“Aunt Emelie, why is sugar bad for me?” I turned confidently toward my five-year-old niece, when it suddenly dawned on me…
… for all the classes on sugar I’ve taken, all the seminars I’ve taught; I didn’t have a simple answer for her!
I had a revelation… If I, who regularly teaches about sugar, couldn’t come up with a simple answer for a five-year-old, how are parents supposed to explain it to their kids?
It’s so easy to say “you can’t have that, it has sugar in it”. But I think there’s a better way – giving the knowledge they need to make better choices.
1. Answer the “why”.
After my niece’s question, my husband and I spent the next few hours talking and writing down notes. These notes inspired my first children’s book, The Sugar Story.
It was really important for me to fully and honestly answer my niece’s “why” here. I had this great honor of helping her better understand her world and wanted to treasure that.
I started by helping her understand that sugar’s original purpose was to let your body know that fruits and vegetables make you healthy and strong.
But when sugar is taken out of fruits and vegetables and made into sweets, sugar continues to tell your body that this is good for you, but it’s a lie. All the good is gone.
2. Ask them questions.
Once you’ve answered their “why”, you now have the opportunity to help them understand how that relates to them.
Ask them questions like, “Why do you think people eat sweets? How do you think it makes their body feel? What foods do we eat that taste sweet, but are also good for our bodies?”
I’ve been blown away by the responses kids have had from me simply answering their “why”. Responses like “maybe that’s why I don’t feel good when I eat too much sugar!”.
3. Teach them to balance blood sugar.
A balanced blood sugar is so important for us both physically and emotionally. This is especially true for children since their bodies are more sensitive.
Since fruit contains more sugar, talk to your kids about eating fruit together with fat, protein, or after a meal.
When you help your child regularly avoid high blood sugar spikes, it will help them better listen to their body and understand when they do eat too much sugar.
4. Get them involved (and make it fun!).
Make trying new vegetables a game that the whole family can participate in.
One way of doing this is letting your child choose a new vegetable at the shops. Talk about it, taste it, and find different ways to prepare it.
5. Get excited about fruits and vegetables!
Our attitude towards fruits and vegetables says a lot to children. So let’s get excited about fruits and vegetables again!
One of the recipes at the end of The Sugar Story is a frozen banana cut in half on popsicle stick. My two-year old nephew goes crazy over these, and it’s literally just a frozen banana.
Take a minute to think like a kid. Think about the amazing selection of fruits and vegetables we have today; each with their own unique flavor and texture. All just waiting to be discovered.
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