Every parent knows that kids love sugar; however, with child obesity rates on the rise, you may be concerned about how much of the sweet stuff your little ones are eating. Healthy eating begins at home, and by offering nourishing, low-sugar foods, you can help your children learn good eating habits to last a lifetime.
Breakfast
Breakfast can be difficult when you're feeding little ones. Many cereals marketed to children are packed with sugar. Cutting back on sugar at breakfast doesn't mean you have to force your kids to go without sweetness. Consider serving whole-grain cereals with whole, fresh fruit. Strawberries, though they taste sweet, are actually lower in sugar than most other fruits, according to nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger.
Lunch
When packing a lunch, create a combination of whole grains, such as whole grain bread, lean proteins, such as low-fat deli meats, and fruits and vegetables. Be careful about prepackaged items. If you're packing fruit cups, KidsHealth.org recommends looking for fruit packed in water or juice rather than syrup. For dessert, you can also send yogurt or trail mix made with dried fruit, instead of cookies.
Dinner
It may not seem like you'd need to be careful about sugar at dinner time, but sometimes you do. First, check what beverage you're offering; soda pop is high in sugar but provides few nutrients. Offer low-fat milk instead. Also, be careful about dessert. If you decide to offer something sweet at the end of every meal -- not all parents do -- serve fresh fruit instead of ice cream.
Snacks
Well-chosen snacks help keep keep kids full, preventing overeating at mealtimes. Good low-sugar options include vegetable sticks dipped in hummus, apple slices dipped in low-fat peanut butter, and low-fat cheese sticks. During warmer weather, you can make low-sugar popsicles by freezing reduced-sugar juice or homemade smoothies. In the winter, your kids might enjoy a bowl of vegetable soup.
References
- "The Food You Crave"; Ellie Krieger; 2008
- KidsHealth.org: School Lunches
- "The Best Light Recipe"; editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine; 2007
Member Comments