Limiting Your Toddler’s Sugar Intake

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As the parent of a toddler you try to limit the amount of sugar your child eats. It isn’t always easy to find sweet treats that aren’t loaded with sugar that your toddler enjoys. There are a number of simple ways that you can rein in your toddler’s sugar consumption without completely denying her a sweet tooth.

It is recommended that a child’s diet have no more than 10% of the daily calories come from sugar. The amount of sugar that children consume has almost doubled in the past 25 years. The sugar in your child’s diet doesn’t just come from added sugar or “sweets” like candy. Many processed foods contain high fructose corn syrup and other corn syrups and sweeteners. Studies have shown that sugar intake can be detrimental to children’s energy, concentration, mood and behavior in addition to the long-term effects on the body.

Whether you have always been diligent in keeping sugar out of your toddler’s diet or are trying to make healthy changes there are a number of tricks to meet your goal. If your toddler is already used to having sugary treats it may take some creative planning and a little extra time but you can still help her develop a taste for unsweetened foods and beverages.

Gradually Reducing Sugar

• Cereal- If your toddler has grown accustomed to sweetened cereals you can slowly wean her off of them, while adjusting her tastes, by gradually diluting the cereal with a non-sugared alternative.
• Juice- Slowly dilute juices until they a ½ juice and ½ water mixture. Juices do count as a fruit serving but most contain a lot of sugars. Your toddler shouldn’t drink any more than 4-6 ounces of juice per day.
• Jams & Jellies- Trade in your favorite preserves for an all-fruit spread.
• Yogurt- Fruit yogurt is a surprising source of sugar for many parents. Opt for plain yogurt and add your own fruit to sweeten it up.

Healthier Choices to Satisfy a Sweet Tooth

Fruit is a wonderful and diverse way to satisfy a sweet tooth. Fresh fruit can be cut up and served in a bowl for a quick snack. It can be dried and mixed into cereals, yogurt, and cottage cheese and even paired with steamed veggies. Fruit can be sliced or blended and frozen for a healthy alternative to popsicles and frozen treats. Fruit purees can be added to hot cereals and baked goods.

If you do make baked goods, prepare them without frosting or a glaze.

When to Have Sweets

When you serve sweets is just as important as the type of sweets you serve. Having sugar first thing in the morning can cause a “sugar high” followed by a sudden drop, which leads to a tired cranky toddler. The best time to have a sweet treat is after a well-balanced meal, which has plenty of protein and fiber to temper the sugar levels in the body. Also, on a full tummy, your toddler is likely to have a smaller portion.

While sugar can’t be completely eradicated from your toddler’s diet—it is necessary for all that energy that keeps your toddler busy—it can be kept to healthy and appropriate amount without depriving your toddler of some of life’s sweetest pleasures.

Image of toddler with ice cream, © Chrissi Nerantzi

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