Nougats and sweets are linked to Christmas. There is no celebration in which a tray with marzipan or other industrial products loaded with sugar is not brought out. But before children go for these types of items and start a fight over how much they should eat, it is advisable to offer healthier foods first. It is not about prohibiting them from eating them, but it is about not being their first choice. “There is going to be nougat on the Christmas table, okay, but we are also going to put a kiwi christmas tree or a fun dish for the little ones, with foods that are interesting to enhance,” explains Melisa Gómez, children's nutritionist, creator of the platform. Nutrikids and author of the book Enjoy growing (Vergara, 2022).
So that Christmas dinner does not become a tug of war between parents and their children over how much sugar they eat, Gómez advises not to prohibit it, but, for example, “encourage sharing that piece with another person so that it is not so much for he”. “In recent years, the approach to feeding children has changed, but if the intake of these types of foods is restricted, when they have them within their reach they will want to eat even though their bodies tell them. let them stop,” he adds. “High sugar consumption has some health risks, but if a certain food is prohibited it can have negative consequences: food obsessions, a feeling of guilt when eating or even feeling afraid of certain foods,” adds the pediatrician. Anna Estapé.
Do not put sweets in sight
The main recommendation to avoid the prohibition of sweets and the amount of sugar in the body increasing during the Christmas holidays is “not putting them within reach,” according to what he says. Laura Jorgenutritionist and author of the book The eat healthy and live healthy method (Zenith, 2022). This expert advises taking out sweets only on holidays and not having them at home since November. She also recommends that they be stored and not always in their sight, that they are not accessible to them, that they can have other options for healthier homemade sweets and always offer the fruit first. “That we know that food is to be enjoyed, but that we learn to manage those quantities. If we really have good habits during the year, we can manage Christmas perfectly,” says Jorge.
That same idea is shared by Lucía Gómez, chef, expert in healthy and inclusive cooking, and author of the book Love what you eat (Alienta, 2023). “It doesn't matter what happens from December 24 to January 6, but what happens from January 6 to December 24,” says Gómez. The school promoter is also Cooking the change believes that parents are the first to set an example and that they should look at what eating habits they have on a daily basis. “It is important at this time to reach agreements so that we do not get out of hand and enjoy,” she continues, “but when it comes to food issues we have to be flexible.” On her website, she has several healthy Christmas recipes to make as a family, such as healthy and healthy nougatscoconut ice cream or truffles: “There are many simple options and they will be more excited because they have made it with their hands.”
Educate on food
Other recommendations that should be carried out all year round and not just during the Christmas holidays to have a healthy relationship with sugar, as Estapé indicates, are not to label foods as good or bad and not to use them as a reward, punishment or consolation. “This is very common in the case of sweets,” the doctor clarifies. She also advises not to offer the sweet if it has not been requested before, but not to deny it if necessary. And, for good food education, the expert recommends offering water with meals and avoiding sugary drinks, teaching the child to connect with their feeling of hunger and satiety and not comparing what they eat with other boys or girls: “Each one “He has different needs.”
“It is true that consuming high sugar over the years has been related to diseases such as overweight and obesity, the appearance of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and dental cavities,” explains Estapé. “But at this time, it is best not to get overwhelmed,” he says.
Jorge points out that it is true that, if the child eats too much sweets during the holidays, he may notice a sugar rush and feel overactive or have trouble sleeping. Then, during the low blood sugar, he may have nausea, headache or discomfort: “But for one day, the child will not develop an illness.”
Recommendations for the Christmas holidays:
- Do not prohibit sweets if they ask for it, but do not offer it if they do not ask for it.
- Do not have them within your reach or sight all the time.
- Offer fruit or other healthier foods first.
- Encourage sharing the pieces so that there is not so much.
- Have good food education throughout the year.
- Do not label foods as good or bad.
- Do not use sweets as a reward, punishment or consolation.
- Reach agreements with the rest of the family so that there is no excess of sweets.
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