What kid doesn’t like candy? They taste good and look very appetizing. Think of all those bright colors and fun shapes. Not to mention all the packages you attract with your favorite cartoons. Or the toys that come with him, that as a child he wants to have, because his friends want to exchange them or show them. Many times if you go out and want to buy something for kids most of the options are of this type. The idea is to make healthy sweets as appetizing as common sweets and treats.

Don’t get into hysteria

Sweets such as fruit and vegetable pieces (dry) are, of course, the best. They do well, supply all kinds of healthy substances, and often have fewer calories than common sweets or cakes.

But you don’t have to go into hysteria with candy either. Rather, it is counterproductive, because banning sweets makes them more attractive. Maintaining healthy control and letting you eat from time to time and with control is the best idea.

Number of sweets

The most important thing is the amount of candy you give your child. Standard children’s bags of cookies and supermarket sweets are often too big for children. For example, in a Haribo bear bag there are 85 kilocalorías and in a bag of Bolletje herbal nuts no less than 220 calories. That’s half of a kid’s food!

Don’t forget the importance of good food. If your child has a good breakfast and eats enough during meals, sweets are less tempting.

Caries

It’s not just about calories when you eat. Sugars in sweets, cake, and chocolate are very bad for children’s teeth. If you do not brush properly, the plaque will remain on and between your teeth. That’s why good brushing is so important! Plaque contains bacteria that convert these sugars into acids. And these acids cause tooth decay.

Did you know that there are also acids in sweets and that they also affect enamel? They barely test them on all sugars, but they come in many types of sweets. Wines, pickles, and popsicles in particular can lead to dental erosion. It’s important for kids to get used to brushing their teeth after each meal and especially if they eat candy.

Whole grain sweets

Sweets made from wholemeal flour are healthier than wheat flour, more saturated, and contain more nutrients. Just try to find certainty on the label. Manufacturers sometimes put “whole grain” on the packaging, while they only use some of the whole wheat flour.

Foods made with wholemeal flour also provide fiber, which is very healthy. Fiber is a carbohydrate present in vegetables. We can’t digest it, but it’s essential because its ability to retain water causes the fecal bolus to increase. In addition, it modulates the absorption of fats, cholesterol, and sugar and causes feeling full, which helps regulate weight.

Vitamins in Candy?

Don’t be fooled by all kinds of ads in the package. Manufacturers are trying to make their sweets, cakes or soft drinks look healthier than they say from added vitamins, extra iron, or the claim “no artificial sweeteners.”

Manufacturers should not encourage us to make healthier sweets. Sweets, chocolates, and biscuits are extra and unhealthy.

Only sweets for children containing maltitol, for example, or that have been enriched with dates, maple, agave, honey, and cane sugar are healthier, always with caution. This will then take some “water to the sea”. There are also manufacturers who spin things to look like healthy pink sweets, but they’re actually full of sugar and other additives.

Limit children’s candy intake to, for example, 1 time a week (e.g. Wednesday) and once a weekend, such as a bag of fries or something else. In this way, it remains limited and children find that sweets are special and do not become a habit. Also, don’t use sweets as a comforting medium (if you’ve fallen, and want to give it something to eat), comfort in (unhealthy) foods with all its consequences is likely to be squealed in the future.

Healthier sweet varieties

It also has alternatives to sweets in stores, so-called “healthy sweets”. Unfortunately, this is much more expensive than regular sweets. This is also logical because what is mass-produced should be fast and tasty, and as many additives as possible. In natural and organic food stores, you can also get sweets based on fruit juices, but it usually contains sugar. Actually, there are enough alternatives to sweets, that’s just what you teach your child and how you get used to it.

It is advisable to be careful that children eat many nuts because nuts have many calories but in small amounts are very good because, they contain very good essential proteins and good fats, vitamins, minerals, and fibers. This also applies to other nuts such as almonds for example. Imagination in presentations is very important when it comes to offering healthy and above all sweet foods to our children.

We give you some ideas on healthy alternatives to sweets

Raisins, nuts, and other nuts.

(currants, dates, figs, apricots, blueberries, blackberries, plums, etc.). These dried fruits contain only natural sugars. You can easily carry it in your purse if you go somewhere.

Rice waffles

Rice waffles provide few calories, but today there are healthy rice waffles, but also unhealthy ones (with chocolate or flavor powders). See the ingredient summary for added fats, sugars, or additives on the rice cake. A rice cake with a layer of sugary icing or added cheese powder is already a good idea. A healthy rice cake contains only inflated rice, corn, spelt, etc. and a pinch of salt. fruit bars.

Fruit

Fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, etc. are very good alternatives to sweets. Its taste is sweet due to natural sugars and is easy to transport. Did you know that there are many sweets that are seasoned with fruit extracts and fruit concentrates? Then tell your child why eat unhealthy sweets that taste like healthy fruit if you can take advantage of the real fruit?

Yogurt or requeson

As long as you don’t eat too much and don’t choose a variant with added sugars, curd cheese and yogurt are a good alternative. Add pieces of fruit and/or nuts for example. This is an ideal snack for children coming from school.

Vegetables

Raw vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, pepper pieces, carrot, celery sticks, cucumber sandwich, etc. Once you’re used to not eating more, but choosing healthy alternatives, a tomato candy can be a delight.

Shakes

Make delicious smoothies with fruits and yogurt in the blender for example. Putting it in one of those nice cups with a lid and straw looks more fun and you can take it easy.

Popcorn

Popcorn is relatively healthy as long as they are not sugar-rich popcorn. You should also eat salted popcorn sparingly, but popcorn is still a better choice than fries.

Fruit bars or muesli bars

Keep in mind that fruit bars or muesli can also be unhealthy, they may be filled with added sugars and hardened trans fats. Look carefully at the packaging before you buy them because there are also muesli bars without added sugars and synthetic sweeteners, without saturated fats and trans fats. Preferably take organic muesli bars from whole grains, nuts, seeds, seeds, and raisins. These muesli bars contain slow carbohydrates, dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Here are a couple of recipes that you can try to make at home that in addition to healthy your little ones will love.

Homemade fruit cake

This cake is most helpful because you can use the fruit you have at home at that time: pears, apples, bananas, strawberries, plums… This time, we’re going to do it with an apple, a banana, and a handful of strawberries. This can be a good choice for both desserts and breakfasts.

Ingredients

• 200 gr. pastry flour.
• 40 gr. crushed almonds powder.
• 190 gr. sugar.
• 190 gr. sunflower oil.
• 4 eggs at room temperature.
• A pinch of salt.
• 1 yeast envelope (15 gr.).
• 1 apple.
• 1 banana.
• 1 handful of strawberries.
• Sugar glass for garnish.

For this recipe, it is also necessary to:

• 1 26 cm mold. detachable hoop.
• Oven.

Preparation

1. Turn the oven on at 170 degrees, heated only below.
2. Peel and chop the fruit into small pieces. Reservation.
3. Whisk the sugar and eggs for a few minutes until they increase in volume and bleach. Add the sunflower oil and crushed almonds. Mix well.
4. In a bowl, combine the flour with a pinch of salt and yeast. Add the egg shake and mix with a spatula until everything is integrated.
5. Grease and grease the mold. Then dump the dough on it.
6. Spread over the pieces of fruit and put it in the oven for 45 minutes.
7. Allow cooling and unmould.
8. Garnish by sprinkling with sugar glass before serving.

Fruit lollipops

Ingredients

You can use any seasonal fruit. In this recipe, we will use watermelon and strawberries, but the more fruits mixed more colorful and fun the lollipops will be.

• 12 strawberries.
• 1 slice of watermelon.

You’ll also need:

• Shaped cookie cutters (the more varied, the better).
• Long wooden skewers to make skewers.

Preparation

1. Peel and cut the fruits. You can cut the strawberries in half longitudinally and the watermelon (or other fruits) into thick slices.
2. Remove all nuggets and/or bones.
3. Use cookie molds to make different figures with fruit pieces.
4. Once ready, insert the fruits into the lollipop sticks and consume them instantly.

Healthy eating helps prevent the development of adult-associated diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. It also lowers your risk of severe cardiovascular disease or high cholesterol.

One very important thing is to preach by example. Take care of your diet and your child will imitate you. With a little imagination, you can make healthier foods look just as fun and appetizing as sweets and treats.

All the information we give you in this article is indicative as each child and each family is different and unique.

Carolina González Ramos

Do you have any questions or comments? Write!