8 Best Fiber Supplements for Kids: Keep Their Tummies Happy and Healthy

As parents and caregivers, we spend lots of time encouraging our kids to eat the fruits and vegetables we put on their plates. Not only do these foods provide the essential vitamins and minerals children need to grow into healthy young adults, but they are also packed full of dietary fiber.

However, it can be difficult to get them to eat their 5-a-day when the temptation of candy, chips, and other snacks is lurking. As a result, kids’ diets can be left a little low on the fiber front.  

Fiber supplements offer a simple solution to these troubles, although not all of them are suitable for those under the age of 18. 

To help you select the appropriate products, our expert team took a deep dive into the world of fiber supplements, recommending the best 8 for keeping your kids healthy and happy.

Top 3 Fiber Supplements for Kids  

How Much Fiber Do Kids Need?

Fiber is an essential nutrient for kids and adults alike, as it helps with improving gut health and maintaining a healthy heart and is even effective for weight loss. The bulk-forming properties of this carbohydrate mean it keeps little ones fuller for longer, so they feel satisfied, energized, and less likely to keep asking for snacks throughout the day.

Some of the main benefits of dietary fiber for kids include:

• Keeping the digestive system moving
• Holding water, adding weight and thickness to stools, and softening them
• Preventing and relieving constipation, which can cause stomach upset and pain 
• Helping the body produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to maintain good gut health
• Protecting against inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease 
• Potentially reducing diarrhea in children

To fully experience these benefits, children must consume their recommended daily fiber intake. How much fiber they need on a daily basis varies based on age and gender.

	Boys	Girls
1–3 years	19 grams	19 grams
4–8 years	25 grams	25 grams
9–13 years	31 grams	26 grams
14–19 years	38 grams	26 grams

The 8 Best Fiber Supplements for Children’s Health 

Fiber supplements often come in the form of sweet gummies or tasty snacks, which makes taking them a much more exciting experience for kids. However, be sure to steer clear of those with added sugars or artificial flavors, and choose from these 8 options instead: 

#1 SmartyPants Kids Formula and Fiber: Best overall

SmartyPants Kids Formula is a multifunctional fiber supplement designed to support digestion, bone health, and immunity in its all-in-one, delicious formula. Their gummies come in 3 delicious flavors, including lemon, orange, or strawberry banana, and provide the nutrients that are hardest for kids to get consistently from food.

For example, one of the key ingredients is inulin, a prebiotic fiber that acts as food for the good bacteria in your gut. This helps to maintain good digestion and protects against diarrhea, constipation, stomach cramps, excess gas, and bloating. 

SmartyPants also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect your child’s future heart health by lowering blood triglycerides, reducing blood pressure, and raising “good” HDL cholesterol. Other important vitamins include D3, which builds strong bones, and B12, which supports kids’ immunity and energy metabolism. 

Recommended dose: Take 2 gummies daily for the first week, then 4 after
Price: $24.22 per bottle

#2 L’il Critters Fiber Gummy Bears: Best sugar-free gummies

With one serving containing as much fiber as 4 prunes, L’il Critters Fiber Gummy Bears are a perfect choice if you’re looking to significantly up your child’s fiber intake. This works out to 3 grams of fiber per 2 gummy bears, which come in berry, strawberry, and lemon flavors.

Despite their delicious sweet taste, unlike many gummy supplements, L’il Critters have made sure that theirs contain no sugar. They are also made with only natural flavors and colors from purple carrot juice and turmeric.

As an anti-inflammatory ingredient, turmeric is a great ingredient that protects kids against diseases they may develop in the future, including heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. 

However, the fiber supplement is sweetened with sucralose, an artificial sweetener. Although it is generally considered safe as a sugar substitute, there is some evidence to suggest that long-term consumption could disrupt the balance of good bacteria in the gut microbiome.

Recommended dose: 2 gummies daily
Price: From $11.49 per bottle

#3 Culturelle Kids Probiotic + Fiber Packets: Best kids probiotic 

If your child is struggling to go to the toilet and dietary changes haven’t helped, Culturelle Kids Probiotic + Fiber Packets may do the trick. This fiber supplement promises to restore regularity naturally, helping the digestive process and reducing the symptoms of stomach upset like bloating, cramps, and constipation.

What’s unique about this product is that it’s also a probiotic supplement, which contains a large dose of the most studied friendly bacterial strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus. This keeps your little one’s gut microbiome happy by protecting against things that can throw off the bacterial balance, including poor diet, environment, or certain medications.

Each dose of Culturelle also delivers 3.5 grams of naturally-sourced fiber from wheat, fruits, and vegetables, making it a safe, non-irritating way to promote healthy digestion. 

Recommended dose: 1 packet 3 times daily
Price: $18.89 per pack

#4 Fiber Gummies by JoySpring: Best natural supplement

Unlike many other sugar-filled supplements for kids, JoySpring Fiber Gummies are made with only natural ingredients. This gives them a sweet, delicious, fruity flavor without the added nasties that worsen irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms like gas and bloating. 

One of these ingredients is inulin, which is extracted from chicory root fiber. As a prebiotic fiber, inulin can’t be digested by the stomach and instead stays in the bowel to help friendly bacteria grow. Research shows that this results in softer stools for children, which relieves constipation and makes it easier to go to the toilet.

It’s recommended to take these gummies first thing in the morning or just before bed. For best results regarding healthy digestion, try pairing them with one of the best probiotic supplements.

Recommended dose: 2 gummies per day
Price: $24.99

#5 HyFiber Liquid Fiber for Kids: Best liquid supplement

With over 30 million doses administered, HyFiber is a safe, effective, and popular fiber supplement used to manage bowel regularity for children. With a whopping 6 grams of fiber per serving, it’s no wonder this clear liquid fiber is used by medical professionals around the world.

HyFiber’s main ingredient is fructooligosaccharides (FOS), plant sugars that have prebiotic effects. They help nourish the beneficial bacteria in your little one’s digestive tract, preventing stomach upset. 

Research also indicates that FOS improves the absorption of vitamins and minerals that are essential for kids as they grow, including calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin D.

Best of all, HyFiber comes in liquid form, which means it can be taken on the go or in a rush before school. However, if your child does struggle to consume the drink alone, it can also be mixed with their favorite food or beverage.

Recommended dose: Consume 15ml alone or mixed into foods and drinks
Price: $26.99

#6 DrFormulas Prebiotic Fiber Gummies: Best for constipation relief

Designed to be a stool softener, DrFormulas Prebiotic Fiber Gummies are the perfect solution for relieving kids’ constipation. 

The gummies are loaded with prebiotics in the form of chicory root fiber and FOS. Both of these ingredients keep the gut microbiome happy and healthy by encouraging the growth of probiotics, which colonize the gut and eliminate any harmful toxins that may be causing digestive upset. 

Kids will enjoy these fiber gummies thanks to the delicious strawberry and peach flavor, while parents can appreciate the exclusion of synthetic colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives from this fiber supplement.

Recommended dose: 3 gummies daily
Price: $15.37

#7 Metamucil Fiber Thins: Best high-fiber snack

As a tasty snack, Metamucil Fiber Thins are one of our more unique yet just as effective recommendations when it comes to fiber supplements for kids. Coming in cinnamon spice, chocolate, and apple crisp flavors, their prime ingredient is psyllium husk, a natural dietary fiber that works as a gentle laxative.

Once consumed, psyllium husk absorbs water from your stomach, causing it to form a gel-like substance that adds bulk, volume, and softness to the stool. Kids will, therefore, feel relief from constipation and should be able to use the toilet more frequently.

Delivering 20% of the daily recommended fiber intake, the thins are just 100 calories per serving, making them the perfect mid-morning or afternoon snack for your little ones. However, they do contain added sugars and artificial sweeteners, so try to rotate these with other low-sugar, high-fiber snacks.

Recommended dose: 1 packet
Price: From $9.98

#8 Fiber Choice Bone Health Chewable Tablets: Best for strong bones

Fiber Choice Bone Health is a fiber supplement that comes in the form of chewable tablets. The supplement contains plant-based inulin prebiotic fiber to support regularity, as well as a range of essential vitamins and minerals to support your child’s overall health. 

For example, Fiber Choice provides the added benefits of calcium and vitamin D3. Both of these are important nutrients for kids as they help grow and maintain healthy bones. Deficiencies in either can lead to skeletal deformities (rickets) in young children or muscle weakness as they grow older.

Fiber Choice provides the nutrients together in one convenient tablet, as vitamin D3 ensures that calcium is properly absorbed in the gut.

Recommended dose: Children aged 4 to 12 can take up to 3 tablets per day. Those aged 13+ can take up to 6.
Price:  $10.88

Comparison Table

How to Choose the Best Fiber Supplement for Kids 

While selecting the best fiber supplements for kids, we tested each product thoroughly to ensure that it would be safe and effective. Here are the 4 factors we considered during this process:

Quality 

High-quality fiber supplements should contain only natural ingredients like inulin. Although they should be delicious to encourage kids to eat them, they shouldn’t be filled with sugars or artificial flavors that can have a negative impact on children’s health. We also selected products that were made in Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) approved facilities.

Price 

Looking after kids can be expensive, so we looked for fiber supplements that were reasonably priced or offered discounts and coupons. Most importantly, we tried to include products that we thought were good value for money in terms of the health benefits they offer. 

Brand reputation 

Brands that are reliable and trustworthy tend to produce higher quality, more effective supplements. We, therefore, read a variety of customer reviews, as well as the scientific evidence behind the products, to confirm each brand’s reputation before recommending it.

Supplements that have money-back guarantees scored extra points, as they allow customers to try the product before they fully commit. This shows that brands really care about what their customers think.

Effectiveness

We consider fiber supplements to be effective if they contain clinically-proven ingredients such as prebiotics and essential vitamins for kids. Every ingredient should also be backed with scientific research that confirms their safety and efficacy. We look for brands that are transparent about ensuring their products go through clinical and third-party testing.

FAQs 

Conclusion

Parents and guardians should ensure that kids meet their daily recommended fiber intake to have regular bowel movements, relieve stomach upset, and keep their digestive system healthy.

Eating a high-fiber diet is the best way of achieving this, but supplements can offer a delicious and convenient alternative. Our top 3 picks are SmartyPants Kids Formula and Fiber, L’il Critters Fiber Gummy Bears, and Culturelle Kids Probiotic + Fiber Packets.

Before introducing any new supplement into your child’s daily routine, you should consult a doctor or pediatrician first.