Taming the Sugar Monster
When it comes to Valentine’s Day, there are two types of people. Those who love it, and those who hate it. Personally, I love it. I love spending time with family and friends. I love making homemade valentines with my girls, and I love decorating my home with sparkly pink hearts. I believe Valentine’s Day, and every holiday, should be incredibly fun and celebrated to the fullest.
However, what I don’t love about Valentine’s Day is how sugar has taken over another holiday. According to the American Heart Association, the average American child now consumes 20 teaspoons of added sugar every day. For optimal health, our kiddos should be getting no more than six teaspoons a day. Excess sugar consumption weakens the immune system and has been linked to an increased chance of type 2 diabetes, respiratory issues and obesity. Instead of simple valentines, our kids are coming home with goody bags filled with sugary sweets. At the classroom party, two or more snacks are usually served in just a 30-minute window. And, for many children, this is after they started their day with sugar sweetened cereal, granola bars or yogurt. Add the chocolate milk served at lunch and a mid-morning snack of sweet crackers or mini-muffins, and you can see how our sugar consumption is so out of control.
“But it’s a holiday! We need to celebrate!” I completely agree. Holidays are a wonderful time. However, we are constantly celebrating something. What if we took the focus away from the treats and put it on other things. Becky Weir, owner of A Shear Thing salon and Shawnee mom, loves to give out goody bags. But, she has made a commitment to fill them with things other than food. Mini yo-yos, Slinkies, stickers and gel pens are all great alternatives. They are still inexpensive, and Becky says the kids in her daughter’s class are actually more excited about the trinkets than the treats.
Even teachers agree it’s become excessive. Karly Roush, a second grade teacher in the DeSoto school district and mama to two, agrees. “Treats and sugar in the classroom have increased greatly over the years that I've been a teacher. We celebrate everything and it does often include sweets. As a parent, I know it's fun to send your kid in with a treat to celebrate a holiday or occasion. But, from the teacher perspective, I also see how much they're consuming each week or each day, and sometimes it seems excessive. There is truth to the sugar hangover following holidays and school parties. Students are very tired and have a hard time focusing. As teachers, we know this can be a problem.”
Roush works hard to teach her students to not overindulge on treats, and puts an emphasis on bringing in healthy snacks to balance treats out. If an item has a ton of frosting or is large, she reminds students they do not have to eat the whole thing.
When it comes to post-game snacks, Amy Schwindt, a busy sports mom in western Shawnee, encourages parents to keep snacks simple. “A piece of fruit is really all that’s needed. Our kids don’t need the equivalent of a full meal after every game. At the end of the season, instead of going out for ice cream, have your team party at a place like Pizza West. The food is fresh and everyone has fun.”
So what are we supposed to do? We need to start with education. Kids love to learn. Explain to your children that our sugar consumption has gotten out of control. Sit down at the computer together to read about the risks associated with too much sugar. Make up a little reward chest with trinkets. When your child does something that should be rewarded, let your kid visit the chest instead of eating a treat. As a team, review a typical day of eating. If your child is currently eating a snack cake, fruit snacks and flavored milk at lunch, decide which one is the favorite and then replace the other two with healthier options. Finally, read labels. You will be shocked at how much sugar is in foods we consider healthy.
Parents, defaulting to just giving our kids what they want is easy. Sugar tastes good. We all get that. But our nation is out of control. We’ve got to pull in the reigns to protect our children now and in their future. Let’s tame that sugar monster!
Katie Newell is a certified nutrition coach with a passion for helping families become better. She is also a culinary instructor, cookbook author and mama to two sweet girls, ages 7 and 8. You can order her cookbook, Feeding our Families, and check out her real food recipes at HealthnutFoodie.com.