Sugar: How Much Are Your Kids Getting?

Do your kids come home every day bouncing off the walls? You might start to wonder exactly how much sugar they are getting each day and where it is coming from. Along with the uncontrollable sugar high, too much sugar in children’s diets can result in health concerns, as well as poor eating habits that they will carry with them into adulthood.

Breakfast Sugars
Some say breakfast is the most important meal, but several breakfast foods – especially the ones marketed for children – come packed with sugar. Many sweet-tasting cereals, pastries, and strudels have so much sugar that they could easily pass as a dessert. If you prepare homemade pancakes, waffles, or French toast for your family, watch your children to see if they are covering those warm breakfasts in syrup or powdered sugar. 

Filling Their Cup
A lot of “hidden” sugars sneak into the drinks your children love. Soda and energy drinks are big sources of sugar, and many kids will enjoy several bottles a day. Trading out Cokes and Gatorade for juice can work, but you need to be careful at the store. Many juices are similarly packed with sugar to sweeten things up. Look for brands that don’t add any sweeteners to their concoctions. 

Sugar at School
School can be a wild card when trying to moderate your children’s sugar intake, especially if you give them cash to purchase their own lunch. Many kids will skip over the official lunch selection, and use their money to buy ice cream sandwiches or sugary snacks. Some teachers will also use candy as a reward system to motivate good behavior or grades from the students.

If you are concerned with how much sugar your children are getting, call our 24/7 Consult-A-Nurse® hotline at 1-866-442-2362 to ask questions or receive a referral for a pediatric doctor. We can help you assess your children’s current diets and determine how much sugar is permissible for them on a daily basis. For more information about our pediatric services, visit our website.

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