Sugar has taken over every meal of the day; juice and blueberry muffins for breakfast, jelly and peanut butter sandwich accompanied by Oreos and fruit punch for lunch, cupcakes at the school party, and finished off with ice cream for dinner. Globally, everyone is consuming too much sugar each day, and your kids are no exception. Here’s out to Introduce a Sugar-Free Diet to Your Kids in 5 Easy Steps

The American Heart Association (AHA) has a recommendation that children should not consume more than three teaspoons or 12 grams of sugar a day. Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people should get less than 5 percentof their daily calories from sugar.

In addition to the statistics above, your children are getting excessive sugar amounts from the following five categories of drinks and foods:

• Sports/energy drinks, soda and other non-juice drinks
• Snack cakes, cookies, and other grain-based sweets
• Candy
• Fruit drinks
• Puddings and other dairy desserts

Excessive sugar intake is such a pervasive problem that both the AHA and WHO are taking laudable steps to bring attention to the issue. Unfortunately, many people tend to focus too much on the sugar aspect of their diets at the expense of other elements.

Eliminating other food categories is one way of not addressing the problem in its entirety. People tend to consume much more food than they are supposed to eat. As a result, they fail to consume enough amounts of whole foods like vegetables and fruits, unprocessed meats, and whole grains.

When you eat diets that mainly consist of whole foods and unprocessed foods, you can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. Also, the amount of sugar your children consume would drastically decrease. This is because processed food items tend to contain high sugar amounts that add more calories with no nutritional value to the body.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce sugar consumption and promote a healthier lifestyle that wards off diet-related health complications. Parents also need practical suggests that do not require lots of effort and time to implement. To this end, here are five easy steps to reducing the sugar in your kid’s diet.

STEP 1: ELIMINATE OR DRASTICALLY REDUCE SUGARY DRINKS

When was the last time your kid had a glass of juice or flavored water for breakfast or lunch? Many parents think that these are nutritious alternatives, but don’t be taken in by the healthy-sounding labeling! Most of such drinks are full of unhealthy ingredients and sugar.

Sugary beverages like flavored waters, juice and fruit drinks, energy drinks, and sports drinks contain about 13 to 30 grams of sugar in every serving of eight ounces. Such drinks have adverse effects on the health of your kids, despite many parents believing they are healthy. Before you serve kids with another sports drink or juice box, look at the facts below; your kid’s favorite drink might not be as healthy as you think!

• SUGARY DRINKS ARE A HUGE CONTRIBUTOR TO OBESITY:

About 70 percent of boys and 60 percent of girls aged between ages 2 to 17 consume a sugary beverage every day. These drinks have little to no nutritional value, and they increase chances of your kid getting obese. In fact, chances of your young one becoming overweight increase by 60 percent for every 8-ounce sugary beverage consumed.

Already, pediatricians have seen cases of health issues increasing among overweight children such as high triglyceride, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. All these health issues put children at risk of developing conditions like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

When you reduce or eliminate the number of sugary drinks children consume, you decrease their chances of developing obesity. In fact, cutting sugary drinks for a year will see kids achieve lower weight levels. Instead of stocking the fridge with sugary beverages, consider replacing them with low-fat milk and water.

• SUGARY DRINKS CAUSE HARM TO THE TEETH:

Sugary drinks are one of the leading causes of tooth decay, which is a consequence of acidic byproducts and acids in the drinks that soften tooth enamel, contributing to the formation of cavities. In fact, tooth decay is a leading chronic childhood illness in the United States, and five times more common than asthma!

Teeth destroying sugary beverages also have low pH levels that lead to enamel erosion. A single sport or soda drink, especially when taken in slowly, can cause extensive damage to teeth enamel. Fortunately, regular brushing and flossing in combination with reducing sugary beverages can help slow down tooth decay.

• MOST SUGARY BEVERAGES ARE MARKED AS HEALTHY, BUT ARE NOT:

Many parents are duped into believing that sugary drinks are healthy by-products by their labeling and marketing. The marketing and labeling on such products imply that these alternatives to sodas are healthy. Such misconceptions easily explain why many parents are buying sugary drinks for their children.

• MYTH: DIET SODA IS A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE:

While diet soda might look like a smart alternative to sugary drinks on the market, parents ought to be more aware of this sugar-free, zero-calorie option. In fact, diet drinks are full of caffeine and artificial sweeteners, which are not recommended for kids. Moreover, artificial sweeteners have not been tested in kids, and large caffeine doses are dangerous for teens and kids.

Fortunately, if your kid is already used to drinking daily sugary drinks, you can take a few steps to wean them off sugar. Here are a few strategies you can use:

Talk to your child and help him or her understand the dangers of having too much sugar in their diet

Use packets of sugar to show your kid how much sugar a standard sugary drink contains. You’ll be surprised by the results!

Carry out a simple math exercise that shows your kid the amount of sugar they put into their body by multiplying the daily packs of sugar by 365 days

Instead of offering them candy, provide your children fruits to satisfy their sweet tooth

Consider offering plain water with every meal

If your child loves soda or other sugary beverages, start weaning them in small steps. Possibly consider limiting consumption of the drinks to one can a day and gradually decreasing the amount weekly. Continue doing this until you have eliminated soda or sugary beverages from your kid’s daily routine

Lastly, teach your child how to read food labels

The following is the 2nd step in how to Introduce a Sugar-Free Diet to Your Kids in 5 Easy Steps.

STEP 2: INTRODUCE KIDS TO VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

The second step involves encouraging your kids to gain a healthy relationship with food as they enjoy life. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guidelines, half of your child’s plate should have colorful fruits and vegetables. However, doing this might likely lead to lots of tears and battles!

Your primary objective is to teach your kids that vegetables and fruits can be just as fun as fries and burgers. Healthy eating should ideally start at a young age and progress to become a lifetime habit. To support this progression, consider infusing a little more fun to get them to love the healthy foods too.

Employ food art

Your mom might have discouraged you from playing with your food on several occasions, but you may have to consider encouraging healthy eating through food art. Vegetables and fruits are mainly about color; consider red apples, green beans, and orange carrots for example. Plus, your children will enjoy the little creativity you infuse into their snacks and meals.

Food sculptures

Use different vegetables and fruits. Consider slicing up oranges and making a fruity cat or cutting up carrots and tomatoes and shape them into a lobster. In fact, make an educational game out of creating healthy food sculptures!

For instance, pick an animal for each day and try finding different ways you can he

lp your kid learn more about it. All this involves is teaching them the sound it makes and where it leaves.

Put up a picture of an animal so your kids can see it and try to recreate it using their afternoon snack vegetable and fruit pieces.

 

Use cookie cutters for more than just cookies

Get plastic cookie cutters, which are perfect for your kids to create fun shapes from food. Lay out different vegetables and fruits, and let your kids go wild as they cut out their own fun shapes. For instance, cookie cutters can be used to make flowers, fish, and stars from pieces of watermelon.

Other foods that will hold as your kids cut out shapes are:

• Pears
• Cucumbers
• Cantaloupe
• Apples

Generally, anything soft and sliceable should be enough to create an exciting food project. In addition, consider adding other fresh produce for decorating the creations they make. For instance, peas are great for making buttons for a cucumber snowman!

Smoothie fun packs

Vegetables and fruits are more than just foods that you can eat. You can transform them into satisfying, cool smoothies for drinking. Take advantage of the fact that kids love helping and they love smoothies!

The primary objective here is to have your kids contribute to making their own smoothie combos. Get them started by laying out an assortment of fruits on the table. Offer each child a couple of bags and let them mix and match their own dream smoothie, which you store in a freezer.

Spend about an hour daily helping them make their customized smoothies for breakfast or as a snack. Take out the bags from the freezer when they want one and pop the ingredients and either almond milk, coconut water, ice or juice into the blender. Different choices help enhance flavor and texture of the resulting smoothie.

Don’t limit kids to just fruits. In fact, consider experimenting with other types of vegetables. Incorporating some fun into creating interesting, healthy foods is an easy way of getting your children to love healthy food.

In the process, you are teaching them the value of having a balanced diet. At the same time, you are introducing your young ones to foods they will love for the rest of their lives!

STEP 3: INTRODUCE UNPROCESSED LUNCHES

When introducing unprocessed lunches to your kids’ diets, the first hurdle you need to overcome is looking at what currently goes into their lunch boxes. In order to take on the unprocessed lunch challenge, consider making things bit more interesting by incorporating a fruit rope from websites like SweetServices.com here and there. Also, a packet of yogurt or applesauce will do.

While some of the items are not necessary and are easily substituted, they will make lunch for your kids more interesting. Plus, they will also keep the attention of kids in a sea of school lunches that include juice boxes and chocolate sandwich cookies. A few delightful unprocessed snacks and mealtime ideas that you can add in your kid’s school lunch are listed below.

Dried vegetables and fruits

If your kid is sick of getting an apple every day, stir things up with a dried version. These options are more of a fruit snack that’s tastier because the natural sugar is concentrated. Some great choices include dried cranberries, mangoes, bananas, and raisins.

Hummus

Something magical always happens when you introduce kids to dips, and they can turn any food from bland to something they’ll demand. In fact, your hummus-hating child could one day become a big fan of homemade hummus as a preferred protein source!

Popcorn

Popcorn is a favorite snack that can be made over the stove. Plus, it can also be air popped in a microwave without using added fats. A little bit of salt and butter over organic popcorn can make the snack fun for your kids.

Homemade yogurt

Many kids love yogurt with their lunches. Fortunately, making homemade yogurt only requires live cultures that are already available in made yogurt. In fact, once you start making it, you can make yogurt repeatedly!

Nuts and seeds

A great alternative to add more protein and healthy fats into your kid’s diet is through nuts and seeds. Also, they also help keep them full for a long time, avoiding those midday hunger pangs. You can buy the nuts and seeds raw, and roast and flavor them yourself.

Pumpkin seeds are also a great option. Give extra points to your kids if they can scoop out the seeds of a pumpkin!

Fresh raw produce

You can include this obvious choice in lunches, especially if your children are interested in them. Some fast favorites include carrots, cherries, apples, bell peppers, and berries. Cut the vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces, so they are easier to eat when lunchtime is limited.

STEP 4: COOK MORE AT HOME

There are so many reasons why you should be cooking at home more often; it’s surprising that most people aren’t doing it already. For starters, regular home-cooked meals eaten as a family are linked to happier, healthier kids, and teens less likely to indulge in cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol. Furthermore, eating home-cooked at least five days a week is associated with longer life.

The mental health benefits swell up considerably when you eat home-cooked meals as a family. In fact, communal meals make people happier than eating outside their homes. This is partly due to the social connections that are reinforced over meals that help cultivate a sense of belonging.

Home-cooked meals also go a long way in reducing symptoms related to depression. Home cooking helps preserve cultural knowledge and history as you pass recipes to your children. As if that’s not enough, home cooking offers you an excellent way of saving money and reducing your carbon footprint.

If you are ready to reap these and more benefits, get ready to make your own meals. The steps below will help you become a bona fide home chef for your kids’ healthy meals.

• Fall in love with the kitchen

A well cared for, and functional kitchen is more appealing than a dirty, uninviting room. Build a space that makes you feel good by investing in essential cooking equipment.

• Plan ahead

Every weekend, create time for planning your meals and making shopping lists for the coming week. Plus, take your week’s schedule into account so you can make meals quickly and easily. With some forethought, you can tailor your home cooking around even your busiest weeks.

• Keep it simple

If you are new to home cooking, you don’t need to become a gourmet chef overnight. Begin with small, basic steps by making one or two meals every week. Make use of simple ingredients to become more comfortable around your kitchen.

• Take stock

If you think you are too busy taking care of your family and working to cook, evaluate your current priorities to see if that’s true. Spend at least a week writing down how much time you spend watching TV, browsing the Internet, or playing mobile phone games. Once you tally up the figures, you’ll find that you can free up some time to cook some delicious meals for your kids.

STEP 5: ENCOURAGE KIDS TO EAT BETTER

Mothers usually feel guilty about their kids’ diets; they know it’s critical to feed their children healthy foods, but not sure how to go about it. Despite the situation, and trial and error, here are some valuable lessons learned, which should help you encourage your children to eat healthier all the time.

• Plan dinners

If a weekly menu sounds too intimidating, consider starting with a single to two home-cooked meals a week. A balanced dinner does not need to be fancy, but it should be well balanced. A nutritious meal should include whole grain pasta, rice, or bread; a vegetable or fruit; and protein like beans, cheese, or meat.

For starters, you can make a Mexican chili or entrée soups before dinner and freeze them. At dinnertime, heat it up and add whole-grain foods, finished off with cut-up melons or apples.

• Be careful what you say

Often times, it is hard not to comment on how or what your kids will be eating. However, be as natural as possible. Keep in mind that you have done your duty as a parent by offering them balanced meals.

 

Your kids will be responsible for eating them. Playing the food enforcer will only make your kids resist your new diet.

• Create dips

If your children don’t like vegetables, experiment with dips. For example, serve them carrots dipped in yogurt, salsa, or hummus-based dressing.

• Sneak in soy

Soymilk is an excellent source of healthy phytochemicals. If your kids do not like soymilk, you can sneak it into a recipe.

• Get your kids cooking

When children are involved in the choosing and preparation of meals, they will be more interested in eating. Have the kids accompany you to the store and let them choose the produce themselves. If old enough, allow your kids to cut up the vegetables and mix them into salads.

• Reduce junk

At the end of the day, you are in charge of the foods coming into your home, and not your kids. When you have few junk foods around, you force your kids to eat more vegetables, dairy products, fruits, and whole grains.

• Be a role model

If you have erratic eating habits or always on some diet, your kids will grow up thinking that this is normal behavior. It is best if you are honest with yourself about the food messages you are sending to your young ones. When you learn to trust your body to inform you whenever you are hungry and full, your children will learn the same.

CONCLUSION

By carrying out the above to Introduce a Sugar-Free Diet to Your Kids in 5 Easy Steps, your children will eat healthier, delicious food as long as you continue offering it. Eventually, they will learn to eat on their own, which is pivotal for healthy eating in the end.

How do you get your kids to eat healthier? Comment below.