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Sugar Intake in Children

Benefits of Fiber

Sugar: No thank you, my child is sweet enough.

  • Diabetes and fatty liver disease are on the rise in obese and overweight children.
  • However, there is now a rise in diabetes and fatty liver disease in children who are not overweight or obese.

Excess sugar leads to diabetes and fatty liver disease.

The U.S. Government has recently issued new sugar guidelines:
  • Sugar should be no more than 10% of total daily calories.
  • Children should limit sugar intake to no more than 6 to 9 teaspoons per day.

One of the biggest sources of sugar in kids comes from soda, juice, and sports drinks.

  • A can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar
  • Capri Sun contains 5 teaspoons of sugar
  • 8-ounce Gatorade contains 4 teaspoons of sugar
  • An 8-ounce glass of chocolate milk contains 7 teaspoons of sugar

Many kids have several glasses of sugar-containing drinks every day.

Every teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 grams of sugar. The average teenager consumes 28 teaspoons of sugar or 112 grams of sugar a day! Limit your child’s sugar intake and pull their sweet tooth!

So what can be done to stop diabetes and fatty liver disease in children?

Sweet substitutes

Instead of: Flavored yogurt

Try: Plain yogurt with fruit and a small amount of honey

Instead of: Canned fruit

Try Fresh fruit. A cup of fresh peaches has 3 teaspoons (12 grams) of sugar, whereas the same amount of canned peaches in light syrup has 8 teaspoons (32 grams) of sugar.

Instead of: Maple syrup

Try: Topping pancakes or waffles with fresh fruit or preserves. The low-sugar variety of preserves has only 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) of sugar per tablespoon. The syrup has 9 teaspoons (39 grams) grams of sugar for every 1/4 cup.

Work together as a family to improve your child’s eating habits. Start with one new healthy eating habit today. Calculate how much sugar your child is eating and set a goal of reducing sugar intake by 1 teaspoon (4 grams) every day this week. Small changes over time will lead to big differences in your child’s health.

If you would like more information about gastrointestinal (GI) digestive disorders and nutrition in children, please contact Dr. Mona Dave’s Frisco Office.

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