Health officials are urging parents to cut the amount of sugar in their child’s diet after finding that kids are consuming an unhealthy average of three sugary snacks or drinks per day. To cut this, the UK has introduced a sugar tax that will affect the 6th of April. This is a major change to the country’s health and tax policy and is expected to make a huge impact on the population’s overall health.
Treat Guidelines for Children
We’re probably already well-versed in the impact that a high-sugar diet can have on those of us with children. That’s why health experts have set dietary guidelines. So, if your little ones are between 4 and 6 years old, you should aim to give them no more than 19g of sugar per day. For 7-10-year-olds, this increases slightly to 24g and for those over the age of 11 to 30g. This may seem like a lot, but with Easter just around the corner, we’re asking the question: do you know how much sugar is in the treats you’ll be giving your kids?
Most loved Easter Treats
Luckily, Simply Education has researched for us and worked on some of the most loved Easter treats’ sugar content. The biggest offender was Cadbury mini eggs which, at one serving of 35g, contain a staggering 24.6g of sugar. That’s 68.5% of the recommended daily amount. Similar figures were found in 50g Lindt Bunnies and the Easter classic – Cadbury Creme Eggs.
Out of the treats that were tested, the 25g Malteaser Bunnies had the lowest sugar percentage at 53% and only 15g of sugar. Similarly, a handful of Milky Bar Eggs came in at 56.6% and the same amount of Galaxy Golden Eggs at 53.8%.
Being Mindful this Easter Break
These figures prove that it’s important to be mindful. While we know that it can be difficult to curb sugar altogether, especially at this time of year, healthier snack suggestions include fruit salads, chopped vegetables, rice cakes or crackers and low-fat hummus.