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Children's health

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Original poster

12 year old having no fibre at school

78 replies

PhilomenaButterfly · 09/09/2019 11:53

DD 12 this week has just started secondary school, she has free school breakfast and school dinners. Since she started she's had no fibre at school. Today has been her first school breakfast so I don't know what she's had, but for lunch every day she's just had a sandwich and flavoured milk.

Surely I can't fit a day's intake of fibre into one meal? We've already discussed choosing a sandwich with some salad in and a piece of fruit, but I'm not there to make sure she does it.

Any suggestions to up her fibre intake would be gratefully received.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Crockof · 09/09/2019 13:59

Thanks for the NHS link, I watch my kids sugar/fat intake and make sure we do at least five a day but hadn't thought about Fibre particularly.
I use whole wheat pasta and granary bread at home but I'm not sure mine are getting 26gms a day. I'm going to find out.

Original poster

PhilomenaButterfly · 09/09/2019 14:09

Artesia I can manage the other nutrients by making sure she has a supplement every day. The school nurse at her primary school said that was fine. The lack of fibre bothers me because it's difficult to find sources of fibre she'll eat at the best of times. She doesn't drink at all during the day, but she drinks loads in the evening when she finally feels thirsty.

OP posts:

HappyHammy · 09/09/2019 14:19

Does she like smoothies or fresh fruit juice, she could have that when she gets home or in the evening when shes thirsty.

hazeyjane · 09/09/2019 14:29

Some people struggle with fibre - could it be that high fibre foods make her feel bloated and over full (and hugely gassy.....with explosive diarrhoea.....or is that just me!?)

Does she have digestive issues at all? Asking because you have said a few times about her tiny appetite.

SnuggyBuggy · 09/09/2019 14:34

Are there specific health concerns here? You seem really obsessed.

Trewser · 09/09/2019 14:40

Can you make her breakfast? Or make something like date and chia seed bars for her to have for breakfast?

I agree the lack of veg is not great but not sure I have ever considered my three (teenage, tall, healthy) children's fibre intake.

Is there a back story I am not getting?

Apolloanddaphne · 09/09/2019 15:02

Gosh I don't think I have ever given much thought to how much fibre my DDs we're getting over the years. It's an odd thing to be obsessing over.

itsboiledeggsagain · 09/09/2019 15:06

This is so strange. I don't even know what my young primary school children eat for lunch. If you can't control it there is no point worrying about it.

You teach them then you let them get on with it.

Does she have some medical issues? Do you?

worriedaboutmygirl · 09/09/2019 15:26

I don't know what's so weird about wondering how to balance out a diet of refined carbohydrate... I know fibre isn't the only nutrient missing from most teenagers diet, but it's an important one.

SnuggyBuggy · 09/09/2019 15:29

It's the level of obsession here that's unusual.

worriedaboutmygirl · 09/09/2019 15:36

I've got a bit of a skewed perspective as one of my kids is at high risk of cardiovascular disease (amongst other things) in the future and refined carbohydrate and saturated fat isn't the best thing for him to eat... However, I don't think the OP is being particularly strange or obsessive.

MonChatEstMagnifique · 09/09/2019 15:38

You can advise her but this is the age that children start making decisions which are not necessarily the best or the ones you would make for her.

Give her fibre rich foods and plenty to drink after school, on weekends and in the school holidays. Remember that there will be a lot of teenagers eating the same things as your daughter and they are absolutely fine.

Also many teens go out with friends and eat chips, sandwiches, chocolate and coke, not great but all you can do is provide good food when they are at home.

YesQueen · 09/09/2019 15:55

Not the cheapest but fibre one bars and Morrison's copies are often on offer and have decent amounts in

Original poster

PhilomenaButterfly · 09/09/2019 16:02

Trewser they're encouraged to have breakfast at school so that they're not late. If they're even a minute late it's an hour's after school detention. She'd be mortified. I'm not sure what she'd do while everyone else was having their free breakfast.

OP posts:

Original poster

PhilomenaButterfly · 09/09/2019 16:04

It was just a question. I'm not actually obsessing. Do we stop encouraging our children to eat healthily when they reach 12?

OP posts:

Original poster

PhilomenaButterfly · 09/09/2019 16:06

YesQueen I used to buy her the fibre one bars, but she doesn't snack.

OP posts:

Witchend · 09/09/2019 16:31

My parents had an obsession with me eating fibre.
It really hasn't helped me at all, in that a lot of items with high fibre (eg brown bread) I will be sick if I try and eat it, even if I like the look of it. There was too often that I felt pressured into eating these items.

I wish they'd not made so much of it when I was younger as I don't think I'd find it an issue then.

ImportantWater · 09/09/2019 16:34

If she is having sandwiches anyway, why doesn’t she take a packed lunch? DS has just started secondary and says one of the options is various sandwiches, which I can’t understand - it’s cheaper to bring in your own!

Trewser · 09/09/2019 16:34

Does she do any exercise? She's not eating very much for an active 12 year old.

I wouldn't have wanted mine to be having a school breakfast and lunch every day tbh. No school breakfasts at our local state and hardly any lateness either. Is it compulsory? Mine have porridge or wholemeal toast and peanut butter in the morning, sometimes eggs.

Original poster

PhilomenaButterfly · 09/09/2019 16:38

Witchend I haven't made an issue of it, I've merely mentioned that there's hardly any fibre in a tuna (no sweetcorn) sandwich, she said she hadn't even thought of it.

Trewser she walk

OP posts:

lilypips · 09/09/2019 16:43

It was just a question. I'm not actually obsessing. Do we stop encouraging our children to eat healthily when they reach 12?

No. But do we all check how many grams of fibre our kids eat daily?

pelirocco123 · 09/09/2019 16:48

You are over controlling , shes probably just spending all her lunch money on Mars bars , or white lightening ...........or will be if you don't stop fussing so much

Comefromaway · 09/09/2019 17:18

It was just a question. I'm not actually obsessing. Do we stop encouraging our children to eat healthily when they reach 12?

We encourage, but anything more will likely lead to all out rebellion. Encouraging children to make healthier choices (wholemeal bread not white, high fibre cereal not coco pops, baked potato not fried chips, fruit not chocolate bar) is fine but there comes a point, and starting secondary is usually the start, when we have to accept its now out of our hands.

A tuna sandwich might not be optimum, but it’s far better than a portion of fried chips and a can of coke.

Veterinari · 09/09/2019 17:25

It’s interesting everyone saying that the level of ‘obsession’ is unusual and that they pay no attention to fibre...
Yet the NHS has raised low fibre as a health concern and at a population level heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity are increasing.,.

Perhaps we should be a bit more obsessed with it!

Plasebeafleabite · 09/09/2019 17:33

If she likes smoothies OP you can buy psyllium husk powder (amazon or holland and barrett) and stir in 2 teaspoons to a small glass. It will just create a thicker smoothie and doesn’t taste of anything.

She needs a cold drink eg water as well.

Will provide about 11g of fibre. Once a day

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