Every ten minutes a child in England has a tooth removed in hospital.

Children aged 4 to 10 should have no more than the equivalent of 5 to 6 cubes of sugar each day, but on average they consume 13 cubes. That means kids are normally having over 2 times more sugar than is recommended. 

Personal experience 

As a student I have been guilty of indulging in sugary snacks or consuming unhealthy drinks due to convenience, speed and taste. Not only that, unhealthy snacks are everywhere. particularly in my school canteen where they are disguised by labels like ‘cereal bar’ or ‘fruit roll up’, making them a perfect solution to cravings. 

Worst offenders and healthier alternatives 

In order to understand just how much sugar is in the food we eat, I have collated some grocery staples and their sugar content. Below I have also included a healthy snack alternative, with just as tasty food but more importantly nutritious.

Cereal bars

Frosties

13g 3 teaspoons of sugar. (This exceeds 70% of a child’s daily allowance of sugar.)

Substitute

Granola bar- Caveman grain free, deliciously Ella, Quaker 

Fruit juice

Tropicana

8.8g 2 teaspoons of sugar

Substitute

Freshly squeezed juice- Local businesses

Chocolate bar

Mars

31g 7.5 teaspoons of sugar

Substitute 

Dark chocolate- Hip, deliciously Ella, pip and nut

Identifying ‘bad’ food

Making healthier choices is something we can all do to maintain and love our bodies better. But first we need to identify what food is actually worse for us. Use the following steps:

  • Check the nutrition label- carbohydrates (of which sugars)
  • High- over 22.5g of total sugars per 100g - Choose something else!
  • Low - 5g or less of total sugars per 100g- You’re good to go!
  • Check the colour coding on the front of the packaging - red=high, amber=medium, green=low
  • Ingredients list; added sugars must be present on the ingredients list, which always start with the biggest ingredient. If sugar is near the top of the list, then the food is more likely to be higher in it.

What can you do?

Cutting down on sugar starts at home, reducing unhealthy snacks leads to less binge-eating sugary foods. Increase the amount of fruit and veg present in your fridge and prompt yourself to prepare your own snacks eg hummus and carrot sticks or fruit salads. I urge everyone to invest in at least one achievable habit to do with food choices whether that be avoiding the snack aisle or topping your yoghurt with berries and granola.