Most people have a sweet tooth, developed through a lifetime of licking the cookie dough mixer or having a bowl of ice cream with their favorite TV show. And unfortunately, control is the name of the sweet tooth game.
And as apples don’t fall far from the tree, most children also develop a sweet tooth. But, they don’t have a lifetime of experience teaching them that too much chocolate will make their stomachs hurt.
That’s where you come in. Explain to your child or teenager that sweets are packed with refined sugars, which are addictive and harmful to their teeth.
But the question remains – how do you curb your child’s existing sweet tooth?
Dentists’ Most Wanted
Sugary beverages like soda, sports drinks and energy drinks all contribute to your child’s sugar intake. The more sugar they ingest, the more their bodies crave it. The same goes for most junk foods so try to stay away!
A good way to instill healthier eating habits when your kids aren’t at home is to pack their lunches instead of buying them at school. Helping them build a healthy, balanced lunch can create a lifelong habit of healthy eating.
Good Sugar Exists
The goal isn’t to cut out all sugars. Instead, encourage your child to consume sugars that are found naturally within certain foods, like fruit. The sugar in fruit is balanced by the other nutrients in the food, like fiber.
Fun choices, like chocolate covered strawberries or chocolate and granola covered bananas, are great ways to introduce balance into your children’s diet. A small amount of chocolate is there, but the core of the snack is fruit.
Start Eating Better Today
Curbing a sweet tooth can be simple when you arm yourself with nutritious alternatives. If your child’s stomach is full of healthy food, they won’t crave sweets.
The biggest obstacle is buying the right items at the grocery store. Consider purchasing foods filled with healthy fats like nuts, avocados, dairy products, eggs or turkey.
