Whether your children are in the modelling industry or not you will be keen to keep them fit and healthy – and that means reducing their sugar intake..
As parents we understand it can be difficult to find sweet alternatives that your children will enjoy…all children love sweets it seems! However with children now taking less exercise and being at home more looking at screens, it’s more important than ever to try and find some healthy options that are still a treat!
Consuming too much sugar is one the key drivers to the population becoming overweight or obese.
According to recent research, some one in five children are overweight or obese when they start school, rising to more than one in three by the time they leave primary school
Seriously overweight children are up to five times more likely to become obese adults, increasing their risk of developing serious health conditions later in life.
These include the likes of type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart and liver disease and associated mental health issues.
Dental problems can also be caused or exacerbated by sugar and are among the main reasons why children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital.
According to the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), 11 to 18 year-old children are consuming, on average, the same amount of sugar as 20 chocolate chip biscuits a day.
And this sugar is often hidden in ready meals and pre-prepared food, as well as being present in fizzy drinks, snacks, sweets, cakes and biscuits.
Dr Modi Mwatsama, from the OHA, says: “Most parents would never hand over 20 chocolate biscuits a day to their children, but with so much hidden sugar in our food and drink it can often be hard to know just how much children are consuming.”
We all know how much kids love sweet treats, however, and, when they are involved in child modelling, they often need something to keep them going while they are out and about.
When making sweet treats for your youngsters, there are lots of healthier options when it comes to sugar substitutions but do be wary of your quantities as some of these still contain natural sugar.
Here are a few suggestions your kids will love:
- Fresh fruit smoothies with yoghurt in always make a superb substitute for a fizzy drink.
- For something lighter, try a bottle of water with a few drops of fresh fruit juice in or a slice or two of orange or apple to make your own infusion.
- Older children might like a bag of nuts with a peppering of dried fruit in for added sweetness.
- Try using a date purée in your recipes – this can work well instead of syrup in flapjacks, for example.
- Experiment with cookie and biscuit recipes, where natural peanut butter (containing nothing but peanuts) replaces the sugar and fat.
- Some kids enjoy frozen bananas instead of ice-cream. Peel them, freeze them in a sealed bag and then take them out on a hot day.
- Sweet potato purée can be a great sweetener in muffins and buns and other heavier, moist treats.
- Fresh apples can be used to make a sauce that can also be a good sweetener in biscuits and cakes: try this with a little cinnamon for a tasty flavour.
For more information about child modelling or to discuss your child’s potential contact the Models Direct team today.
