- Healthy Habits Mom
Holiday Sugar Rush
The holidays are a tough time for adults and kids alike to resist all of the beautiful and delectable sugary treats adorned for the season. It is easy to find comfort in the words, "I will eat healthier after the holidays!" As parents, trying to keep our kids from sugar mania is almost a full time job. This year my husband and I started a new approach with our daughter.
New Approach to Holiday Treats
This year we added some conditions and guidelines to eating holiday treats for our eleven year old daughter who has quite a sweet tooth. We sat her down and discussed that she would have to eat at least three servings of fruits and vegetables before she could have a holiday treat. As you can image, this "new rule" was a bit different than the all you can eat "Sugar Buffet" that she had in mind. She quickly asked us if we would also follow the rule. After some silence and reflection, we realized that we needed to show solidarity in our approach to healthy eating.
Daily Recommended Sugar
The new rule conversation was accompanied by a discussion on the daily recommended sugar intake. According to the medical experts women and children should have no more than 25 grams of sugar (6 tsp.). We agreed as a family to do research on our treat of the day to try to stay in the limits of the guidelines. All of us agreed that we could have some wiggle room over the holiday!
As the holidays are wrapping up and we are looking forward to the new year, we all feel we did a better job over the holidays of enjoying the festivities while doing right by our health.