As parents we all want our children to eat healthy and learn “healthy eating habits.” As a child I remember being rewarded with fruit for dessert and rarely had ice cream and sweets (perhaps on the weekend) and it was a “treat” if I had fruit snacks in my lunch. Left and right I see parents who abuse sugar and allowing their kids to have to much candy and sweets – then I wonder, do they know how bad it really is for the kids? Is candy or a popsicle in the morning really that healthy for your child? Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t poison, but what type of eating lifestyle are you setting your child to have for the rest of their lives? In my opinion, it is all about moderation. I had a boyfriend where his parents didn’t allow sweets in their house growing up – he was out of college and ate my entire See’s candy box because he didn’t know how to control himself! Scary! In moderation, foods that contain sugar can be a reasonable addition to a well-rounded diet.
This post has been moved to our website. To view the full post go to: http://blog.letop-usa.com/?p=17013
Le Top blog 
Yes there is too much sugar hidden in foods. I think that it is obvious that candy, sweet cereals and the like have sugar, but more empasis on hidden sugars should be made. Remember the food police exposing how much fat was hidden in some foods, like everyone’s favorite “Movie Popcorn”.
I know that you mentioned it, but the hidden sugar in places you would not expect it, like jar pasta sauces, spagetti o’s, canned fruit, and numerous other box and package meals.
The next step beyond the sugar is the preservatives and food dyes that tend to accompany all that sugar. None of that is good for any of us, let alone our children. If you want to see the difference food dyes in particular make in children, experiment; one day give them part of a plain chocolate bar and the next day give them M&M’s. There will be a behaviour difference between the days. Aside from the sugar there is a marked difference in the behaviour especially in young (2,3,4 year olds) children. Then look at all of the package foods your children love; mac n’ cheese, other pasta or rice packages, again the spagetti o’s and canned ravioli. To make matters worse, all of the snacks that are targeted to child and try to portray themselves as healthy ie. fruit snacks. First and foremost, a majority of “fruit” snacks, don’t or contain such a micro amount of fruit it is almost a crime to call them Fruit. But these snacks, fruit by the foot and the like contain an amazing array of food dyes. Sorry, but I am not done yet, check your cheeto’s, cheezits and other snack crackers and chips. Particularly anything labeled with cheeze. You will find all sorts of Yellow food dyes and preservatives designed to color and give the appearance of “cheese” with very little actual cheese in the product.
As a mother of three boys, myself, I know that it is almost impossible to eliminate these from your child’s diet, especially toddlers. However, the more homemade foods you have instead of boxes, the better. It is not that difficult to make homemade mac n’ Cheese, my boys prefer it to the box stuff. It is all what they become use to. And if you have to have the chips or snacks, go with pretzels or check the package.
Save the food dyes and preservatives for an occasional item, rather than everyday.
Good luck and healthy eating.
I really appreciate your take that sugar is not evil and that moderation is key. I have known people too who weren’t allowed to eat candy and now lack self-control. I’ve found kids will eat what you give them & sadly, my son’s eating habits match mine. If I am going to help him with sugar I have to control my intake too.
As far as sugar and cavities, this Mom’s Guide (http://www.1dental.com/moms-guide/) has given me some practical tips on how to make sure my son has good oral health. He’s in preschool but this guide has tips for kids from newborn to the teen years. I’ll be referencing it for years to come.