Sugar and sweets: At what age and how much can our child snack?

Sweets make you happy and lift the mood. Even though parents would love to see their kids laughing all the time, the sugar contained in the colorful sweets should be consumed with caution. Nutrition experts advise that children up to the age of four – if possible – should not eat any sweets However, sugar as a 'happiness-maker' is not only hidden in sweet snacks – it is also present in many supposedly healthy snacks for children, in juices and other foods.

Parents with only one child in the household usually still find it easy to influence their child's sweets consumption. By the second child at the latest, the little eyes are already on the treats of the older siblings and also want a cookie or a lollipop.about 10% of the daily calorie requirement may be covered by sweets. For a four-year-old child, that would be, for example, 140 calories — as much as four squares of chocolate, one scoop of ice cream, or a small handful of gummy bears. Converted into sugar, that means that your kids should not more than 25 grams of sugar per day should consume.

Between prohibition and gluttony: How you can influence your children's snacking

Healthy nutrition for children presents many parents with a huge challenge. After all, your little ones already have their own minds and know exactly what they like and which foods should rather not end up on their plate. Of course your kids are still not able to recognize that they sweet treats may taste delicious, but aren't always good for their little bodies.

We give you useful tips on how you can teach your children healthy eating habits instill, where occasional snacking is allowed but candy consumption doesn't get out of hand.

Children and sweets – our tips for responsible snacking

• Banning doesn't help: As with television or computer use, bans only make sweets more interesting. It is better to firmly integrate treats into everyday life in small amounts and thereby take away their sense of being special.

• Firm agreements: Your child can adapt well to agreements and follow them. If they know that they will get a small portion of sweets every day after lunch, then the whining for sweet treats in between will probably stop.

• Sweet gifts: You yourselves usually have a very good overview of how many sweets your child gets or eats. But what if the grandparents or \rfriends give your child sweets unsolicited? Talk about this topic openly with grandma, grandpa and friends. Suggest that, as a small gift, they rather give your child a book, a toy or simply give a nice outing and refrain from unnecessary sweets.

• Special occasions: At Christmas, Halloween, Easter or to children's birthday agreements regarding sweets are usually of no effect, but that is perfectly fine. Divide the gifted sweets together with your child into equally sized portions: That way they can look forward to a chocolate bar or a candy every day instead of eating everything at once.

• Prevent tooth decay: To ensure that sugar and bacteria don't get a chance to damage your children's teeth, the little sweet-tooths should brush their teeth about an hour after eating sweets. However, keep to this time span to avoid damaging the tooth enamel – if children brush their teeth too soon after consuming sweets, the acidity in the mouth is still too high and therefore counterproductive for dental hygiene.

• Serve as dessert: Do not allow your children sweets as a snack in between, as a reward or for comfort. There is a risk that children begin to associate the treat with certain experiences. Under certain circumstances this can develop into the feeling that sweets solve all problems, which can lead to so-called emotional eating and overweight.

• Vitamins should not be missing: Sweets should by no means replace a main meal, but should always be served only in moderation as a tasty extra to a meal. Sweet main dishes like rice pudding or pancakes should not be served too often either.

• A designated place: It's best to have your child eat sweets only at the table while seated and not while playing. This makes the consumption more mindful and you can better control how much sweet food your child eats.

• Plan portions: Depending on the child's age, they can portion out their sweets for about a week themselves. That way they quickly realize: what I eat is gone for good. This increases their awareness of the quantities of sweets.

Healthy snacks and homemade sweets as an alternative

The main problem with sweets, in addition to fat and sugar content, is that they are usually absolutely no nutrients possess and are laden with many additives. Some parents are astonished at what is revealed when looking at the ingredient list everything that is hidden in a chocolate bar. But products advertised as "sugar-free" are not necessarily less harmful for children, because other sweeteners are used here.

A simple and healthy alternative to commercially produced and heavily processed treats: Make your sweets and healthy snacks for children yourself easily. It's not as difficult and time-consuming as you think and can be made in no time with a few simple ingredients.

Sugar may still be present, but at least you know, how the treat was made and what is contained in which amount. Be brave and try your way through the colorful range of possibilities — you might be surprised that a portion of quark with tasty fruit and honey or a few dried fruits becomes your child's new favorite food for your child. Nuts to nibble on are also excellent as a healthy snack in between and provide your offspring with valuable oils and enough energy for jumping and gymnastics. On the go during outings with your children cut-up fruit as well as whole-grain cookies, rice cakes or sesame sticks are particularly suitable.

Image credits

Toddler with chocolate-smeared mouth © Iri_sha - stock.adobe.com

Smiling girl with cutlery and a plate of treats © Wordley Calvo Stock - stock.adobe.com