That's Fit

Cakes, cookies, ice cream, and popsicles. These sugary treats seem to be ingrained in every child's diet, especially the cold treats during the summer.

We all know that refined sugar is bad for us, so what is a mom to do? Is it really possible to keep refined sugar out of your child's diet?

This article from Mothering Magazine is written by a mom, Sarah Kamrath, whose five-year-old son has never had refined sugar. Never. I cannot tell you the respect I have for this mom, because 'never' is not easy. I can pretty safely say we don't have refined sugar in our house, but we do occasionally let our son eat refined sugar outside of our home. Birthday cake, the lollipop from the barber shop, and ice cream at a party have all been eaten by our near-sugarless son.

So what advice does Kamrath have for us, so our kids can be sugar-free? Some of her tips we've heard before, like offering healthy options and starting early so that your kids get a taste for healthy foods at the get-go. But Kamrath even suggests we start introducing healthy foods to our kids while they are still in the womb, since the fetus begins developing taste buds at 7-8 weeks of age.

Other ideas, like cooking together, discussing with your kids why certain foods are healthier than others, and giving them treats made without refined sugar have all helped Kamrath keep her son sugar-free. Plannin ahead by always having healthy snack option available for your child and not eating sugary treats in front of your chils are good habits too.

Is it possible to have a sugar-free child? For Kamrath, it is, and by following her tips, I bet we could all come a little bit closer to the ideal.