A dietitian mom’s take on sugar for kids…

by Health Stand Nutrition | Mar 20, 2019

Navigating sugar with kids

By Pediatric Dietitian Lindsay Rieger on our team specializing in family nutrition, kids nutrition, chronic disease and women’s health.

In the interest of “getting to know your Dietitian” I thought it might be fun to share a recent family photo.

Here we are with tiny person #3 who has recently decided that he can’t get enough of the white stuff…sugar that is. I frequently whisper to him “Mommy’s a Dietitian, you can’t be a sugar addict” but it turns out that he doesn’t particularly care.

So for all the parents who share in my daily struggle, here are the words of wisdom that I try to remind myself of daily…

• Save the sugar for treats, don’t waste it on meal or snack items that are unnecessarily loaded with sugar.
• Don’t freak out when treats show up. Treats WILL show up- it’s inevitable, and that’s okay. Overreacting will backfire most of the time, especially long-term. When a food item becomes forbidden it often turns into what we want most. This is typically true for children and adults.
• Be a good role model with YOUR food choices. Kids learn by what we do – not what we say. (So this OBVIOUSLY means pigging out on chocolate after the kids go to bed…and don’t forget to hide the wrappers).

Tiny R’s mecca. I’d like to think he’d be as enthused if this was a giant smiley carrot but somehow I doubt it. Sigh

For more information on SUGAR you may want to check out our previous articles:

• Is sugar really that bad for you?
• How to reduce sugar in your diet

Looking for more family feeding tips from a dietitian that won’t expect you to be perfect but that nudges you towards healthier habits for yourself and your family? Book an appointment with Calgary pediatric dietitian and online nutritionist Lindsay Rieger.

As a mom dietitian of 3 active kids, she can help you figure out how to feed your family healthy foods, despite a hectic lifestyle. Lindsay specializes in family meal planning and as a Calgary paediatric nutritionist for kids nutrition issues such as picky eating, weight concerns, growth issues, iron issues, constipation, food allergies and more. She has worked with a wide range of pediatric nutrition issues with kids with many medical issues. Lindsay also enjoys working specifically as a Registered Dietitian for women to help them with weight concerns and to develop a healthier non-dieting relationship with food.

For more information about our Calgary dietitian team and our virtual online nutrition counseling services by our experienced team of nutritionists visit: ONLINE & DIETITIAN CALGARY NUTRITION COUNSELING