*This post contains affiliate links
Kids are sugar addicts. Whenever they have the chance to eat something sweet and sugary, they grasp it with both hands. Throughout your normal life, you probably manage to restrict their sugar intake quite well. But, thanks to lockdown, your kids might be going sugar crazy!
They’re bored in the house, which means they take to eating lots of snacks and treats all the time. They’re dipping in and out of the Nutella jar, taking chocolate from the fridge, and so on. Worse, you feel bad for them being at home and may reward them with extra sweets to help them cope.
Clearly, this isn’t wise at all. So, how do you stop your kids from eating too much sugar while they’re locked inside?
Lock away the lockdown treats
I thought about saying that you should avoid buying sugary treats, but we all know that’s impossible. Especially when you’re locked inside - everyone needs a pick-me-up! Instead, lock away the sweets and treats. Hide them from view, and don’t tell your kids where they are. This way, they’re not tempted by anything, and they can’t go into the cupboards and take treats when you’re not looking. Simple yet very effective.
Get low-sugar snacks for them
Another idea is to try and remove as much harmful sugar as possible from their diets. Instead, replace a lot of the sugary treats with healthier things. Raspberries are incredibly sweet and can be an excellent snack for kids. The sugar in fruit is nowhere near as bad as the refined stuff in chocolates and sweets. Put it this way, your kids are not likely to need an emergency trip to the dentist if they swap out chocolate for fruit! Frozen grapes are another awesome idea that you might like. If you want things that are slightly more indulgent, then watch the video below for some low-sugar snack ideas. These aren’t completely devoid of sugar, but they will have far less than the average snack.
Make sure they have hearty meals
What makes kids snack? Yes, boredom is one factor, but hunger is another. Hungry kids go looking for extra food more than ones that feel full. So, you should turn your attention to their meals. It can be hard to cook for kids, but you should still try and ensure they have hearty meals. Even something like plain pasta is way more filling than a couple of fish fingers and three smiley faces. Plus, the more you encourage your children to try new things, the sooner they end up liking them. With that in mind, focus on giving your kids filling meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Those are my ideas to stop your kids from eating loads of sugar during lockdown. Why is this important? Because loads of kids end up getting teeth pulled out because they eat too much sugar. Not only that, but high sugar intake is strongly linked to obesity and diabetes. In short, sugar is bad for you. Keep your kids healthy by cutting down their intake today.
No comments