There is debate about the impact of sugar, whether it occurs in children or adults. Some claim that sugar is bad for you. Others assert that it’s a suitable strategy for calming down agitated children or rewarding hard work.
The midst of cold and flu season is where we find ourselves, and the strength and effectiveness of their immune systems are being heavily relied upon. An immune-suppressing effect is exerted by sugar as it vies for space within our white blood cells against vitamin C (which is needed to combat bacteria and viruses).
To facilitate matters, some helpful tactics for keeping track of your child’s sugar intake are provided below.
Here’s a list of diet recommendations and practical strategies you may use to monitor your children’s diet and impact of sugar intake to make things easier.
Also Read: 10 Tips to Get Kids to Eat Fruits
1. Start with fruit.
Offer fruit if your youngster is looking away from salty treats during snack time. Put your creative thinking cap on and try making goodies like fruit-flavored ice cubes, “pirate sword” kebabs, or fruit-flavored “fairy wands.” Children’s diet majorly needs fruits.
Additionally, Diet recommendations might be useful to determine when your child is choosing food out of boredom or emotional problems rather than actual hunger. Maintaining their energy levels will be facilitated by providing a low-sugar snack.
2. Food labels should be recognised.
The beginning point of children’s diet is in the grocery store. If food labels are not read, we are relied upon by marketing whizzes to be convinced otherwise. With so many legal loopholes that allow businesses to capitalize on claims that their products are “natural” or “organic,” a decision based only on appearances can be made challenging. If these words are loaded with sugar and vegetable oils, any meaning is lost.
3. Homemade goodies should be created.
Control over children’s diet, how much impact of sugar is in them, is given to you when your own baked goods and snacks are made. The target market for the majority of mass-produced food items is the general public, who prefer sweet foods.
4. Discard any desserts.
There is no justification for offering dessert every night. These diet recommendations encourage your youngster to “make room” for something that might be better. After a long day, if your child is indeed still hungry, serve them some oats, fruit, or natural yoghurt for dessert. If they reject this, that’s usually a good sign of how hungry they are in reality.
5. Beverages
Your children’s diet shouldn’t include any sweet juices or beverages. Water ought to always come first. Using whole fruit, oats, and milk to make fruit smoothies, which are a healthy way to feed kids, Diet recommendations like juices are always a healthy choice.
Also Read: Diarrhoea in Children Symptoms, Causes, and Solutions
Negative effects of Sugar
- Cocaine is 8 times less addictive than sugar.
- Every year, the average American eats more than 50 pounds of hidden sugar.
We may believe that we are avoiding sugar, but the truth is that we have no idea how many foods we consume include hidden sugars. Because nearly everything we buy at the grocery store, from spaghetti sauce to plain yogurt, has some refined sugar, it becomes more difficult to limit our children’s sugar consumption.
Several justifications exist for why a restriction on the consumption of excessive sugar by your kids should be imposed. Refined sugar, also known as sucrose, is being referred to when sugar is discussed.
#1: Immunity is lowered by it.
The immune system of your child may be weakened by sugar, and their ability to combat infectious diseases might be reduced. This implies that various illnesses, such as the flu and other common colds, might make your child vulnerable.
Suggestion : For the promotion of healthy and happy growth in our children, the limitation of their sugar intake is desired.
#2: Sugar impairs concentration and makes children more hyperactive.
Sugar can quickly raise a child’s adrenaline levels, which might make them irritable, agitated, and unable to concentrate.
Suggestion : What you should give your children for breakfast; Throw out sugary cereals and fast meals at lunchtime. Give your kids an egg for breakfast since choline improves brain function. Bring a banana with them for lunch; the potassium in them helps kids focus and remain awake all day.
#3 Sugar impairs vision
The amount of sugar your children eat will affect their blood sugar levels and cause the lens of their eyes to enlarge, which will affect how well they can see. Their eyesight can return to normal if your youngster is off sugar, or at least not consuming big amounts of sugar.
Suggestion: Cut out the sugar and feed your kids lutein and zeaxanthin-rich foods like broccoli, avocados, eggs, and carrots if you want them to have good eyesight. Oils like cod liver oil are excellent for enhancing vision. And no, the lemon-flavored cod liver oil is not unpleasant to taste.
#4: Sugar Can Lead to Diabetes in Children
Increased insulin sensitivity, abnormally elevated insulin levels, and ultimately diabetes may be experienced by children who consume excessive amounts of sugar. According to research, diabetes is observed to be growing more prevalent in American youth under the age of 20. A person’s blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, and eyes can be seriously injured by this dreadful disease.
One of the most crippling adverse consequences of sugar on young individuals is this.
Suggestion : Do you consume soda as parents? Or do you prepare your meals at home with your children and consume lots of wholesome grains, fruits, and vegetables as well as water? Do your kids observe you choose healthy snacks like almonds, plain yogurt, or cheese instead of sugary ones? Teach your children how to be healthy and happy. Be their mentor and role model.
Also Read: Boost Your Child’s Immune System with Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Conclusion
At EuroSchool, your kids will get a thorough knowledge of how to keep themselves away from sugar. Hidden sugars should be taken into account.
An extensive list is comprised of sauces, bread, jams, peanut butter, chewy vitamins, biscuits, muesli bars, cereals, and dessert yoghurts.
Healthy eating habits are initiated at home, and a good example is set for our children by us as parents. It is crucial for foods to be chosen carefully for our children, and the things we want them to eat should be introduced to them frequently and early on.
