Easter is around the corner and we can expect a bunch of little bunny rabbits jumping happily around the house Sunday morning after their intake of sugar from chocolates and candy. Is it ok to occasionally exceed our children’s daily recommended limit of sugar on holidays such as Christmas and Easter-oh then there is Halloween, Valentines and birthdays (and not just their own birthday)?
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends how much sugar per day we should intake:
Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Men: 36 grams or 9 teaspoons
Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Women: 20 grams or 5 teaspoons
Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Children: 12 grams or 3 teaspoons
Let's take a look at the Nutrition values for a couple popular Easter items-
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends how much sugar per day we should intake:
Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Men: 36 grams or 9 teaspoons
Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Women: 20 grams or 5 teaspoons
Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Children: 12 grams or 3 teaspoons
Let's take a look at the Nutrition values for a couple popular Easter items-
Cadbury Easter eggs (34 grams)-containing 21 grams of sugar
Russell Stover Easter Bunny (43 grams)-containing 23 grams of sugar
Easter Skittles contain 42 grams of sugar. Yes I said 42...look it up. Gross! That's 3 and a half days worth of sugar for a child and over a days worth for a grown man. Of course that is if you don't eat anything else that day containing sugar. What about sugars from breakfast cereals, cereal bars, bread, crackers, flavored yogurt, juice, packaged fruit pieces, and even foods like ketchup and pasta sauce. The basic children’s cereal bar contains 6-9 grams of sugar.
Excessive consumption of added sugars on a regular basis contributes to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, gallstones, pancreatic cancer, dental problems and nutritional deficiencies. I think that it is ok to occasionally let your child have a sugary treat but occasionally should not mean once a day or even every Saturday. Even on special occasions watch the portion size of the treat. Most labels will provide a nutrition chart listing how many grams of sugar per serving. Perhaps the gigantic chocolate Easter bunny can be eaten in several pieces, an arm one day and a leg the next. Also, instead of giving your child a basket full of edible treats, maybe you could fill it with toys, coloring books and crayons. See St. John's moms' post "Easter Count Down - Things to Fill a Basket... Besides Candy!" for some great ideas.
However you decide to spend your Easter, I hope it is a happy and safe one for all.
Excessive consumption of added sugars on a regular basis contributes to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, gallstones, pancreatic cancer, dental problems and nutritional deficiencies. I think that it is ok to occasionally let your child have a sugary treat but occasionally should not mean once a day or even every Saturday. Even on special occasions watch the portion size of the treat. Most labels will provide a nutrition chart listing how many grams of sugar per serving. Perhaps the gigantic chocolate Easter bunny can be eaten in several pieces, an arm one day and a leg the next. Also, instead of giving your child a basket full of edible treats, maybe you could fill it with toys, coloring books and crayons. See St. John's moms' post "Easter Count Down - Things to Fill a Basket... Besides Candy!" for some great ideas.
However you decide to spend your Easter, I hope it is a happy and safe one for all.
1 comment:
yikes! thanks for the mention ;-)
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