We all know it. Our kids consume too much sugar. It’s everywhere. Cereal, pancake mix, yogurts, pre-packaged oatmeal, cookies, candies, juice drinks and the list goes on. We all know we should cut our kids’ sugar intake but how? Here’s my Top 10 list for kicking that sugar out of your kids’ mouths:
- Bake your own goodies. Prepackaged cookies contain much more sugar than homemade goodies. You get to control how much sugar goes in. If you’re making chocolate chip cookies or pancakes, cut the sugar called for in the recipe by 1/2. You still have sweetness from the chocolate chips so they will never know. Some other great ways to naturally sweeten goodies is raisins and dates. Also adding cinnamon and a dash of salt will bring out the sweetness.
- Limit those juice boxes. Juice contains about the same about of sugar as soda. Substitute whole fruit instead. Apples, oranges, pears, etc. Your kids will get the necessary fiber from eating the whole fruit and it will fill them up. Make homemade popsicles with 50% water/50% juice. You can even freeze berries in them for a fun surprise 🙂
- Read Labels. You will be amazed at the amount of sugar in your foods. Four grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon. Many cereals kids are consuming are 40-50% sugar. That includes prepackaged oatmeal too.
- Use other natural forms of sugar for added health benefits. We use 100% Organic Pure Maple Syrup on our pancakes. The kids use less and it’s all natural. I prefer Organic Stevia in my coffee. When I drink tea, my sweetener of choice is honey. My kids love it too.
- Never use artificial sweeteners. They fool your brain and actually make you crave more sugar.
- Use smaller bowls. This way they are getting less sugar, but they don’t think so!!!
- Buy things labeled unsweetened or no sugar added.
- Focus on more protein and healthy fats. Avocados, nuts, seeds will fill your kids up and have great brain boosting fats.
- Give your kids more water. Most kids do not get the recommended amount of water they need. As a general rule, your kids need around one ounce of fluid per pound of body weight per day. Some fun ways to get your kids do drink more water is: add fresh citrus fruits or frozen berries to their water, make cool cubes with a piece of fruit in each ice cube tray, have them pick a crazy straw or a fun water bottle.
- Moderation, not deprivation. Moderation is the key to any healthy change we want to introduce to our kids and ourselves. Have fun kicking that sugar out !!!
Mary Tate is the owner of Tree of Life Health & Wellness in Parker, CO. She is a Certified Health Coach and a Wellness Advocate for Doterra. Her passion is to educate families on how easy it is to incorporate nutrient dense foods into their lives so they can achieve optimal health. For more information check out her website at http://treeoflifehealthwellness.com or give her a call at 720-236-6243.
Author: Mile High Mamas
Anne
Thanks for sharing those very useful guidelines… That’s one of my problem too… 🙂