Sugar!
How much sugar does your child eat in a day? As an adult you should eat more than 40 grams (about 10 teaspoons) in a 2000 calorie per day lifestyle. Chances are your kids are more than that each day.
I don’t consider artificial sweeteners an option for my boys, so I make do in other ways when it comes to lessening their sugar intake.
Some things I do include:
No more than 12 ounces of 100% juice per day. These 12 ounces are cut in half with the same amount of water.
No fruit drinks or soft drinks.
One sugary snack per day (popsicles, cookies, etc).
No more than one yogurt, applesauce, or fruit cup type snack per day.
Fruit should come from a fresh source. Fruit coming from a can or plastic container should be limited.
No sugary cereals.
Limited chocolate milk.
What fun am I?? Well, on special occasions such as birthdays, parties at school, holidays, etc I do not limit my children. They may eat as much sugar that day as they please. So far, they do not overdo it on those days. I stress the importance of a healthy diet and how sugary foods are treats and are not a good source of fuel for the body.
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