Sugar overload? Nutritionist shares 5 tips to reduce hidden sugars in your child’s diet

For children, their thrill lies in having junk sugary food items such as ice creams, chocolate, juices, biscuits and cookies. But that’s not all. Even in their regular diet, there are tendencies of added sugars or hidden sugars that can cause sugar overload. Over time, high sugar intake can affect their health. Also read | Managing children's sugar consumption: Tips for parents and caregivers to promote balanced diet

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Aman Puri, nutritionist and founder of Steadfast Nutrition said, “Sugary foods lead to a sudden spike in energy levels, initially making kids hyperactive followed by a slump of irritability and mood swings. The hidden sugars in packed foods contain far more calories than visible sugars. The biggest challenge parents face is to identify and eliminate their kid’s favourite foods that are overloaded with hidden sugars.”

Aman Puri shared a few tips to reduce hidden sugars in your child's diet:

1. Healthy swaps :

Swap tinned and sweetened fruits with fresh ones, sugar-loaded energy drinks with coconut or lemon water, ice creams with fruit cream or yoghurt and pastries and doughnuts with homemade puddings like fruit custards. Encouraging your children to eat raisins, dates, nut butter, and bananas may also overcome sugar cravings in a natural and healthy way.

2. Read labels:

Children get attracted to marketing gimmicks and may be misled by the claims on labels, especially regarding their favourite breakfast cereals or drinks. Read labels before purchasing mislabeled junk foods for children, which makes people believe that the product is healthier than it actually is. This is especially true of high-sugar breakfast cereals. Also read | Is your child obsessed with sugary food? Here’s how you can alter unhealthy eating habits

3. Set a limit:

Instead of eliminating, treat kids with their favourite sugar-loaded foods occasionally or restrict them to special occasions, rather than including them daily in the diet. This can be done specifically for foods like pastries and doughnuts.

4. Keep an eye on sugary beverages:

Cut down on sugary beverages. Instead, prepare fresh homemade shakes or smoothies to reduce unwanted sugar consumption.

Educate kids:

Educating children about the side effects of high sugar may help control overconsumption. Parents should encourage their children to choose healthy foods over unhealthy ones. Also read | Is your child obsessed with sweet treats? Here are nutrition tips to curb sugar cravings

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.