Sugar is an ingredient every kid (and adult) loves. But eating refined sugar is definitely not healthy. The worst sugars are found in processed food like fruit juices, cold drinks, cookies etc.
There are so many ill effects of sugar which is why doctors and other health experts advise against eating too much sugar. It can cause
- Obesity
- High Blood Pressure
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Cholesterol
- Increase the risk of heart diseases in children
- Tooth Decay & Cavities
- Hyperactivity
As per the World Health Organization, kids less than 1 year shouldn’t consume sugar or salt. One can introduce sugar to the kid after a year as per the limited quantity. Many of us replace sugar with honey, brown sugar, jaggery, agave sugar, maple syrup etc. But you should remember that these also contain some sugar and should all be eaten in moderation.
But there are a lot of other natural sources of sugar available to us in the form of fruits and vegetables. Natural sugar contains fibre, vitamins and minerals thus helping us stay healthy and fit naturally.
Sources of Natural Sugar
- Apple, Banana, Grapes, Orange, Honeydew Melon, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Custard Apple, Pineapple, Mango,
- Sweet Potato, Beetroot, Pumpkin, Carrot, Sweet Corn
- Natural sugars are also present in Raisins, Almonds, Dates, Figs etc. and we can use these to replace sugar in desserts, juices, milkshakes, porridge etc.
I’ve put together some kid-approved healthy recipes that use sugar in its natural form to sweeten and add flavour to your family’s food.
Janani S Koushik
Parul Gupta
KSP Team
Kanishka Pariani
