Sugar: A sweet trap for children. How to help a child get rid of addiction to sweets?

Approximately one in five kids is overweight, and as predicted by the WHO, this number continues to grow. Pediatricians and nutritionists sound the alarm, because kids consume many times more sugar than recommended. As a result, obesity, weakened immunity and rapid fatigue.

Roksolana Garasimyv, a certified children’s nutritionist and specialist in children’s feeding, told how to reduce the craving for sweets in children and whether they should be banned completely.

Roksolana Garasymiv

nutritionist

• certified paediatric nutritionist
• specialist in baby food
• blogger

How to start forming a child’s diet?

First of all, it is necessary to find out what kind of relationship the kid has with food, whether there are any difficulties with nutrition and for how long, what his age is. And start from this, in order to implement appropriate changes step by step, forming a balanced diet according to the age.

Is it appropriate to completely ban sweets? After all, even if you don’t give them at home, they can treat themselves with them at school, for example.

No, it is not necessary to completely ban sweets from the diet. Instead, you should “friend” the child with it and let him understand that it is one of the food products that your family eats only in small quantities, and it does not replace the main meals.

I would like to emphasize that it is not recommended to include added sugar in a diet until the age of two (ones that manufacturers add to food products and drinks – artificial lemonades, fruit juices, as well as ones that are naturally present in honey, syrups, etc.). Why? Because during this period of time, taste preferences are formed, and babies and young children may begin to prefer excessively sweet foods. Ration high in sugar tend to be low in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and can begin to replace the nutrients that kids need for growth and development.

How to form healthy eating habits in a child?

Start with yourself – the parents: be an example to follow healthy diet preferences, eat balanced and varied meal, follow the rules of a plate of healthy food – both for yourself and for the kid, taking into account the safe serving of products and the absence of prohibited products on the baby’s plate in accordance with his age

Why do kids have such a strong craving for sweets? Do they require sugar at all, what kind and why?

There are several reasons for this:

• Example of parents
• Habit
• Availability
• Reward system
• Excessive prohibition of sweets

In general, added sugar is not needed in a kid’s diet. We can satisfy taste cravings with alternative foods that can replace it (eg bananas, other fruits, dried fruits in moderation). It is important, on the contrary, to minimize the consumption of added sugar.

What are the negative consequences for a child’s health of consuming an excessive amount of sugar?

In excess, it can lead to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, tooth decay, obesity, and deficiencies in essential for children’s development and growth nutrients. That is why it is critical to minimize the amount of sugar in the diet, and the best thing is to teach the kid to be “friends” with this type of food.

What should be done so that children ask less for sweets?

It is necessary to take care of the balance of nutrition, namely the balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates according to the age. It is also needed to give preference to whole grains and products made from whole grain flour for long-term satiety, to ensure a sufficient number of vegetables and fruits in the diet. I’ll probably repeat myself, but the best strategy for reducing sweet cravings is balanced nutrition.

What are the safe sugar substitutes for kids?

Safe substitutes for added sugar are those that contain natural ones, i.e., bananas, fruits, and dried fruits in moderation. I am against sugar substitutes in the kid’s diet. To all my parents’ questions about them, I always have counter-questions: “Why? For what? What is the purpose?”

These substitutes are many times stronger in taste than sugar itself, so it makes no sense to accustom kids to an excessively sweet taste.

What practical advice can you give to parents regarding the formation of a balanced children’s diet?

It is necessary to follow the rules of a healthy food plate. According to it:

• 1/2 (50%) of the plate consists of vegetables and fruits, berries, and greens (from the permitted age);
• 1/4 (25%) of the plate — carbohydrates (cereals, legumes, pasta, bread, sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn);
• 1/4 (25%) of the plate — protein products (red and white meat, eggs, fish, seafood, offal, legumes).

Separately, I will highlight dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, ryazhanka, kefir) and vegetable fats (various oils, nuts, seeds), which must also be included in the diet of a child and an adult.

And what about sweets?

I recommend the legalization of them in moderate amounts, so I advise you to put them on the plate right away with the rest of the products/dishes you offer the kid. But remember the 85:15 rule, where 85% of the food is healthy and 15% is one that we don’t eat every day. If possible, prepare appetizing healthy treats at home with your child without adding sugar.