Kids and their sweet tooth! How much is too much sugar for a child?

Photo by Adore her Photography

As a parent, I am always wondering how much sugar is ACTUALLY considered too much for my children to have? Let's see, nearly everything my kids eat technically has sugar in it. For example their yoghurt, cheese, milk, fruit, as well as bread .. AND to top it off I do also let them eat sweets like biscuits, ice-cream, flavoured milk and the occasional lollies from party bags they get from birthdays.

Keep in mind, I am very aware of the health risks associated with over consumption of sugar, but I am also a mother that was once a child who loved the occasional sugary treat, so I do let my kids indulge and enjoy. The problem I have now is not knowing how much of that sugar is appropriate on a daily basis!

The Healthy Kids Association suggests that not all high sugar foods are equal. The difference being that foods high in sugar either add some form of nutritional value or it simply doesn't at all . The way I see it is a little bit like this- Does the food your child consumes also contain nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fibre? (eg.Yoghurt,Fruit, Cheese). If this is the case then the sugar content in these types of foods are not considered as part of the recommended daily sugar intake by the Australian Dietary Guidelines. But it is the 'added sugar' foods that have minimal nutritional value and are high in sugar and often fat that we have to monitor. These include foods like cakes, biscuits, ice cream, jams, lollies, added syrups. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting the consumption of these 'added sugars' to no more than 1/2 a serve for children up to eight years of age per day. So what does half a serve look like?

• ½ a small chocolate bar (25g)

• 5-6 small lollies

• 1 slice of cake or small muffin (40g)

• 2-3 sweet biscuits (35g)

• 2 scoops of ice cream

• 1 tablespoon jam/honey.

OK! not so bad right? I find that my kids usually have the equivalent of one of those 'added sugars' servings mentioned above a day. But I am also NOT a perfect parent and there are days when they definitely consume more than the recommended serving. When they do, these are a couple of things I try to do:

My top 5 Tips to limit refined sugar in your home

1. Bake your own!

When I know that my family has had enough refined sugar for the week. I simply don't buy cakes or cookies for the following week and bake instead, that way I know how much natural sugars I am adding.

2. Encourage mindful eating

When my children ask for snacks. I always aim at explaining why we choose more fruit, veggies or meat options instead of only cookies and chips. I try to make them feel like they will grow stronger, have beautiful hair, and skin. And if that doesn't work, they understand tooth decay and what happens during a procedure to remove rotten teeth. Let's face it! kids are defiant and visually showing them examples has worked in our house! Which also works great for motivating them to brush their teeth.

3. Avoid sugary drinks

In our house we barely buy juice but that's not to say we don't have it when we are out at restaurants, or add it into my son's lunch box. If I feel like the juice is too sweet, I may dilute it with water. But the limit is only one juice popper followed by water if I cannot dilute it.

4. Choose foods naturally high in sugar

I have a little compartment in my fridge dedicated to naturally sugar-based foods like apples, kiwi fruit, strawberries, pears etc. Once my kids have had their sugar quota for the day these are always an easy alternative if they are still hungry and want something sweet.

5. Prepare a healthy alternative before they ask!

A lot of the time, I feel like as mothers we know when our children are going to be extremely hungry. For us, it's usually after school and day care. To avoid the hassle for arguments sake with a five-year-old and a three-year-old I try my best to have pre-cut cucumber, carrots, hummus, cheese and crackers for them. My kids also love variety so if I add a few colours in their plate they usually forget about asking for the junk food.

Photo by Adore Her Photography

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Photos: Adore her Photography

Pink Cafe: El rosa by Arc and Family

Adriana's Outfit: Cotton on Kids

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*** Disclaimer always refer back to your health care professional for further information or if you have any concerns relating to your child's dental hygiene or overall sugar consumption.