It was discovered that my eight-year-old daughter is full of poop. Literally, full of poop. At a check-up appointment the doctor discovered that she doesn't empty everything and stool is sitting inside her little body that is causing problems.
Shortly after this revelation I too went to the doctor. After x-rays were run, I was told I suffer from "chronic constipation" and was also full of crap. Yep. I only poop about every three to four days.
While I can openly talk and write about pooping, I have an issue with actually going number two in front of people. Anxiety sets in if I have to go in public or, heaven forbid, at a friend's house, even worse, my boyfriend's house.
My daughter and I were both told we have to up the fiber to increase our trips to the bathroom.
I admit I've always been lucky and eaten pretty much whatever I want. In an effort to keep things balanced I try to put a protein, starch and vegetable on the plate at dinner, but am clueless as far as what has higher levels of fiber.
Bran muffins? Broccoli? Beans?
My daughter's go-to is mac and cheese so bran, broccoli and beans probably aren't going to go get a thumbs up.
As I was trying to come up with innovative ways to increase our fiber intake, my new friend Kim sent me some samples from TOLERANT foods. She assured me they were packed full of protein, low sodium and ta-da! Fiber!
Intrigued I looked things over.
TOLERANT apparently turns one-ingredient legumes (that means beans) into the shape of pasta. How they do that, I have no idea but was jazzed to read that this "pasta" is packed with 11 grams of, you guessed it, fiber!
Thrilled I opened up the box of penne and got at it. I kept it simple and threw in some tomato sauce with ground turkey, sprinkled some shaky cheese on top and dug in.
The kids weren't stupid, they recognized that it wasn't our traditional pasta, but they still ate it non-the-less without complaint.
Look, I'm not a top chef, I try my best and if I can find any shortcut that helps provide better nutrition to my kiddos I'm going to take it.
I'm hoping by adding this to our menu, and other foods I've learned are also high in fiber per serving, we will start hitting the porcelain throne more often.
According to mayoclinic.org, some foods that are higher in fiber, and already a hit in our house, include raspberries (8 grams per serving), pears (5.5 grams per serving), sweet corn (3.6 grams), baked potatoes with skin (2.9 grams per serving) and baked beans at 10.4 grams.
And yes, the dreaded oat bran muffin also made the list coming in at 5.2 grams per serving.
I think I'll stick to what the kids already like and try to sneak in my new discovery when I can. Heck, I might even attempt to make some mac n cheese with this new "bean pasta."
I guess there is a reason for that little diddy my Grandmother used to sing, "Beans, beans the magical food, the more you eat the more you toot, the more you toot the better you'll feel so eat your beans at every meal!"
Here's to happy pooping!