How can I wean children off the holiday sugar habit?

A problem shared by mother-of-four and GP Clare Bailey: How can I wean children off the holiday sugar habit?

• An anonymous parent is concerned about their children’s increased sugar intake
• Their two children have meltdowns if they are denied their favourite sweet treats
• Clare Bailey advises making simple changes such as choosing low sugar cereal 

Q My children’s sugar intake has rocketed over the school holidays. They’re seven and nine and have a sweet tooth at the best of times. Every day out seems to result in either cake or ice cream, then meltdowns if they are denied. I’m starting to wonder if it’s making them more irritable and hyper? 

They’re also munching their way through far more sugarloaded cereals than usual, particularly when staying with their grandparents. How can I turn the tide before they go back to school?

A One of the joys of the holidays is to be able to relax the rules. That often means treats like ice cream, particularly tempting in the record summer heat. But if you add in sugarsweetened breakfast cereals, your children are likely to be wired before the day has begun. 

An anonymous parent is concerned about their children’s increased sugar intake. Their two children have meltdowns if they are denied their favourite sweet treats

It can be hard to know what’s too much, but we do know that a sweet and processed diet is likely to contribute to mood swings, and irritability. The NHS suggests limiting sugar for seven to ten-year-olds to six teaspoons (24g) a day. Yet just one Magnum ice cream, for example, contains five teaspoons of sugar (20g) which is close to the daily limit. 

In their book Sugarproof, doctors Michael Goran and Emily Ventura say: ‘What’s tricky is that there are many other sources of hidden sugars in children’s diets, including breakfast cereals, yogurts, granola bars and juices. 

‘It’s easy to overlook how much sugar is in these products, as food manufacturers label them with claims like “whole grain” or “source of calcium” yet many contain three or more teaspoons of added sugar per serving.’ 

Even if children are not overweight, limiting added sugar can have many health benefits such as more stable moods, healthier teeth, increased concentration in school, as well as preventing future chronic health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, liver disease, even Alzheimer’s. 

Clare Bailey (pictured) advises making simple changes such as choosing low sugar cereal

Make some simple changes at home, breakfast is an ideal place to start. Choose a breakfast that is low in added sugar and contains protein and fibre. Ideas include eggs on wholemeal toast; overnight oats or full-fat yoghurt, topped with fruit and/or nuts. If you do serve cereal, choose one with less than 3g of added sugar per serving, and top it with fruit and seeds like flax or chia for extra fibre. Or use cereal as a topping for natural yogurt. 

Have sweet treats like ice cream after a meal to help buffer the effects on your child’s blood sugar and ideally incorporate it with physical activity. Make treats so you can reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe or sweeten with fruit instead. Puree your favourite fruit, pour into moulds and freeze them. 

Choose savoury snacks rich in protein and fibre to stabilise blood sugar levels and keep kids satisfied, such as raw vegetables with a dip, fruit with natural yogurt, nuts, hard boiled eggs, cheese slices and toast with nut butter or avocado. 

• Have you ever been tempted to eat insects, such as locusts or crickets? Perhaps you should. Not only are they packed with healthy protein (pound for pound they contain more protein and fibre than meat or fish) but they are environmentally friendly too and, being rich in fibre, good for the gut. An insect-based dog food seems to have helped our dog, Tari, who almost died after getting a gut infection. My husband, Michael, who once put himself on an insect diet in a mad experiment, assures me that grasshoppers, toasted and mixed with lime and chilis, makes a delicious crunchy snack. 

We’ve been brushing all wrong! 

Should you spit or should you rinse? Well, it turns out I have been doing it wrong for decades. According to a survey, I am among the majority (62 per cent) who put their oral health at risk by rinsing with water after brushing. This washes away protective fluoride, which would otherwise strengthen enamel and prevent tooth decay. To those habitual rinsers, it’s time to get spitting! 

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