All kids love sweets, and these – as we all know – are not healthy. So it is worth knowing delicious alternatives that do not harm our kids!
There is probably no child who does not like sweets. Stores tempt with various sweets – lollipops in fancy shapes, gum, chocolates in colorful papers that encourage to purchase and consume them. After all, there’s a reason there are lots of sweets on the lower shelves at the checkouts. The point is to keep them in sight of the child, who is sure to ask their parent for them
Too much sugar is bad for a child’s health and promotes tooth decay. It can also contribute to allergies, problems with concentration or the digestive system. Not to mention obesity, one of the biggest problems of modern times. There are plenty of healthy and tasty snacks that can be given to kids instead of chocolates!
The best and probably the healthiest substitute for sweets are fruits. Bananas, raspberries, strawberries, apples, plums – the choice is huge. When your child asks for sweets, it’s good to serve it sliced fruits. Kids are visual learners, so you can arrange a face, a creature or a teddy bear on a plate- this will surely encourage them to eat. A good idea is also fruit salads, which look appetizing, and the child can choose the order of what to eat first and what to leave for later
Dried cranberries, mangoes, apples, apricots, plums, dates, bananas are the perfect alternative to store-bought sweets. You can dry them yourself or buy ready-made in health food stores. It is worth remembering that the ones from hypermarkets may be sulfured, and it is better to avoid them. Dried fruits are very sweet, and some of them can be called apple crisps (if our child loves crisps, dried apple slices will certainly seem more attractive to her)
Kids love chocolate creams, which, as we know, contain a lot of sugar and do not have the best composition. So it’s worth making your own avocado nutella, which is great as an addition to desserts or for spreading on sandwiches. And it is also very healthy! To make it, you need:
Blend everything to a smooth paste and you’re done! Such chocolate avocado cream can be stored in the fridge for up to several days
To make the child reach for such chocolate cream more eagerly – it is worth making it together. It turns out that toddlers are much more eager to eat things that they can prepare by themselves or with a parent
Toddlers love cookies. And these can be made quickly on your own and without added sugar. All you need is:
First mix dry ingredients, then add egg and honey. The whole mix thoroughly. Form cookies and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake at 150-160 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Joint baking of homemade cookies can also be an interesting activity. Your child will certainly eat with appetite a cookie that she prepares herself and gives it a shape such as an animal.
If your child loves to munch on something, a great option is expanded grains, or “puffed” grains, which are rich in minerals and vitamins. They can be eaten on their own as crisps or as an addition to groats, cookies, shakes or desserts. Recently, expanded grains have become very popular, thanks to which they are also more easily available. We can buy them not only in health food stores or hypermarkets, but even in well-stocked convenience stores. They are also available in some drugstores offering healthy snacks
It is worth remembering that cereals, also in the expanded version, are the source of carbohydrates, they contain a lot of fibre, calcium, amino acids and B group vitamins. And on top of that they are really tasty!
Main photo: Jill Wellington, source: pexels.com
