November 12, 2024

Will Limiting Sugar Fuel A Sugar Obsession?

By Rebecca Appleman, RD

Let’s be honest – we all like sweet foods.

And they come in many different varieties – there are naturally sweet foods like most fruits and certain vegetables, there are foods sweetened with added sugar and there are foods that are sweet because they are entirely manufactured with a variety of refined and processed sugars or sugar derivatives.

We know that an excess of refined sugars (or an excess of any food, for that matter) isn’t great for the body. However, sweet foods can have a place in a healthy diet, and it’s important to practice a balance with their inclusion.

So, while many parents believe they should entirely avoid giving sugar to their children, we find this practice ends up being quite difficult and often causes power struggles around desired foods.  It is not as much the intake of sugar that fuels a sugar obsession, but the active withholding of foods containing sugar by parents that creates an obsession with these foods in children and food seeking behaviors for these types of sweet foods as a result.

Let’s break down basic age appropriate guidelines for how much sugar makes sense for your growing child:

• Under 1: Essentially, Rarely/Never (!); At this age, sweet foods are just not necessary, as children this young are new eaters and it’s most important to allow them to acclimate to foods in their natural forms. If your under 1 eater is already eating family meal foods and those foods include a touch of natural sugar, that is completely fine. But for the most part, keep these little ones’ foods free of added sugars. At this young age, strong food preferences have not yet been established, so this is a time when parents really have complete control over foods given. Take advantage of this time and present as many whole, unsweetened foods as possible.
• 1-2 years: Occasionally. This might look like a cupcake at a birthday party or an ice cream from the ice cream truck at an event. So, it’s not a super regular part of the diet, but occurs here and there, as parents are still unlikely to be getting requests from their children at this age for an abundance of sweet foods on a regular basis.
• Over 2: Sure. Sweets can and will have more regularity in the diet, as children this age are becoming much more social and present in group environments where sweeter snacks and desserts are served. From this point onward, sweets should never be the primary nourishment source, but a little something sweet after a meal and in moderation is completely fine.

Here are some tips to help your kids reasonably include but not obsess over sugar.

• Include Desserts Or Sweets Without Making Them A Big “Special” Deal – For example, 1-2 cookies packed with school lunch, sends your child the message that they can enjoy something sweet after they eat their meal. It also guides them with a portion that is appropriate (without your direct, in the moment oversight) and shows them that you trust them to eat these foods in a responsible way.
• Don’t Make Dessert About “Earning It” – Try to withstand the temptation to tell your children that they can only eat dessert “if they finish all of their broccoli.” This approach sets up a hierarchy with food by which your kids internalize that they have to suffer through their broccoli if they want their brownie. Instead, instill the lesson that they should eat adequately and when they are full from dinner if they’d like a touch of something sweet, they are welcome to it.
• Do Not Use Sweet Foods As A Reward Or Withhold Them As A Punishment – Using food in this fashion will only lead to increased preoccupation with and desire for these types of foods. If your child didn’t listen on the playground and throws sand at another child in the sandbox, the answer is not to withhold their after dinner cookie, but instead to remove them from that play area and let them know that they can’t play in the sandbox if they throw sand.
• Teach Mindfulness – If there are many options for desserts or sweet foods, teach your children to make a choice and remind them that no matter what they choose this time, there will be another opportunity to try one of the other choices a different time. In general, it’s also a good idea to try to avoid having kids eat in front of screens as this disables their attention from their bodies and their ability to notice when they feel full.
• Offer Variety – In the same way that we want to expose our kids to many different types of meal foods, we can present variety with dessert and sweets as well. Sometimes dessert may be chocolate cake and other times it might be a food that contains natural sugars not only added sugars. Show your kids that many different types of sweets can taste good, for example, fresh apple slices or berries drizzled with honey (if they’re over age 1) and sprinkled with shaved coconut or tiny chocolate nibs. Frozen sliced bananas pureed in the food processor for banana to make a home made froze fruit – you can add a dollop of Greek yogurt to this and/or a spoonful of chocolate chips – are also a great choice. clementine wedges dipped in melted chocolate are another fan fave!
• Can I Ever Say No? Yes – As with everything in parenting, it is totally reasonable to sometimes say NO. For example, if everyone is enjoying a brownie for dessert and your child has already enjoyed theirs and asks for more, it is reasonable to say, “I’m so glad you enjoyed your dessert and we can have more tomorrow. If you’re body is still hungry, let me know if you’d like more of your dinner food.” In this way you are acknowledging that the dessert is delicious but that it doesn’t contribute to a sense of fullness. Essentially with this strategy, you will be teaching your children that there is a place and purpose for all foods in their diet.
• Enjoy Dessert With Your Children – In the same way it benefits your kids to see you eating strong meal food, it’s great for them to see you enjoying a sweet treat simply for the pleasure of eating it.

We all have an instinct not to give our child too much sugar or sweets, knowing it is harmful to the body. But long term healthy eating benefits from being intentional about all types of foods. For more information about child nutrition, please contact Appleman Nutrition today.