflower	½ cup	1.3
Celery	1 stalk	0.6
Cucumber, sliced	½ cup	0.5
Lettuce, Romaine	1 cup	1.0
Mushrooms, sliced	1/2 cup	1.5
Spinach, as greens	1 cup	1.9
Tomato	1 medium	1.6

 

Ways to increase vegetables in your child’s diet:

• Grate vegetables and add to pancake batter, quick breads, cookies, and muffin mixes.
• Add corn and tomatoes to tacos.
• Serve vegetable sticks with lowfat dip.
• Add chopped vegetables to salads, soups, and sandwiches.
• Spread with crunchy peanut butter or cream cheese.
• Add to omelets or stir fries
• Bake sweet potatoes like French fries and sprinkle with cinnamon.

 

High Fiber Protein

 

Legumes	Serving	Grams
Baked beans, canned	½ cup	7.0
Black beans	½ cup	7.7
Black-eyed peas, canned	½ cup	8.5
Green peas	½ cup	3.6
Kidney beans	½ cup	7.3
Lentils	½ cup	3.7
Peanut butter, crunchy	4 Tbsp.	2.0
Peanuts*, dry roasted	¼ cup	2.9
Refried beans	½ cup	6.0
Soybeans	½ cup	3.0

*Peanuts should not be given to children under 2 years of age unless ground.

 

Ways to increase legumes to your child’s diet

• Try adding beans to rice or have a “Mexican night” using refried or pinto beans.
• Try three bean salad or bean soup.
• Try frozen burritos made with beans.
• Make or buy bean dip for nachos and raw vegetables.
• Sprinkle chopped soy nuts or peanuts on yogurt or sundaes.
• Offer baked beans on a regular basis.   

 

 

Breads, Grains, Crackers, Chips

(Read labels closely as fiber content varies greatly from product to product)

 

Grains	Serving	Grams
Bagel  wheat	1 whole	4.0
blueberry	1 whole	2.0
Multigrain	1 whole	2.0
cinnamon raisin	1 whole	2.0
Barley, cooked	½ c.	3.0
Bran muffin	1	1.2
Bread   Whole Wheat	1 slice	2.0
Pumpernickel	1 slice	2.0
Bulgar, whole wheat, uncooked	1 Tbsp	2.0
Cereal bars	2	2.0
Corn taco shells	2-3	2.0
Crackers: Triscuits® Original	4	2.0
Triscuits® Thin Crisps	10	2.0
Wheat Thins®	16	2.0
English muffin, whole wheat	1 whole	3.0
Rice, brown, cooked	½ cup	2.0
wild, cooked	¼ cup	2.0
Sun Chips®	10	2.0
Tortilla,  soft flour	2 medium	2.0
whole wheat	1 medium	2.0
chips	16	2.0
Waffles, Nutragrain®	2	3.0
Wheat germ	2 bsp	2.0

 

Hints

• Spread whole wheat bread or rolls with fruit preserves with seeds.
• Add seeds or crushed high fiber cereals to bread mixes.
• Use some whole grain flour for part of white flour in baking.
• Use 1 slice whole wheat and 1 slice white bread for a sandwich.
• Use whole wheat bread for French toast and whole wheat pancake or waffle mix.
• Mix brown and white rice; try wild rice in soup or as a side dish.
• Add wheat germ to baked products.  Sprinkle it on ice cream, yogurt, pudding or salads.

 

Cereals (Read labels closely as fiber content varies greatly)

 

Cereals	Serving	Grams
Bran, 100%	1/4 cup	7.0
Cheerios®, Mulitgrain	2/3 cup	2.0
Honey-Nut	1 cup	2.0
Cracklin' Oat Bran®	1/2 cup	2.0
Cream of Wheat® , mulitgrain or fruit	1 packet	2.0-3.0
Crunchy Corn Bran®	1/2 cup	2.2
Fiber One®  or All Bran®	1/3 cup	8.5
Frosted Mini Wheats®	3/4 cup	5.0
Grape Nuts®	¼ cup	2.5
Grape Nut ® Flakes	1/2 cup	2.0
Honey Nut Clusters	1 cup	3.0
Quaker® “Life®”	¾ cup	2.0
Raisin Bran	½ cup	4.0
Raisin Bran Crunch®	½ cup	2.0
Shredded Wheat®,
Honey Nut, bite size	½ cup	2.0
Spoon Size	½ cup	2.5
Wheat ‘n’ Bran	½ cup	3.2
Wheaties®	2/3 cup	2.0
Wheaties® and Raisins	½ cup	2.0

 

Hints for using cereal fiber:

• Use Grape Nuts®, bran or crushed cereals to top yogurt, ice cream or canned fruit.
• Mix high and low fiber cereals.
• Make Krispie treats with part high fiber cereal; include wheat germ, peanut butter or nuts.
• Make homemade trail mix using high fiber cereals, nuts and dried fruit.
• Add bran cereals, bran or wheat germ to cooked cereals.
• Use high fiber cereals (oatmeal or bran) to make cookies or muffins.
• Add oatmeal or bran cereal to meat loaf.  
• Have a small bowl of high fiber cereal

 

Recipes

 

 

Oatmeal-Raisin Muffins
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ c. applesauce
2 tsp. salt
¼ c. oil
½ c. packed brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup raisins*

In a large bowl combine the oats and buttermilk, let stand for 30 min.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.  After oats have soaked, stir oil, sugar and eggs into oat mixture and blend well.  Stir in flour mixture and raisins to moisten.  Do not over mix. Divide batter among 12 greased muffin cups (about ¾ full).  Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.  Makes 1 dozen muffins.

 *can also use chopped apricots, craisins, or chopped nuts.

 

Low fat Blueberry-Bran Pancakes
1 c. Fiber One® or All Bran® Cereal
2 egg whites or 1 egg
1-1/4 c. skim milk
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries or 1 can, drained

Crush cereal.  Beat egg whites or egg in medium bowl.  Stir in milk, oil, and cereal.  Let stand 5 minutes or until cereal is softened.  Stir in remaining ingredients except blueberries; beat with wire whisk until smooth.  Gently stir in blueberries.  Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 375 degrees F.  Grease griddle if necessary.  Pour about ¼ c. batter for each pancake.  If batter is too thick, stir in additional milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time.  Cook pancakes until puffed and full of bubbles but before bubbles break.  Turn and cook other side until golden brown.  Makes 10 (5 inch) pancakes.

 

Prune Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. pureed prunes (see recipe)
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs or 4 egg whites
2-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips
1 c. walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix pureed prunes, sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in separate bowl.  Stir in dry ingredients to prune mixture with a heavy spoon (this makes a heavy dough).  Add chocolate chips and nuts.  Spoon by tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from pan immediately and cool on flat surface.  Makes 4 dozen cookies.
1 cookie=100 calories and 1.5 grams of dietary fiber

 

Prune Fudge Brownies
½ c. baby food prunes or Lighter Bake® fruit puree
½ to 1 c. sugar
2 eggs or 4 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
½ c. cocoa powder
¾ c. whole wheat flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ c. walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix pureed prunes, eggs and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Pour into greased 8" X 8" x 2" pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Makes 12 brownies.
1 brownie=120 calories and 2.6 grams of dietary fiber.

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Crunchers
2 c. All Bran® or Fiber One® cereal
¾ c. packed brown sugar
½ c. peanut butter
¼ c. margarine, softened
1 egg or 2 egg whites
¾ c. all purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
6 ounces chocolate chips (or use dried fruit instead)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Crush cereal (place in plastic bag and crush with rolling pin or blend in food processor).  Mix brown sugar, peanut butter, margarine and egg in a large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Drop by rounded teaspoonful about 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet.  Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped in sugar. Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until light brown around edges.  Let stand about 1 minute before removing from sheet.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

If you have more questions please contact UW Health at one of the phone numbers listed below:

 

 

 

 

 

The Spanish version of this Nutrition Care for You is #438.

 

The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Last Updated: 11/12/2012

Copyright © 11/12/2012 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#196

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