Children like sweets. But as parents, we know that sugar is bad for teeth and gums.

We would prefer our children to follow an exemplary diet without sugar and with fresh vegetables, but they don't go along with this. Here are a few tips on how to limit sugar consumption but still keep your child happy.

Fruit juices are certainly nutritious and rich in vitamins, but should only be drunk in moderation. Even 100%iger juice contains a lot of sugar. It is better not to get your child used to overly sweet drinks as a thirst quencher, because the older they get, the harder it will be to make unsweetened drinks palatable to them. The easiest way is to mix the juice with water. You can start with a little water and dilute the juice more and more as the child gets used to the flavour. In any case, you should only buy 100% juice, not nectar, which contains artificial added sugar.

Only give biscuits and cakes as a special treat, don't put a bowl full of chocolate biscuits on the table where the child can help themselves. It is better to offer yoghurt for dessert.

Read the ingredients list. Even though chocolate bars often claim to be healthy, it's better to see for yourself how much sugar they contain. You can use a muesli bar sweetened with dried fruit instead.

Breakfast cereals should be high in fibre. Although many cereals are made from wholemeal products, they still contain a lot of added sugar. The same applies here: Yes to cereals that are sweetened with dried fruit and contain lots of fibre. This fills children up more quickly and lasts longer in their stomachs.

Fizzy drinks are full of empty calories and sugar. Therefore, children should only drink them in moderation or diluted. As a rule, they should drink one glass of water for every glass of lemonade. After that, they will certainly no longer be thirsty for lemonade. As an alternative, give them sparkling water with lemon, apple or orange juice.

Avoid ready meals as much as possible. Sometimes it's not a bad thing, but ready meals also contain added sugar. Instead, you can pre-cook a few meals yourself and freeze them in portions.

A light product is not necessarily low in sugar. Sometimes products with less fat have more
Sugar is added to balance out the flavour. For children, it is more advisable to buy the full-fat version than the added sugars, chemicals and preservatives in low-fat products.

Wholemeal bread is more nutritious than white bread. White flour products also contain a lot of empty carbohydrates, which are converted into sugar in the body.

Offer fresh fruit or vegetables with every meal. When children fill their stomachs with fruit, they have less room for sweets.

Tell relatives and friends that you want to give your child less sugar so that they don't offer them biscuits and chocolate. Once your child has been offered sweets, it's hard to say no without starting an orgy of tears.