Holiday Helpers — Help Kids With Mindful Sugar Intake

The holiday season is synonymous with joy, celebration, and sugar. From Halloween candy to Christmas cookies, sugar is everywhere, as we all seek to fill the increasingly short days with energy and light. With a few strategies, you can help your kids enjoy the festivities with mindful awareness.

Educate

Sugar is not harmful in moderation. But when eaten excessively (especially when it is added to food artificially as refined sugar) it can contribute to many physiological imbalances. These imbalances can eventually lead to a multitude of illnesses and diseases. Help your child understand that eating foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and more provides the necessary building blocks to make their body function healthfully and optimally. Foods that are high in added sugars are stripped of these nutrients, so while they may provide a short burst of temporary fuel, they don’t help the body with long-term growth and development.

Set a Positive Example

Kids mimic their parents’ behavior. If they see you reaching for healthy snacks, they will do the same. If they see you prioritizing nutrient-dense foods in your meals, they will eventually have the same goals. Enjoy sweets in moderation and show them that they are super fun as an occasional indulgence.

Setting a positive example also means maintaining a positive relationship to eating. Harboring shame and guilt around food only increases kids’ anxiety and does not result in healthy decision making.

Create Healthy Options

Many holiday treats can be made with less sugar and more nutrition, and still taste just as good, if not better. Try researching healthier recipes for holiday staples, or experiment with modified versions of your own. If they don’t turn out as good, consider what you can do to make them better without excess sugar.

Life is too precious for it to be worth stressing or feeling guilt around food choices. Instead, let’s help prompt our next generation to make decisions that keep them healthy, and most importantly, happy.