I wanted to write this blog post more for my own research purposes than anything else. I have a 4 year old and an almost 6 year old and the only way we get through a full sit down dinner is by dangling the carrot that is “last course”.
It started out occasionally with my oldest but then it became a staple once both kids became toddlers. My husband and I agree that we want to do dinner together every night as a family as much as possible. It turns out most young children don’t see it that way (or at least in our household). Every 5 minutes someone is getting up to go potty, to look at something cool like an ambulance, or just stand around the table.
I did not grow up eating dessert, so it is strange for me to do this now. It has been so effective at having everyone eat their dinner and stay seated for portions of time, that I am not sure how I can change what we are doing.
I figured I can’t be the only one in this predicament, so I looked into how much sugar kids “should” or “could” have. Apparently none if you are under 2. Luckily, we are out of that stage! The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends less than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar per day for children between 2 and 18 years old. It seems strange that is the same amount for such a large age range but let’s stick with that.
The best way to figure out how much sugar your children are eating is to read food labels. Cereals, juice, and cookies can have lots of it.
So what to do if you are in the same boat as we are? I try to maintain a balanced diet and avoid juice and sugary snacks throughout the day. The best way to avoid your children eating or drinking things you don’t want them to is to not keep them in the house.
I hope to cut back desserts as much as possible with time but for now these are some of my tricks to minimize sugars elsewhere:
- Avoid sugary cereals. We only have Kix and regular Cheerios for breakfast.
- Whole grains as much as possible. Tortillas, bread, pasta, rice, even Goldfish!
- No juice except for special occasions and no more than 4 oz.
- Have a wide range of snacks. We are no strangers to Goldfish, Cheeze its, and veggie straws but we also have popcorn, unsweetened applesauce, seaweed, string cheese, fruits and veggies.
- Eat food first, then milk. Their lunch and dinner have carbs, protein, and veggies/fruits. Milk can be filling and makes it hard to finish all the nutritious food. If they want last course, they have to eat all their food and they can get their milk at that time! They especially know they have to eat their protein!
- Choose granola bars wisely. Those things can have so much sugar! I have settled for small Kind bars that are 100 calories and have the least amount of sugar I could find in a granola bar.
- No soda.
- Parents are the best role models. We have to eat healthy in order for our children to model our behavior. They also watch me exercise several times per week and drink lots of water!
There are many health reasons to watch the amount of sugar we are all taking. Eating too much sugar is linked to obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. I also know I will lose my mind if I don’t have some type of leverage to get through our dinner.
I wish everyone the best of luck in finding ways to make your children eat healthy, avoid dessert, eat all their food on their plate, and sit through a full dinner. Please comment below if you have any suggestions!
In the mean time, I will continue to work on teaching them healthy eating habits. A well-balanced diet can include a small portion of dessert. Don’t forget plenty of exercise too!
