How much sugar should children take?

A young African-American boy trying to decide between an apple and a cupcake

Eating too much sugar can often means we’re eating too many calories and if we don’t use them, our body will store them as fat. This can lead to weight gain and if this happens to our children, it’s very likely they will carry it into their adolescent and adult years, becoming overweight or obese. 

How much free sugar should our kids have and is it really that bad? There is room for a little bit of sugar in children’s diets, but these foods and drinks should only be seen as occasional treats, never the norm. High sugar foods tend to have fewer vitamins and minerals, and they may start to replace nutritious foods kids need to grow and develop.

 

Age: 4-6 years

Maximum recommended sugar intake per day: 19g

Teaspoons: 5

 

Age: 7-10yrs

Maximum recommended sugar intake per day:24g

Teaspoons: 6

 

Age: From 11 years

Maximum recommended sugar intake per day:30g

Teaspoons: 7

  
 Foods to be aware of...

Biscuits, some breakfast cereals, pasta sauces, cakes, chocolates, sweets, fizzy drinks and fruit juice are all considered high in sugar. Almost a quarter of free sugar in our children’s diet comes from sugary drinks, and one single can of fizzy drink contains approximately nine teaspoons of sugar. 

Some people believe that diet effects children’s behaviour, and that children become more hyperactive when they have sugar and are less likely to concentrate at school. This is a hotly debated topic and many parents say it dramatically affects their child’s behaviour. Scientifically speaking, there are no published studies to confirm this is the case. What we do know though is that sugar can lead to tooth decay.

 

Top tips and simple swaps

·         Swap high sugar breakfast cereals for plain yogurt with fruit or porridge with berries.  Make sure you read the label as some cereals position themselves as high fibre and healthy, yet contain high levels of sugar. At weekends, try scrambled or poached eggs on toast for a tasty alternative.

·         Instead of cakes, pastries, biscuits or sweets, try a plain scone, unsalted nuts, bread sticks, fruit and vegetable sticks, oat or rice cakes. 

·         Rather than fizzy drinks, try water or unsweetened fruit juice.  Try ice cold milk, or you could blend some fruit, ice and milk and make a healthy, nutritious alternative.

·         Plain yogurt with lots of berries, or fruit salad are other options you can choose.

·         Get your kids involved with preparing and cooking food. If they’ve helped out, they’re more likely to eat it. 

·         Be a role model – children tend to copy behaviour so if they see you eating a healthy diet, they will too.

The advice isn’t to just cut down on sugar – demonising one ingredient isn’t always very helpful.

We should encourage our children to eat healthier snacks and have more nutritious drinks, eat more fruit and vegetables and increase fibre by having wholemeal and wholegrain options. Being really active is also key, and encouraging different sports and activities is equally as important.