"Don't give your kids sweets as a reward": on reducing sugar in children's diets

The Public Health Organization of Great Britain has warned English parents that it is time to get rid of bad eating habits. Children eat three meals a day, and it cannot be said that this improves their health. In order not to undermine it and not to face extra pounds, parents should be stricter with their children. The readers of the British newspaper The Guardian were asked what they think about this, and here are some answers.

“Don't give kids sweets as a reward”: Maria Karanika-Murray, 42, Nottingham

After school we give the child a fruit, vegetable or cheese sandwich. The timing is perfect: when our son returns from school with friends, he is so tired that he will eat anything. So you can even introduce him to something new. Children also get used to perceiving sweets as a reward - and we ourselves teach them to do this. I try not to do this and hope that my grandparents respect my decision. We can teach them to treat fruits like that!

Children, more often than not, eat exactly as much as they need. I quickly noticed that if my son is not hungry, he will not ask for dessert and may even refuse the pudding. It's a good habit, but we unlearn it as we get older. Eating well and enough is much more important than eating the whole plate. Perhaps the question is not how to limit children's snacks, but how to get them to love and get used to healthy eating. This means that diversity, regularity and good habits must extend to the whole family.

"They only get one snack, but they can choose": Amber, Germany

We invite children to choose what they want to eat on their own: we read the labels aloud, not forgetting the content of E-supplements, glucose and fructose. We have established a rule: only one snack and that's it. They themselves choose which one they like, and the choice is very diverse. We all know that bans are not always effective.

"Don't take small children to supermarkets!" Madeleine Westall, 61, Isle of Man, Scotland

Don't take small children to supermarkets! Don't buy them what they shouldn't eat, and follow your own rules: don't buy chips, so no chips, even on holidays. And do not eat what you forbid your children to eat! It seems to me that a good example set for children at a very young age may come back to haunt in the distant future. It should be remembered, however, that teenagers eat whatever comes their way. It would be easier if the school had professional nutritionists to help parents of primary school children. Dentists and regular conversations would also be helpful.

Rule of thumb: Don't give them the same snack two days in a row: Neil Welch, Hampshire

We have a list of snacks that kids can keep in the refrigerator. They have two snacks per day from the list: between breakfast, lunch and dinner (but not within an hour after eating). The main rule is not to give them the same snack for two days in a row to maintain variety. When there is no snack left in the refrigerator, we cross it off the list until we buy a new one.

“We try to give sweets at the same time”: Gary M, 29, Yorkshire

Aside from special occasions (like birthday parties), we usually only serve sweets once a day: right after dinner. We've been doing this for several years now, and our child has stopped asking for snacks and drinks outside of this time.She knows exactly when to ask and does not get upset if we ask her to wait with a snack before dinner (for example, when in the supermarket she sees sweets on display in the window).

Try to stick to your schedule. We are all people of habit, and, like any other routine, it will take some time to get used to it. But, as soon as you take the first step, you will be surprised how quickly your child begins to support and control you on his own! Well, and the last thing: you should behave exactly as your children should behave. It’s useless to say that they shouldn’t eat a packet of chips or any chocolate bar if you yourself break this rule. ”

Gastin A.