5 ways I helped my children eat less sugar
As a GP licensed in Lifestyle medicine and trained in functional medicine principles I’ve built experience in treating patients with chronic diseases, and seen how the lifestyle habits we have really make an impact on our current and future health. Being a mum, of two boys, 13 and 9, I purposed to help them eat less sugar so they could thrive in vibrant health.
I helped my children eat less sugar in 5 steps. I hope they’ll be valuable to you too.
If you’ve read my blog, you might know that I am a baker’s daughter who grew up with a love of all things baked (apart from maybe chocolate cakes with chocolate icing!) But over the years, I’ve cut down my sugar intake dramatically.
Initially, this was because I was trying to get rid of excess weight. But the more I researched, the more I began to realise that the damage refined sugar can cause goes far beyond extra pounds and kilograms.
And while my eating habits and choices were changing, I was still buying the same sugar-filled breakfast cereals, biscuits, and desserts for my children to eat to their heart’s content. Something did not add up here. I knew I had to make some changes. Here are some of the things I did.
1. I started talking to my children about our food choices
Since they were old enough to understand, I started sharing with them some of the research about sugar; we watched a couple of documentaries together, openly answered their questions about the choices we were making, and acknowledged when they found it hard.
2. I started offering alternative, healthier options
Instead of an ice lolly, I would offer some frozen yogurt or frozen fruit smoothies (easily made by blending up fruit that was on its last legs anyway!). Instead of adding sugar to their oats, I’d cut up some banana or grated apple or cranberries.
3. I stopped using food as a reward or as a comfort blanket
I stopped offering ice cream after a bad day at school, or sweeties for getting Pupil of the Week (this strategy worked well for us adults as well!). We explored different alternatives as a reward but I think a pocket money boost was probably the most popular reward once they passed a certain age.
4. I stopped eating vicariously through my children.
In the past, I would see a pastry or a cake that I would no longer buy for myself but would buy it for the boys instead! Crazy I know but there was some warped thinking along the lines of: well, even if I can’t enjoy it, someone else can.
5. I stopped buying sugary treats in the weekly shop
Although I initially started this gradually, after a while I just stopped buying the quantities of biscuits, sugary drinks, chocolates that we used to have in the house. And the truth is children can and will get used to this. When mine wanted a snack and there weren’t any biscuits, they’d have a piece of fruit or wait till dinner (which was my older son’s initial stance - a protest against fruit!). They would still get a treat on the weekend if they wanted it but we would buy a small quantity or a single serving that would be finished before the weekend was over.
Did any of these resonate with you?
Is there one thing you could start or stop doing to improve your children’s future health?
Get further tips about reducing sugar and overall inflammation in your family’s diet by downloading my FREE e-book, Turn Down the Heat by clicking this link.
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