It should not come as a surprise to anyone that we are addicted to sugar! What might surprise you though is just how much added sugar we Americans consume every day. A whopping 22 teaspoons according to the news I covered in last week’s Five for Fridays. That comes to about 355 calories or nearly 20% of the recommended 2000 daily calories. Most of this added sugar comes from regular soft drinks, soda, candy and desserts such as cakes, cookies and pies. Consuming this much added sugar is really not necessary because it does not provide any added nutritional value, just empty calories.
It is true that there is no clear link between added sugar, weight gain and obesity. But common sense tells us that if we consume more calories than we can spend by physical activity and exercise, those extra calories will add up. Excessive sugar can also result in insulin resistance leading to Type 2 diabetes. In short, too much sugar is not good in the long run no matter how you look at it.
I think that it is important to tame your child’s sweet tooth by keeping a close eye on it early on. All children love sweet treats, some more than others. At times you may be tempted to give in and just accept that your child might be hardwired for a sweet tooth. But that is no reason for a child to be introduced to soda at a young age. In my opinion, that can count for child abuse! I can live with children enjoying desserts and candy in moderation, but when it comes to soda, I have to draw the line!
I have written about how to manage daily sugar for your child in the past. Recently I posed this question to some of my Twitter followers for their tips. Here is some of what I heard back.
@notdiyheather tweeted about how she does not keep sugar drinks and snacks at home:
She also tries to teach her child that sugary treats are for special occasions and prefers water over juice:
Dr. Taffy Wagner @moneyinmarriage, a mom of twins, has a little more strict approach to managing sugar:
@TheMommyChef suggested that you make your own homemade sweet treats with natural sugars and reduce the amount:
@mamahall offered an interesting formula to control how much candy the children get:
She also suggested to dilute sugary drinks with water when giving them to children on special occasions:
Registered Dietitian @MiltonStokes cautioned against too much control:
Bottom line: it is important to put some boundaries but not too many. I should add that there should not be a different set of rule for adults. As a parent, you have to be a role model and practice what you preach. We don’t drink soda in our household or while eating out – period.
What are your rules and tips for managing sugar for your child? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!
Photo source – GlamourFood by suiker on Flickr via everystockphoto
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