How Healthy is Your Child’s Diet?

School is starting and not everyone eats the school offered lunches. A lot of parents pack a lunch for kids to try to ensure they are eating healthy.

So, you make your child a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat, throw in a cup of applesauce and some fruit punch. Sounds fairly healthy right? The reality is that this lunch has almost 76 grams of sugar! That’s almost twice the daily-recommended amount of sugar for kids.

According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average kid under 12 consumes 49 pounds of sugar per year! No wonder they bounce off the walls!

The outrageous amount of sugar kids are consuming is resulting in earlier onset of Type II diabetes that can lead to additional serious health problems in their teens and later in life.

So what’s a responsible parent to do? We need to read labels to ensure the products we’re giving our children aren’t loaded with sugar and fat. Most labels show sugar measured in grams. Remember, every gram of sugar equals 4 teaspoons. We need to strive to keep sweets in the proper balance in our kids’ diets. Want desert? Then no soda with lunch or dinner.

Let’s look at the lunch above. First, check the label on your peanut butter. Does it have sugar added? If so, look for an organic alternative with no additives. Next, buy some “fruit only” jam with no sugar added. Substitute a real apple for applesauce and a thermos of milk for the fruit punch and you’ve provided your child with a healthy, nutrition packed lunch to fuel their school day.

Most importantly, make sure your child is keeping active! An active lifestyle can offset some of the negative effects of bad stuff in our kids’ diets. Get out, get active and stay healthy!