INDUSTRY INSIGHT
EDUCATION
SPONSORED CONTENT
Taming the
Sweet Tooth
in Children
C
hildren love sweet treats. Children have more taste buds than
adults and are more sensitive to sweet flavors, which may be
why they crave sweets more. How can we help them avoid
overindulging with all the summer birthday celebrations, holidays and
cold treats?
One way to minimize the allure of and desire for sweets is to serve
dessert with dinner. This makes dessert seem like part of the meal,
not something children have to work for by eating foods they haven’t
tried yet or don’t like. They may grab the dessert first, but over time
they will learn that the other, healthier foods on their plate are the
ones that provide them with more nutritional value and energy. Let
your children decide when they’ve had enough; they may start out
overeating, but they will quickly learn that too much sugar makes
their stomachs hurt and can lead to headaches, hyperactivity and
tiredness. Let your children know that they can and will have more
sweets another time, so they don’t feel like they’ll never have a
chance to have this “bad” food again.
Make sure that your children mostly eat healthy, good-for-you
foods that help bodies grow, and the rest can be fun foods, like sweets
and salty snacks. Children can grasp this concept, and it helps them
make decisions about what to eat.
As parents, instead of describing sugary foods as bad, we can
explain to children that these foods have very little nutritional value
and won’t help them grow healthy bodies. If we see sweets as an
occasional pleasure that won’t offer us a lasting boost in energy,
instead of something forbidden, we’ll be healthier for it.
Sources:
http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2011/02/managing-sweets-part-6-10-strategies-forending-kids-sugar-obsession/
http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/real-ways-eat-less-sugar
This Industry Insight was co-authored by the owners of The Goddard Schools located in
Moon Township & Wexford. Dina Speranza & Carol Maier (left) are the owners of The
Goddard School® located at 800 Commerce Avenue in Moon Township. Mark & Jennifer
Rebstock (right) are the owners of The Goddard School® located at 3000 Brooktree Road,
Wexford. Goddard offers both full- and part-time infant/toddler/preschool/kindergarten
programs. For more information, visit www.goddardschool.com.
Sewickley | Spring 2016 | icmags.com 39