Is it okay to give my kids sugar?

When we start feeding our babies, we often prioritise fresh and natural ingredients because we feel our own diet isn’t good enough for them.

We make vegetable purees, simple stews and choose fresh over packaged. But as children get older and expand their diet, in creeps the sugar…

The convenience of packaged foods definitely plays a role, but even homemade recipes often ask for the sweet stuff. Sugar is everywhere, and avoiding it is a challenge.

When it comes down to it, completely eliminating sugar from your kids diet is pretty unrealistic. What’s more achievable is doing little things every day to reduce sugar as much as possible, to keep your little ones consumption within the World Health Organization guidelines for kids.

Avoid making sugar an everyday thing.

Sugar is in so many of the everyday foods we buy for kids. Breakfast cereals, fruit juice, tomato sauce, flavoured yoghurt, muesli bars, takeaway meals, fruit snacks and muffins are often hiding teaspoons of it!

The trick is to find healthier alternatives (which can mean crossing off old favourites from the shopping list).

• Choose fresh, whole food and homemade whenever you can.
• Select packaged foods wisely. With minimum ingredients and no added sugar.
• Reduce portions when eating foods that contain sugar.
• Change your recipes. Reduce the sugar content or look for low-sugar alternatives.
• Swap it out. Instead of jam on toast, spread 100 per cent peanut butter or avocado.

Harness the sweetness (without the sugar).

We humans like it sweet! To our brains, sweet means safe and nutritious (which is only really useful when you live in the jungle).

But sweetness doesn’t have to be sugar! It’s about finding healthy sweet options and other tasty ingredients to create meals that your little ones will enjoy.

• Cook with naturally sweet vegetables in dishes such as sweet potato, sweet peas, red capsicum, corn, carrots, leek or parsnip.
• Make fruit the sweet ingredient – try mango in salad or stewed apple with pork.
• Substitute sugar for healthier alternatives, like using rice malt syrup in snacks.
• Pair up veggies that are a little bitter with a sweet-tasting dip, sauce or vinaigrette.

Avoid using sugar as a treat or reward.

Describing sugary foods as “a treat” and “special” makes them more desirable. If you offer ice cream to convince your child to eat broccoli, in the end your child will love and want ice cream even more!

A treat doesn’t have to be unhealthy, and it certainly doesn’t need sugar. Juicy strawberries or fresh prawns can be a treat, and using that language helps to break the link between “treat” and “junk”.

Kids are often told they are “so lucky” when they are given a lolly bag at a birthday party or a sugary ice block at the park. Call me a party pooper, but I try to look as disinterested as possible about junk food and ramp up the excitement when we eat healthy food.

I tell my kids how lucky they are when we eat nutritious, fresh and delicious food, how it’s making them go big and strong. My family is healthier for it, and I know I’m teaching my kids healthy eating habits for life.

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