Children love sweet treats like desserts, candies and sugary snacks. If you are struggling to find ways to reduce sugar in your child’s daily diet, you are not alone. In a recent Ask the Expert feature, registered dietitian Dina Lindquist offered a few great tips to tame your child’s sweet tooth. These are really good practical tips and I am sure you have tried most of them already. Still, sometimes you wonder if you are just fighting nature and whether your child is simply hardwired to have a sweet tooth.

It is the nature vs. nurture question all over again!

My son definitely has a sweet tooth while his twin sister is not that crazy about sweets. He has an almost unstoppable craving and appetite for cookies, cake, ice-cream, raisins, chocolate and fruit yogurt – in short, anything sweet. But she doesn’t care about them as much and asks only when she is trying to imitate him or competing for our attention. Give my son anything sweet and he will do whatever you want him to do – for a while at least! “Raisins and lentil soup together”, is  one of our most effective tricks with him as we encourage him to try a healthy alternative at dinner. I am certainly not very proud of using this trick on him, but we do not want to use the promise of a sweet treat either as a reward or as a punishment when we ask him to try other foods.

The nature vs. nurture question has been on my mind for quite sometime now as I have noticed these differences in the food preferences of our twins. Over the weekend I stumbled upon a research paper “Genetic and environmental determinants of children’s  food preferences“, which provided a few interesting facts about the effect of genetic and environmental factors that affect the food preference by children:

1. In general, humans have a natural preference for sweet taste and a dislike for anything sour or bitter. Sweetness means sugar which provides quick calories for body function and growth. Bitter and sour tasting foods may contain harmful toxins and bacteria. As a result, we have evolved to favor sweet foods over bitter and sour foods.
2. Taste perception and food sensitivity is affected by genetic factors. Some people can sense a broad range of tastes and can tolerate a broad range of foods, while others have a limited range.
3. Differences between identical and fraternal twins can be studied to estimate the relative importance of genetic vs. environmental factors, not only for food preference, but also for a lot of other health and behavior related issues. A recent study found high heritability for protein foods, moderate heritability for fruits and vegetables, and low heritability for dessert foods. Heritability is a number between 0 and 1; heritability of 1 for a trait in a child means that that particular trait is inherited from the parents , while a heritability of 0 means that it is acquired from the environment.
4. In general, there is a strong link between genes and neophobia - meaning a natural tendency to dislike novel and unfamiliar foods. However, it is also natural for both children and adults to “learn” to develop a taste for new foods through experience. A personal example of this is how I have recently developed a taste for sushi in the last 4-5 years.
5. Overall, the food choices can be controlled and shaped by familiarity to different types of foods and parental role modeling.

In short, the answer to the original question whether your child is hardwired to have a sweet tooth is a big NO! It is very natural for him to want to eat sweet stuff, but it is up to you as a parent to shape this want so that it does not get out of control. Here are a few quick tips you can try – and by all means, feel free to share your own tips that have worked for you.

Recognize the caloric needs of an active child

An active, rapidly growing child needs more calories. Not only their rapidly growing bodies but also their growing brains demand a lot of energy. The only energy type the brain can use comes from glucose, which of course comes from sugar. So it is quite natural that a growing child will crave for quick calories from sugar when hungry or after a bout of intense physical activity or mental concentration. It is important to recognize the signs of a caloric deficit before it actually happens and provide a quick, healthy snack just in time.

Introduce a wide variety of new foods

The best insurance against too much sugar is to increase the range of new foods including fruits and vegetables which your child can accept willingly. That way, sweet foods become one of the many items he will reach out for when hungry.  It will take a lot of effort and repeated attempts in small amounts at first so he can gradually develop a taste for new foods. Resist the urge to force feed or build an expectation of a reward, because in the long run such tactics do not stick.

Be a role model

A wide variety of foods in your own diet and overall healthy eating habits will have the most impact on your child as she learns to try these foods by imitation. Many studies have shown a direct relationship between food preferences of parents and their children. Like it or not, you are the first role model for your children. This does not mean that you should completely change your habits or behavior in front of children. Here are a few easy actions you can take to promote healthy eating habits without having to make big changes in your own habits. Small positive changes sustained over a long period of time will have a bigger, more permanent effect than big changes made overnight without a sustained follow up.

Save sweet treats for special occasions

There is nothing wrong with enjoying a nice dessert after a special meal. After all, there should be joy in eating and a good dessert completes the feeling of satisfaction in both the tongue and the stomach. Pleasures of food and dining are as important as the healthiness of good nutrition. Enjoying a sweet treat in this way teaches children that sweets are not “bad for you”, rather they should be reserved for special occasions. The goal is to help them learn how to regulate their cravings and not label food as “good” or “bad”.

What do you think? What has worked for you as you try to tame your child’s sweet tooth?

Photo source: Ká on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

In this post, I want to highlight some of the comments from readers of this blog. These comments provide useful advice and information and I do not want them to stay “buried” in the blog archives. I am constantly inspired by your comments and I learn a lot from them. I want to say thanks to those who spend time reading my posts – some on a very regular basis – and leave a comment behind with some advice, helpful tips or a question for further research. Some of them have their own blogs, which I highly recommend you to visit whenever you get a chance. I will be highlighting more comments in future posts; for now, enjoy these 5 insightful comments from my earlier posts. If I did not pick your comment, just hang in there and look out for another post in future. And of course, feel free to share your opinions in a comment!

1. In response to my post 6 Easy Tips for Helping Your Child Choose Healthy Foods, Anne of yourfamilyviewer wrote:

I find it really interesting that, among other things, the amount of TV watching didn’t seem to affect what the children in the study chose – that what did was what the parents chose…. Hmmm. Not that I believe that TV has no effect on kids – in fact, I strongly support the American Academy Pediatrics recommendation of no screen time before the age of 2, and no more than 2 hours a day. But, as I have said before and will say again, parents have the most effect on what their kids think, do and eat.
And while I do think that having only veggies and fruit at a party is totally unfair, having several healthy alternatives along with some of the other stuff is a great idea. We call veggie trays crudite and serve them with a special dip. Gives it that “party/fun/special” effect.

2. Jenna of KidAppeal gave this advice when she read my post on the idea of Homemade OJ Ice Cream Cup:

my SIL just returned from the pediatricians office telling me the doc considers 100% juice to be in the soda category! i’m not sure i’d go that far, but i don’t know if i can condone 3 servings of juice a day either. One 4-6 oz serving a day is my limit unless we are visiting someone’s house, at a bday party where juice boxes flow freely or it’s a holiday. Home-made popsicles are a tasty treat and are a better choice than most candy or ice-cream, but it’s still a treat and once a day is plenty. Young kids lack impulse control they need to make the best food choices. My advice? Next time they beckon for “ice cream cold” let them choose which meal they’d like it with. They will probably cry when they don’t get it. You can follow up with saying ice cream is a special treat and is not grow food. Tell them lots of grow food is ok, but lots of treats are not healthy. This might be painful and tearful for a couple days, but they’ll accept it if you follow through. Let me know if this helps.

3. When I highlighted a news that some doctors were suggesting cholesterol lowering drugs for kids with high LDL (bad cholesterol)  in Noteworthy Child Nutrition News of 2008, Dr. Ayala of Herbal Water responded:

Great post!
On cholesterol meds for kids:
This paper really stirred a huge debate among pediatricians for several reasons:
1. There’s very little evidence that the use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs prevent heart attacks later in life.
2. There’s little data on the possible side effects of taking these drugs for decades
3. My main outrage: if money could be found for cholesterol screening and treatment for kids, can we not invest money in better child nutrition in schools, more exercise (gym classes are only cut back), and a plan that fights childhood obesity? Weight loss, exercise and a better diet are proven ways to lower cholesterol in children that don’t have genetic disorders of cholesterol metabolism, and suffer high cholesterol mainly due to overweight, inactivity and a poor diet.

4. Jodie of freedomdesign.usana provided this detailed information about nutritional supplements in response to my post 5 Reasons to Consider a Multivitamin Supplement:

There is still much we don’t know about the ways nutrients work together. A healthy body is an extremely complex system, and each functional area requires a diverse mix of nutrients. For many reasons, nutritional supplementation should provide nutrients that are both balanced and in adequate doses. For example, certain vitamins supplied in isolation can result in other nutritional deficiencies, and many micronutrients can be toxic at excessive or imbalanced levels. USANA painstakingly designed the Essentials to allow components to work together both safely and effectively.

To be useful, all nutrients must be of high quality and be bioavailable; in other words, in a form the body can absorb and use. USANA makes every effort to obtain the highest quality ingredients; and it tests those ingredients for quality and potency. In addition, USANA imposes rigorous quality control standards at every step of the manufacturing process. USANA Essentials are advanced daily nutritional supplements that supply optimal nutrition for every age group. To help meet the “essential” nutrient needs of children and teens during the years of development, when good nutrition is most important, USANA offers:

* Usanimals, a great-tasting formulation of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, in an easy-to-take chewable tablet. For children 13 months to 12 years old.
* BodyRox, a nutritional supplement containing 31 essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and cofactors for adolescents 12 to 18 years old, who need optimal nutrition to support the demands of growth and active teenage lifestyles.

Disclaimer – I have not personally tried any of USANA’s products. Nor do I have any affiliations with USANA. I did recently saw a video about their products on their website, and I must say I was quite impressed.

5. In response to this question “Do you think enforcing (with lots of encouragement) the “taste one bite” rule leads to kids who avoid those foods?” on this Global Toddler Survey, Cathy of A Life Less Sweet wrote:

Good question at the end, Jenna! We’re a 2 bite rule family, and honestly, I don’t think that it leads to food avoidance. I guess I can say that from personal experience as my parents had a similar rule. Many of the foods that I didn’t like as a young child, I grew to like. Many I did not, but I do actually value having tried those foods numerous times. Perhaps I’m just weird that way.

My son wouldn’t try many foods at all without that rule, and sometimes – not always, in fact not usually – he realizes that he actually likes a food. My daughter realizes that she actually likes a food through the 2 bite rule more often than not. She’ll take her required 2 bites and then take more. For my kids, it’s a way to get them to continue testing their taste buds. We do talk a lot about taking those bites with an open mind. When my son will eat with an open mind, that’s when it works!

I also feel like it’s important for my kids to be able to eat food that they don’t like without gagging and making rude comments. It’s an important social skill as they get older.

Photo source: regalzam0ra on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

I am happy to announce that this young blog has reached a milestone! This is my 50th post!!

To celebrate this milestone, I decided to ask my Twitter followers to share their own toddler nutrition tips. I felt that this would be a good way to celebrate our collective wisdom. After all, nothing beats the real-world practical tips from parents who are living the daily challenge of feeding 2-5 year old toddlers!

Here you go then! Enjoy these tips and try them out if you like them. And yes, do not forget to follow these wonderful people on Twitter. Simply click the hyperlink to their Twitter ID below.

On Trying New Foods

• @portraitsbyeric – When introducing a new food, make sure to give it at least a 3 to 4 day testing period for reactions. Can be different types of reactions. Such as breaking out on arms and sneezing after eating certain foods as an example.
• @stylekid – Don’t wait to long to introduct new and or ethnic food choices! Let them explore new flavors from an early age!
• @MiltonStokes – No need to engage in food fights. Just keep introducing a new food. It may take 10 or more tries.
• @AndreaLifeCoach – Resist temptation to take the easy way when it comes to feeding toddlers. Have some favorites & mix in new tastes/new foods
• @nahiacreations – New foods, don’t give up on the 1st, 3rd, 10th try.
• @viralmarketmom – They go through a phase when they refuse eat – doctors say not to worry – does not hurt them – they’ll eat when ready.

On Fruits and Veggies

• @smallsteps5 – Always have fresh fruit readily available in an attractive bowl.  Eat healthy in front of your kids. Keep trying foods because it may take time before a toddler/child is familiar with it.
• @FoodieTot - Appeal to toddlers’ curiosity by exploring vegetables in varied colors — yellow beans, orange peppers, purple carrots.
• @momsatwork – Feed them in courses, with the healthful stuff (fruits/veggies) first — when they’re hungriest.
• @hendlind – I give her the veggies first, then the rest of the meal. Otherwise she throws them on the floor :)
• @littletechgirl – Hide veggies in stuff that they like: chunky veggy filled spaghetti, etc. :)
• @thefutureisred – Cook simple things with your child frozen yogurt pops, mashed potatoes/squash, fruit slushies in the blender
• @MommyMellie – Have fun with dip!  Yogurt is a great dip and helped my two try new foods, including raw veggies!
• @MagicDandelions – Add grated zucchini to boiling pasta during last minute of cooking. You can hardly taste it in spaghetti, alfredo, etc. yet is a simple, fast way to add extra serving of veggies to a meal. :)

On Snacks and Juices

• @rebeccasullivan – My 2 year old’s nutritionist said purple grape juice is vitamin-rich albeit dangerous if they spill!
• @phdinparenting – Snacks, snacks and more snacks! A lot of kids won’t eat much during a meal, but will graze over the course of the day.
• @sthrnfairytale – Grapes, cheese cubes and apple chunks on coffee stirrers are a great, fun and nutritious snack for little hands and mouths
• @SchoolLunch – Both my 2 year old and 5 year old love salt free rice cakes with ripe avocado smeared on them… It has become the usual snack between lunch and dinner around 3:30 PM.
• @laviyah – My nutritional suggestion would be smoothies! They are an awesome way for children to get whole food nutrition. The base for most of my smoothies is home made sesame seed milk. Sesame seeds have an incredibly high calcium content.
• @LaMamaNaturale – Snacks include organic-clementines r hot right now/any fruit really, hummus and veggies, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies- :)
• @LaMamaNaturale – We’re not big on juice just yet- but if Mr. Tristar does get juice it’s organic and watered down about 1/4 juice- rest H2O
• @MamaHeartsBaby – DD loves plain yogurt & cottage cheese, sometimes we’ll add flax seed oil to up the nutrition factor. She loves it!

On Reducing Sugar

• @ReizaM – If you don’t start with sugar, there’s no need to reduce. We never started our kids with candy/sweets and no problems.
• @phdinparenting – Mix pureed fruit with plain yoghurt instead of buying prepared yoghurt
• @kristydegregory – I switched our yogurt/choc milk to organic brands using evaporated cane juice instead of sugar. I also switch from cookie treats to organic fruit/nutsmix with choc covered almonds w/evaporated cane juice in the choc.
• @thefutureisred – We use no sugar in our house. only raw honey, maple syrup and stevia.
• @journeywJackson – Lots of whole grain snacks and tons of fruit keep him interested and away from most unnatural sugars
• @Valerie4012 – Instead of candy I try to give my 3yo dried fruit. Still sweet but not nearly as bad for her.
• @JoyofDiabetes – We only give them a choice of 1 dessert after dinner…they choose. we allow it or not…usually just limit the quantity
• @thepassivedad – No sodas, but we do allow ice cream once a week for our 5 and 3 year old.

On Mealtime Behavior

• @VanillaPumpkin – Be in control of meal time, little reason for them to much differently than the rest of the family.
• @DrAyala – Don’t make a special kids’ meal:It’s impractical, unnecessary,& counterproductive. make 1 good meal you can enjoy together
• @peekababy – Buy a cheap, washable rug and put it under the high chair. Listen when they say they are ‘all done’ or plate will fly.
• @svtwinmom – Some might disagree in favor or real conversation, but I read thru piles of books during mealtimes. Kids eat & learn at the same time. Rotate thru chapter & pic books. My boys are 4. Some ex: anything Usborne or Barefoot Books & whatever is topical or of interest to my boys. Current faves are new books: Beware the Frog by William Bee (full of surprises) and One by Kathryn Otoshi. Rec by local children’s bookstore.
• @journeywJackson – We put small toys, blocks, cars, etc on top of high chair…helps most times
• @mommadefoods – Empower your child to make healthy choices about what to eat and how much. They will feel empowered, for example, if you offer them the option of healthy choice #1 or healthy choice #2, such as peas or carrots.
• @goodLifeEats – Son sees OT for feeding: she says parent’s job is what,where,&when to eat, toddlers job is how much.

On Supplements

• @DrAyala – supplement tip: For healthy children a healthy diet is the best source of vitamins and minerals. No supplements needed!
• @goodLifeEats – Son drinks pediasure instead of milk for vit & calorie supps. Also takes omega & calcium gummy vitamins (Great price @ Costco)
• While it is always recommended that your child should get all the necessary minerals and vitamins from a balanced diet which includes plenty of fruits and veggies, here are 5 reasons to consider a multivitamin supplement for your toddler
• If you are considering a multivitamin supplement for your child, here is a review of a few popular brands.

Miscellaneous Tips

• @portraitsbyeric – Use a rice milk or almond milk versus what is being marketed pasteurized cow’s milk. To get the veggies in early – make your own veggie drink or purchase a 100% veggie drink with no sugar such as Vfruit which has an Apple, Carrot and Pineapple Blend. To alleviate wheat challenges – use spelt pasta, spelt bread, etc. when purchasing juice for toddlers – make sure it is 100% juice. Read the labels. Dilute the juice with water also.
• @sthrnfairytale – Green food coloring mixed into eggs and then scrambled with eggs and ham while reading.. Green Eggs and Ham. A winner!
• @redwhiteandgrew – Not only are beans/rice a cheap and “perfect protein combo,” but the varieties provide endless options. Growing even small amts. of food fosters appreciation/desire for whole foods. Tots can try .
• @goodLifeEats – Get kids involved in cooking/groc. shopping, helps teach about healthy food choices & is fun activity. mine love it!
• @goodLifeEats – Most kiddos love pasta, buy whole wheat because it’s healthier.
• @portraitsbyeric – Check your local Health Food store and see if they offer Toddler Cooking classes. They instill healthy eating & nutrition. Usually 1x a month until summer. They also stress not overeating. Our twins attended for a yr and a half. Cooked great.

Do you have a nutrition tip you would like to share?

Photo source: clspeace on Flickr.com
©2009 Littlestomaks.com