It amazes me how easily children develop a taste for sugar.
I have taken great pride as a mom that my children love vegetables in every shape and colour, that they prefer drinking water to anything else, eat a well-balanced diet, have lean, strong bodies and tough immune systems.
But it seems even after setting them on a healthy eating path in life, my 6-year-old daughter has developed an incredibly sweet tooth. Not a day goes by that she doesn't ask (or beg!) for a 'treat'. And she is super clued up: if I offer her a banana, she will respond with 'bananas and custard please, so its one healthy thing and one unhealthy thing'. Eish! What is a mother to do? Studies show that children are consuming more than 3 times their daily recommended allowance of sugar and childhood obesity and diabetes are on the rise.
Here is a great printable for your wallet:
Fold it in half and keep it in your wallet then whip it out when doing your grocery shopping to determine if the cereal, juices, snacks and treats you are buying and serving up meet the recommended standards for children. You'll be surprised how some products marketed as healthy are actually anything but! The printable also shows the guidelines for salt(sodium) and saturated fat as well as sugar. Try and buy products that fall under the green happy face or orange neutral face and stay away from those that fit the red sad face.
- Tracy
PS: If you need some more inspiration,
hop on over to our Facebook page and see what healthy treats moms are serving up to their kids.
TIP: November was international diabetes awareness month and many clinics and pharmacies are still offering free diabetes screenings. Check them out.
