Kids
Do Your Kids Have A Sweet Tooth? Here’s How To Manage It
Here’s how to manage your kids’ sweet tooth.
The first taste bud that kids develop is their sweet taste bud. It’s at the frontmost part of the tongue which is why it takes people a while to appreciate the bitter taste of wine or coffee—a taste bud found in the backmost part. But this doesn’t mean depriving kids of sweets. All it takes is changing the content so that instead of processed sugar, they can focus more on natural sugars. Here are ways you can manage your kids’ sweet tooth.
1. Chill some fruits
Grapes, pineapples, and even Cavendish bananas—when chilled in a fridge for a period of time—reach the same ice cream-like texture and flavor. Cavendish bananas have a vanilla-like taste when chilled. You can add some chia seeds for extra texture. It’s a healthy way to manage your kids’ sweet tooth plus, if you have family members that just love giving you fruits—this is where it can go.
2. Fruit juice combinations
This might be a bit tricky because kids love bright colors. And at their age, anything green equals yucky. Keep to certain fruits that don’t change the colors too badly like strawberries, oranges, pineapples, apples, beet, and carrots. Then, maybe sneak kale or two. The problem with leafy veggies is that they can create an earthy, bitter taste that kids aren’t too fond of yet.
3. Sweets only in the morning
Usually, kids start looking for sweets because they’re not sure when to have them. There was a study done at the University of Queensland that the uncertainty of situations can cause those who have a good sense of discipline and control to overindulge in sweets. So if the morning is really heavy, it’s okay if they have a little extra milk chocolate bits. They’ll burn it all the way through the day anyway.
4. Artificial sweeteners
Some of us are on the fence about this—especially about certain artificial sweeteners like aspartame and maltodextrin. While aspartame has been proven in multiple studies to be toxic because it turns into methanol (the same stuff they use in copier toner) and maltodextrin might be too candy-tasting, stevia might be a better choice.
5. Using honey instead of sugar
There are different kinds of honey but personally, we prefer the natural Philippine Jungle Honey. The Philippines has its own kind of honey which we often call “Jungle Honey” and it has a milder and more mellow sweetness in comparison to commercial honey. Plus, we get to support the farmers. It’s a win-win situation.
6. Follow the fruit seasons
A lot of times, our bad experience with fruit or healthy sweet food is because it isn’t in season. Mango and bananas are usually the ones we barely go wrong with. But strawberries, grapes, oranges, pomelo, and a few others aren’t so forgiving. The best way to tell if they’re in season is through prices. If they’re cheaper, usually that means it’s in the season because it’s a bountiful harvest.
Everything in moderation
Until kids learn how to moderate themselves, we parents have to watch their nutrition. Otherwise, it might trigger some genetic issues that we’ve been trying to avoid. But unlike adults, kids really need a balanced diet, and removing or altering a component might cause disastrous results. However, managing our kids’ sweet tooth also means not giving in to their puppy-eyed looks. Sometimes, they can be too cute that we just give in.
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