Let's talk about sugar! I don't know about you but as a mum I am always worried about my daughter and her sugar intake. When we are out and about on adventures there seems to be sweet treats or sugary snacks around every corner. That's not even mentioned that most drinks available for children are sickly sweet and full of sugar. As one of the most addictive substances, it may seem difficult to avoid the temptation of such a delicious ingredient, but it is possible. By making simple sugar swaps.
When it comes to cutting down on sugar, even just one or two swaps can really make a difference to how much sugar you and your child are eating, so the start of September was the perfect opportunity for a fresh start and introduce some simple sugar swaps into our life.
Make Your Cereal.
Most packaged breakfast cereals, granolas, and porridge contain lots of calories, carbohydrates, and plain sugar. That morning sugar can cause a spike that will lead to an energy crash at the office a few hours later. You’ll end up hungry. So instead of a packet of sweetened porridge, make your own plain porridge and flavour it yourself. There really is no way to start your day that with a healthy and nutritious bowl of porridge. You can have any combination of toppings that you like, the choice is endless. We really like banana and blueberry as it is packed with antioxidants from the blueberries as well as fibre and slow releasing energy from the oats.
Bring Your Own Snacks
When we are out exploring on our family adventures it can be hard to avoid the sugar, as there seems to be temptation around every corner. We don't need to eliminate sugar completely we just want to make healthier choices and add in extra goof for you foods. So instead of choosing convenient food and drinks on adventures we like to take our own snacks. By packing our own snacks like blueberry and lemon bars, healthy pretzels, and roasted chickpeas will be convenient, healthier and satisfy your cravings but not overload you with calories or sugar.
Jazz Up Your Water
Water is the best thing you put in your body, yet even though we can all agree that drinking water is good for us we still don't drink enough. Water can help to control calorie consumption, boost kidney function, help with digestion, and improve our skin. Now I'm not going to sit here and say that I drink enough because in reality I just drink enough to keep going and over the last few week I have noticed a change in my skin, my hair and I feel really tired all the time.
Drinking water has so many great health benefits, but let's be honest water can be boring. I know that I can drink around three glasses of water before reaching for the kettle, but I'm trying to limit my caffeine intake too. So over the last few weeks we have been looking at ways to drink more water. Infusing your water can make all the difference. It's so refreshing and I think it's far more appealing than just water and by preparing water in advance you can have as much ensure you keep to your water goals.
We have been trying these Twinings Kids Cold Infused as they are sugar free and made with all natural ingredients. It has been a great way to add a hint of flavour without the drinks being loaded with sugar. By simply adding an infusion bag to our water bottles and giving it a quick shake has really changed the game. We have so many delicious flavours to choose from such as Strawberry & Lemonade, Mango & Orange and Blackcurrant & Apple. These cold infused have been making such a difference to our water intake and each pot comes with 12 diffusers so you will have plenty of opportunities to jazz up your water.
Get Your Fruit Fresh
Get Your Fruit Fresh
If you have a sugar craving, eating some fruit such as bananas, apples or oranges is a far better way to satisfy a craving that downing a milkshake or eating some chocolate. Fresh fruit has lots of fibre and other amazing vitamins that we need, however be careful to not over indulge in fruit juice or dried fruit as it is sugar concentrated. We love making fruit kebab skewers, oat bars and being creative with fruit and veggie faces.
Meal Plan!
Believe it or not but meal planning is king! Whether you're trying to watch calories, ditch sugar or save money. Meal planning is everything. By planning in advance, you can aim to have nutritionally well-balanced meals throughout the week. Planning your meals ultimately allows you to take control of your own personal nutrition needs, eat quality foods and make healthier choices meaning that we can watch out for added sugars or create a balance with sugar intake.
** Disclaimer: We were kindly gifted this TWININGS bundle but as always my thoughts and opinions are my own **
Oo I love the sound of the Twinings Kids Cold Infused and the fact that they are sugar free is ideal for children! My children only have milk and water, so this would be a tasty alternative for them :)
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips. I’ve not tried the tea yet but I’ve heard good things about it.
ReplyDeleteI love anything twinnings!
Like the idea of making my own cereal as well x
These are all great tips. We desperately need to reduce the sugar intake in this family. I'm definitely going to try out the Twinnings infusion bags!
ReplyDeleteI've stopped drinking fizzy drinks to cut down my sugar intake
ReplyDeleteI worry about sugar intake a lot. I really like the sound of these Twinings infusion bags, will have to give them a try!
ReplyDeleteWe always try and remember our own snacks to resist temptation. Meal planning is definitely key, when I remember to stick to it!
ReplyDeleteAll it takes is really Self Discipline amd these amazing ideas to reduce sugar intake that you mentioned.
ReplyDelete