Have you ever promised treats or candies as a reward to your children who have behaved well? It's not a good idea
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousHave you ever promised in prize of treats or other types of foods that are palatable to your children that have behaved well?
Experts warn that this isn't exactly a good idea. Now that the holidays are over, we limit their sugar intake and offer our children healthier sweet alternatives.
During the holiday season, children got used to eating a few more treats and now it may be difficult to make them understand that it is necessary to take a step back and limit their sugar intake for the sake of their health.
We often make the mistake of promising sweet food to children as a result of some good deed or reward. It is the experts who remind us that this is not a good habit and that according to the newly published British guidelines, children should indulge in no more than two small snacks a day.
In the Change4Life campaign, UK health officials urged parents to look for 100-calorie snacks. Of course, the existing sweets, especially the packaged ones, are abundant in terms of energy supply and are full of sugar.
Irish dietitian Orla Walsh reminds us that:
“If a child receives one or two treats a day it is no longer a pleasure, it is simply an unhealthy habit. Do not reward children with food, they are not dogs, for the little ones a round of applause, a sticker or a hug is all the reward they need. (…) For older children, simple things like the promise of being able to read an extra chapter at night in bed or a date to play with friends are fine. "
Among other things, sugar has been repeatedly linked to addiction and excessive and constant intake can cause mood swings, headaches and flu-like symptoms in the smallest (but not only) children.
Therefore, rewarding children constantly with sweets exposes them to possible risks and above all makes them adopt incorrect eating habits that they will probably carry with them even as adults. In this sense, the role of the family is very important which, among other things, must also educate to a good relationship with healthy food:
“The whole family must change and parents must lead by example: if there is no junk food at home, what choice do the children have? If it is not there, they cannot access it ".
But now that the holidays are just past and we've probably gone too far, what can we do to get the kids over their sugar addiction?
The doctor recommends letting the little ones play as much as possible in the open air in order to dispose of some of the junk food they have consumed. Don't be afraid of the cold, just cover them well!
You can then make the desserts at home which in this way will be much healthier. In fact, you can limit the sugar to the maximum or better still use alternative sweeteners or naturally sugary fruit such as apple or banana. The palate of the little ones will soon get used to these flavors with great benefits for their health.
Start making your desserts healthier now by reading our tips:
- 10 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME-MADE DESSERTS MORE HEALTHY
Naturally, Dr. Walsh recalls that the discussion is much broader and that it is necessary to teach children the pleasure of eating healthy food, the one that is really able to make them acquire the right energy and make them grow strong.
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Read also:
- The incredible amount of refined sugar we eat
- Too much sugar hidden in food and drink, 5 tricks to find it (and avoid it)
