Would you like some tips on how to reduce your family’s sugar intake? Are you concerned about the amount of sugar you and your children consume?
It probably comes as no surprise to learn that the general population eat too much sugar. As a mum I’m often worried that my kids are having too much sugar and it could be bad for their health. It can seem like a constant battle trying to control their intake. Life brings a steady stream of sugar into our lives via birthday parties, party bags, easter eggs, trick or treating, Christmas chocolates and family members who want to spoil our kids. We’re also bombarded constantly by adverts and promotions for sweet treats. Enjoying these delicious foods should be part of a happy family life but we clearly can’t eat sugar non-stop. So how do you find the right balance?
WHY SHOULD WE REDUCE SUGAR INTAKE?
- Consuming sugar causes our blood glucose level to rise sharply. It then often falls very quickly causing hunger pangs and cravings for more sugary drinks and snacks. This vicious cycle can result in weight gain as we eat too many calories during the day. Being overweight puts us at higher risk of lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease later in life.
- When we eat sugar it produces acid in the mouth which can cause the teeth to decay. You can reduce the risk of tooth decay by reducing the amount of sugar you eat.
- Sugary foods can displace other more nutritious foods being eaten, which could lead to vitamin deficiencies.
WHAT TYPE OF SUGAR SHOULD BE REDUCED?
The type of sugars we are advised to reduce are known as “free sugars” These are all sugars added to food and drink. They include granulated sugar, syrups, unsweetened fruit juice, honey and treacle but also things like fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, coconut sugar, molasses, corn syrup, isoglucose, crystalline sucrose and agave nectar. Take a look at the ingredients list of processed cakes and treats you may have in your cupboards and see if you can spot any of them.
Fruit juice and smoothies are classed as free sugars. This is because it is easy to over consume this type of sugar in drink form, and the fibre, which has many nutritional benefits, has been removed by the juicing process.
Foods like milk and fruit eaten whole have naturally occurring sugars but we do not need to worry about cutting down on these types of sugar.
HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH FREE SUGAR IS IN MY FOOD?
A quick way to check the free sugar content of food is to have a look at the ingredients list. The ingredients are given in weight order. If any of the sugars listed above are at the beginning of the list then that food is high in free sugars.
Look at this list of ingredients for Mr Kipling Fondant Fancies:
Icing Sugar, Sugar, Water, Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Glucose Syrup, Vegetable Oils (Palm, Rapeseed, Shea), Vegetable Margarine (Vegetable Oils (Palm, Rapeseed), Water, Salt), Humectant (Vegetable Glycerine), Dried Egg, Milk Proteins, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Dried Egg White, Vegetable Fat (Palm), Whey Powder (Milk), Salt, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Emulsifiers (Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Soya Lecithin), Maize Starch, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Flavourings, Colours (Cochineal, Lutein)
Of the first five ingredients listed, 3 of them are types of sugar – icing sugar, sugar and glucose syrup. The very first ingredient is icing sugar which means that is the heaviest and main ingredient. This food will therefore be extremely high in free sugar!
HOW MUCH SUGAR ARE WE EATING?
Data on sugar intake shows that UK children eat far too much sugar. In fact those aged between 4 and 10 years old are currently consuming more than twice the amount of recommended sugar per day.
Recommended maximum amounts of sugar per day in UK:
KIDS 4 to 6 = 5 TEASPOONS (19g)
KIDS 7 to 10 = 6 TEASPOONS (24g)
KIDS 11+ = 7.5 TEASPOONS (30g)
To put this into context here’s the sugar content of some foods…
250ml cola – 6.5 teaspoons
Mars bar – 10 teaspoons
Flapjack – 9 teaspoons
200g baked beans – 2.5 teaspoons
1 tbsp ketchup – 1 teaspoon
150ml orange juice – 4 teaspoons
THE DANGER OF BEING TOO STRICT WITH KIDS
It can be tempting to completely ban foods that are less healthy for our children but being overly restrictive with kid’s intake of sugar can have detrimental effects later on. For example if you ban sweets it may make them even more appealing and a child may overeat them given the opportunity.
Children need to learn self regulation and one of the best ways to teach that is with a structured approach to treat foods. A child who doesn’t learn self regulation will struggle to control their food intake as an adult and is more likely to be obese.
Here’s a practical example of how I approach Halloween…
- I allow the kids to go trick or treating and enjoy it. I try not to comment negatively on the sugar issue as I want them to enjoy the experience and have fun.
- We’ll have a discussion afterwards about how many sweets they’ve brought home and how it probably should not be eaten all in one go.
- We’ll decide together (after a lot of serious negotiation) how many sweets they can eat each day and when they can have them, e.g. usually after a meal, but not breakfast!
- Try to stick to the plan.
There is also a school of thought that recommends occasional unrestricted access to sweets and chocolates. The idea is that this helps the child to learn self regulation by experiencing the negative effects of unrestricted eating (feeling nauseous, stomach ache etc). I’m not sure how I feel about this one but it’s an interesting concept.
Here are some other easy ways to reduce sugar intake….
KEEP PORTIONS SMALL
Try to be mindful of portion size when giving your children treat foods like cake or chocolate. A 180g bar of milk chocolate has over 900 calories, but a treat size Freddo bar (18g) has just 90 calories.
STOP ADDING SUGAR TO FOODS
A lot of parents sprinkle sugar on breakfast cereals that already contain added sugar. You can gradually reduce the amount and add some whole fruit like banana or strawberries for healthier sweetness.
CHOOSE HEALTHIER BREAKFAST CEREALS
Breakfast cereals often have added sugar. Many are advertised as healthy because they’re “full of fibre and vitamins” yet even these ones may have lots of hidden sugar added. It’s always worth checking the wording and ingredients for sugar content. Try to choose cereals that are whole grain with either “no added sugar” or “low sugar” on their packaging.
Switching to a lower sugar cereal can be less palatable at first and tastebuds will take some time to adjust. Try making the change easier by adding fruit such as banana or berries. Or mix the new cereal in with the old and gradually increase the ratio of new to old.
THINK ABOUT DRINKS TO REDUCE SUGAR INTAKE
FIZZY DRINKS – It’s shocking how much sugar is found in regular carbonated drinks such as cola or lemonade. Whenever possible choose diet versions. You don’t have to be on a diet to drink diet drinks and it’s a great way to reduce sugar intake!
SQUASH – Squash manufacturers often state that their drinks contain “real fruit” and are “full of vitamins” or “50% fruit juice”. This may be true but these drinks may also contain large amounts of free sugar.
FRUIT JUICE – This type of drink does contain vitamins and antioxidants, and one 150ml drink will count towards your 5-a-day but fruit juice contains a lot of free sugar and it’s very easy to drink a lot of it. Think about limiting the amount of fruit juice your child has if you want to reduce sugar intake.
FLAVOURED WATER – This is another drink that you may be drinking because you think it’s a healthier option, but check the label for the sugar content.
SWAP YOUR YOGHURT
Most households probably have some yoghurt in their fridge and the flavoured ones are delicious but if you want to cut back on sugar this could be one product that might be worth swapping. The low fat versions often contain even more sugar.
A better option is to buy plain yoghurt and flavour it yourself with fresh fruit and a little honey.
TINNED FRUIT
Choose varieties that are in natural fruit juice rather than syrup. They all contain sugar but the fruit juice options will contain less sugar.
SAVOURY FOODS
If you’re trying to reduce sugar intake it’s important to think about savoury foods too. Many savoury foods that we eat contain hidden sugar that we may not notice. Baked beans, ready meals, takeaways, condiments, savoury snacks and pre-made sauces can all contain large amounts of sugar. If you want to cut down on your sugar then try these tips with your main meals.
- Avoid typically sweet takeaway dishes such as sweet and sour chicken or crispy beef.
- Check the labels of your sauces and use less of them. Ketchup and salad cream can be high in sugar.
- Have a smaller portion of baked beans with your dinner.
- Check the labels of ready meals and choose options with lower sugar content.
- Try to avoid savoury snacks with added sugar such as BBQ, prawn cocktail or sweet chilli flavoured crisps, nuts and pretzels. For more info take a look at my healthy snack ideas.
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