A bowl of sweetened cereal in the morning. A bag of fruit snacks in the afternoon. A scoop of ice cream after dinner. Sugar in your child's diet can add up.
Many parents say they'd like to see their kids eat more fruits and vegetables and less sugar. But accomplishing that can be a challenge.
On average, U.S. kids consume 81 grams of sugar each day. That's more than 3 times the recommended limit of 24 grams for kids over age 2. Ideally kids under 2 wouldn't consume added sugar at all.
What are added sugars?
Added sugars are the sweeteners added to foods and drinks. They might be listed as syrup or an ingredient ending in –ose like "maltose" or "sucrose."
Food labels now list grams of added sugar as well as total sugar. Foods like fruit and dairy have natural sugar that will be included as the "total sugars." Sugars that naturally occur are not a concern, but added sugars are.
For example, a cup of strawberry yogurt might list 14 grams of sugar and 9 grams of added sugar. That means 5 grams of sugar are natural from the dairy and fruit. 9 grams of sugar were added to the product.
Added sugars increase calories but not nutrients in the diet. They can be found in:
- Sweetened beverages like soda, fruit drinks and sports drinks.
- Desserts and sweet snacks like brownies, graham crackers and ice cream.
- Candy and other sweets.
- Cereal and granola bars.
Sugar is also added to foods you might not think of as sweet, like breads, sauces and plant-based milks.
Added sugar increases a child's risk of obesity, tooth decay, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. It might also affect a child's ability to focus at school.
Why do kids eat so much sugar?
Most people have a natural preference for sweet foods. It's just how they're built. And marketing around high-sugar foods, like sweetened cereals, cookies and soda, makes them look enticing.
So if kids are left to make their own choices, they're likely to choose high-sugar foods. And "kid" food tends to pack in sugar.
For example:
- 2 slices of white bread can have 5 grams of added sugar.
- A toaster pastry has 15 grams of added sugar.
- Canned spaghetti has 6 grams of added sugar.
- A 12-ounce can of soda has 39 grams of sugar.
When they fill up on sweets, kids might be less interested in trying foods high in vitamins and minerals.
Expert tips for reducing kids' sugar intake
Dr. Angela C. Mattke, MD, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children's Center, and Katherine A. Zeratsky, RDN, LD a dietitian at Mayo Clinic, offer suggestions for limiting sugar — and helping kids learn to like nutrient-rich foods.
Be a role model
Dr. Mattke says it's common for parents to tell her that their kids don't like eating vegetables. And parents often admit they don't like eating vegetables either. Kids learn from their role models, so let your kids see you eating and enjoying low-sugar foods.
Buy differently
Remember: A child can only eat the food that's available to them.
"It starts with the grocery list and what comes into the house," Zeratsky says. "Have fruits and vegetables and all types of foods available."
Try to bring home lower-sugar versions of foods like ketchup, salad dressings and pasta sauces.
You can also encourage kids to assemble foods themselves. For example, plain Greek yogurt has no added sugar. Children can top it themselves with fresh or frozen fruits and nuts. It's also less expensive to buy a big container of yogurt and bag of frozen strawberries than it is to buy individual cups.
Rethink snacks
"In general, young kids need to eat about every two or three hours," Dr. Mattke says. "So they do need snacks a couple of times a day."
But snacks don't have to be sweet. Offer the same foods you would provide at mealtimes, like fruits, vegetables, cheese or yogurt.
Add filling foods
Eating sweets can become a cycle. Foods high in sugar or refined grains like cookies don't have nutrients that fill you up. So people tend to eat more. Instead, try to add fiber, protein or a small amount of healthy fat to meals and snacks. Some examples include:
- Crackers and peanut butter.
- An apple and a cheese stick.
- A trail mix of nuts and dried fruit.
Offer water and milk
Since most of a child's sugar comes from drinks, steer them toward sugar-free beverages like water and milk. Try to choose juices without added sugar and limit kids to 4 ounces per day.
Fill the fruit bowl
Fruit is nature's candy, so encourage kids to try all different kinds. Fruit and dairy contain fructose and lactose, which are natural sugars. Those don't affect the body the same way added sugars do. Plus, they're low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals.
Find other rewards
When dessert is used as a reward, kids learn that sweets are more valuable than other foods. Instead, you can offer another reward, like, "When you finish your homework, you can ride your bike in the cul de sac."
If you're having something sweet with dinner, serve it at the same time as the meal. Then let the child decide what order to eat their foods in.
Let kids make their choices
As kids get older, they can make choices about what treats they prefer. Zeratsky likes to teach kids to budget their treats the way they might budget their money.
"They can decide if they want the doughnut in the morning, but then that's their choice for the day," she says. "Even if they see something else later."
Do the best you can
No one expects caregivers to feed children perfectly every time. Everyone is doing the best they can in challenging environments where fresh fruits and vegetables might not be readily available, kids see advertisements for sugary snack foods, and schedules don't always leave room to prepare meals from scratch.