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It is no surprise that excess sugar leads to tooth decay and stunts taste buds from maturing in children under two-years-old. Or that it is linked to the development of risk factors for heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes in children, teens and adults. But just how much sugar should be introduced in the average American’s diet is up for discussion and debate. To help parents navigate the ever-evolving sugar-filled world we live in these days, the American Heart Association announced in an article in Circulation, new guidelines to support the idea that less sugar is more healthy.  

According to the AHA, the average child ages 2-18 should consume no more than 6 teaspoons, or 25 grams, of free sugar daily. Some experts say that free sugar, sugar that is added to a particular food or drink, should be limited as much as possible. Some common free sugars are honey, table sugars, maple syrups, fructose, and molasses. 

“There has been a lack of clarity and consensus regarding how much added sugar is considered safe for children, so sugars remain a commonly added ingredient in foods and drinks, and overall consumption by children remains high--the typical American child consumes about triple the recommended amount of added sugars,” explained Miriam Vos, M.D. and lead author of the study used in the AHA article.

For parents and consumers, the tricky part of recognizing the amount of sugar a child is consuming can be daunting for two reasons.  One, the companies who produce processed food are currently not required by law to publicize the amount of natural sugars a product contains versus the amount of free sugars that are added into a product. 

According to FDA.gov, companies who manufacture processed foods will be required to include this information on the nutrition labels for their products by July 2018. Two, sugar seems to be everywhere and in everything: It’s in fruit juices, sports drinks, breakfast bars, cereals, even pasta sauces. So as a parent, especially working parents who might not have as much time to devote to cooking healthy, made-from-scratch meals, it is next to impossible to escape the relentless addition of sugar in most of the foods consumed. 

So as you are reflecting about just how much sugar is consumed in your household (because I am sure you have nothing else to do) and you are finding that the white sugary substance is more prevalent than you thought, here are some tips on how to kick it:

Monkey see, monkey do
Chances are if you consume a lot of processed foods, sugary substances, or fructose-filled beverages, your child will also follow suit. Instead, change your own habits to help reflect a more ideal diet filled with natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to show them how to pick out the proper foods to eat.

MasterChef Junior
Don’t feel like you have to do all of this alone. Try to get the kids actively engaged in daily food prep so they understand what they are eating and how it benefits them beyond making them full. Teach them how to use a knife, measure ingredients, follow a recipe, and clean up after themselves. Use this opportunity as a chance to learn how to cook with fresh ingredients and to teach the kiddos how to use them as well.

Cut out the “Natural Sweeteners”
Foods that are labeled as containing strawberry purees and concentrates may sound healthy, but it is really just another way of saying added sugar. Avoid buying processed foods like fruit roll ups and flavored apple sauces. If these items are must haves (and I can sympathize), then learn how to make them yourself so you can control the ingredients going into them. 

One-a-day Rule
The motto in my household is “everything in moderation,” which means that I don’t restrict sugar but I also don’t allow my daughter to have a ton of it (unless she goes to auntie’s house). So for my family, the one-a-day rule works pretty well. I provide a choice of sugary treats for my daughter ranging from a glass of white milk turned into chocolate milk at dinner or a scoop of ice cream for dessert. She decides which “treat” she wants, but she doesn’t get both.

Avoid processed foods
The more a chef can control in her kitchen, the better.  Skip the store bought, processed foods by only shopping the perimeter of the grocery store and begin to learn how to make your own rubs, sauces, and culinary masterpieces (there are apps and websites galore to help you get started). The ingredients are fresh and the benefits of using fresh herbs and spices are plentiful. It might be hard at first, but trust me, your dentist and your doctor will praise you!

Mix and Mingle
It’s okay if your son is resistant to the less-is-more sugar crusade you are on. After all, change takes time and patience (and a little bit of bribery in some cases). To get him bought into the process, encourage him to mix his sugar-filled cereal with the whole grain, no sugar added cereal to gradually wean him off of the sugary substance.

Read the Labels
For me, this is the toughest part when determining what to purchase because many companies use words synonymously. So unless you have a PH.D. in Nutritional Science, which most of us do not, it is sometimes hard to decipher what is good versus what is bad.  To add insult, companies are not ordered by law to tell consumers what type of sugar, added or natural, is in a product because it is considered proprietary information (at least until 2018 when a new law hits the books and the store shelves hard).  Here are some buzzwords to watch for: high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, dextrose, and fructose are just a few. 

Go Slowly
Try not to turn into Mommy Dearest by raiding the pantry looking for high-fructose to enact revenge on. Instead, slowly replace the sugary treats with items that are filled with more nutrients and less calories, such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, or whole grains.