Children love sugar, and why not? All the foods they love eating are loaded with sweetness. However, according to statistics, across the world people are eating far too much sugar every day. The average daily added sugar intake for children and young adults aged 2-19 years is 17 tsp or 71 grams, coming mainly from sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, and sweet snacks.
Added sugars, according to experts, are causing various lifestyle diseases like heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, liver issues, etc. And so, to combat the large amounts of sugar being consumed daily, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends less than 10 per cent of calories from added sugars for those two years and older and no added sugars for children under the age of 2 years. Similarly, the American Heart Association recommends that children consume no more than 25 grams or 6 tsp of sugar per day, and also recommends no added sugar under the age of 2 years.
According to experts, it is important to reduce sugar to promote a healthier lifestyle and prevent diseases, with the help of a few easy steps, which include: Add more fruits and vegetables to daily diet Doctors say most children do not eat enough fresh produce which includes fruits and vegetables daily like apples, carrots, broccoli, bananas, and peppers. Whole fruit and vegetables are packed with water and fibre, which help kids to feel full. Also, studies say chewing is an important part of satiety and so including more fruits and vegetab.