Cutting out sugar from your child's diet? Here's why you need a smart snacking plan!

by Elloww Team

It is now widely accepted that high amounts of sugar are not healthy, for either adults or children. However, for busy working parents, it can be a hard balance to strike, to keep children both happy and well-fed, whilst reducing the amount of sugar in their diets. There are now a growing number of snack products marketed at children, but so many of these biscuits, sweets, and even fruit-based products can be sugar laden. That's why many parents are keen to adopt a smart snacking plan. 


The long-term impacts of sugar on your child's health

Whilst they are young, the health implications of a high sugar diet may not be obvious. As long as your child is also doing lots of sports and games, their metabolism will help them to burn off the calories. However, as they age, having a habitually high-sugar diet may have noticeable effects on their weight and general health. If they get into poor snacking habits from a young age, they may be at increased risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, which can develop as a consequence of heavy sugar consumption. 


One of the impacts that you might notice sooner rather than later is the increased likelihood of tooth decay. When your child eats sugar, it interacts with the bacteria naturally present in the mouth and produces an acid that slowly dissolves tooth enamel. This means that sugar from sweets, chocolate and biscuits is a prime culprit for causing cavities, which may require fillings - or even lead to teeth removal. 


Healthy snack options that are great for kids

Lots of advice on cutting sugar out of your diet is aimed at adults. Generally, tips like replacing sweet treats with a healthy portion of chopped vegetables might work well for an adult who has the will-power to stick to a restrictive diet plan. However, for children, there is a certain need to be realistic in terms of what they will be willing to eat. Low-sugar chocolate, unsweetened popcorn, chickpea or vegetable-based crisps can all be good options that your child can enjoy as a treat, without consuming too much sugar. 


Our snack subscriptions are a great way to add a healthy snack to a lunchbox, or to stockpile treats for when your child is at home. The great selection of healthy bars, vegetable crisps, and packets of nibbles offer a completely hassle-free solution to low-sugar snacking. So save yourself time and energy, and find out about how we can help your smart snacking plan today!