The Role of Fiber in the Diets of Children Christine M. Hardy MS, RD, LDN, and Randal Rockney, MD Dietary fiber is indigestible material derived from edible plants.
Insoluble fiber includes cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.
These are found primarily in the skins or structural parts of fruits and vegetables and in whole grains or foods containing whole grains in which the germ or outer bran has not been removed during processing, such as brown rice and whole wheat bread. Sources of soluble fiber include pectin, gums and mucilages found mainly in fruit and vegetables. It is also present in some grains, especially oats and psyllium. Both types of dietary fiber have been identified has having important health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. The amount of fiber needed by children varies by the age and weight of the child.