What to give children instead of sweets for the New Year. Diet Tips

@BeltaPlus The WHO recommends no more than 15g of SUGAR per day (two teaspoons), and one candy bar contains about seven! Are you sure you want your child to eat it? We tell why it is better to refuse sweet gifts than to replace them and how to arrange a healthy holiday treat for children. Sweets are not the best gift option for any holidays, including the New Year. Self-control at an early age is not yet formed, therefore, when the child gets unlimited access to sweets, chocolate, pastries, he begins to replace the main meals with sweets. This can lead to lack of appetite, not getting healthy sources of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, an allergic reaction to ingredients in sweets, and weight gain.
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How not to "hook" a child on sugar over the holidaysIt is necessary to remember: sugar is a nutrient. It can be eaten, but in limited doses. Absolutely deny children sweets is not worth it. You should look for healthy analogues.

It is important to agree with the child that sweets can only be eaten after eating, then he will eat less sweets, because he will be full. This will help you avoid overeating.

Parents are faced with the task of replacing bad carbohydrates (sugars) with good ones (fiber) and coming up with options for desserts that give long-term satiety. So the children will receive "sweets", and will not look for a sweet supplement in the cabinets.
Healthy Candy Alternatives Finding a healthy alternative to sugary gifts depends on how busy the parents are. There are two options: cook something delicious with your own hands at home or buy it in pastry shops.
Homemade goodies Replace sugar-filled gelatin candies with fruit jelly cake. For example, chop seasonal fruits: tangerines, pomegranate, banana and mango. Fill them with sour cream (or cream) with gelatin. You can even add some sugar. Serve this cake after breakfast.
Also during the New Year holidays they often bake. To make them healthier, ditch the premium FLOUR. It is free from solid bran, a source of B vitamins and dietary fiber that nourishes the microbiome, stimulates the intestines and gives a feeling of satiety.

Use whole grain flour with bran. The product will not be so loose, but no less tasty and more satisfying. Also a healthy alternative is nut flour. There is protein, fats and fiber - and this is the key to long-term high-quality saturation. You can choose cornmeal, which is lower in calories and has a low GI.

Lollipops are another common gift. You can replace them with frozen grapes. Buy a bunch, divide it into individual berries and put it in the freezer. This dessert will surprise you both in appearance and taste.

Lollipops can be replaced with a banana with chocolate. Take a wooden stick, stick a banana on it, dip it in melted dark chocolate, sprinkle with seeds, coconut or nuts if desired. Put the dessert in the freezer until the chocolate hardens. Tasty, unusual and very sweet.
Can be prepared to replace the store-bought, containing trans fats. Take 33% fat cream as a basis. Add bananas or other seasonal fruits for a sweet taste. You can sprinkle with dark chocolate.
Store goodies If time is short, but you want to please your child with sweets, choose the following useful products in the store:

• Seasonal fruits: tangerines, oranges, persimmons, pomegranates, bananas. Exotic fruits are also possible, but it is better to consume them in the morning, so that in case of an allergic reaction, you have time to react.

• Dried fruits: dried apricots, figs, dates, cranberries, prunes. Just avoid foods in chocolate, syrup and powdered sugar - this is not about the benefits, but about overeating sugar.

• Nuts. Focus on almonds and walnuts. If your child loves pistachios, cashews, or hazelnuts, make a nut mix. Remember, a handful of nuts should be in the child's diet every day - this is a store of healthy fats and a guarantee of long-term satiety.

• Pastila. Make sure the package says "no added sugar". If sugar is not mentioned at all, it is better not to buy this product.
• . For example, coconut or banana. The main thing is that there is no powdered sugar.

• Black chocolate. MILK and white chocolate are both trans fats and sugar, while black (with at least 70% cocoa) would be a healthy option. It can also be added in the manufacture of desserts: jelly, ice cream, fruits in chocolate.

• Candy and chocolate with carob. Kerob - pods of a carob tree that grows in southern countries, in particular in Cyprus and Crete. Kerob powder is similar in taste and appearance to cocoa, but has a sweeter taste and is not as bitter. A drink can also be made from such a powder by adding it to milk .

• Peanut paste. It is a useful substitute for nut-chocolate spreads. However, you should be careful and check for the presence of sugar in the composition: choose a paste containing honey and dark chocolate, without added sugar.

Teach your child not to eat peanut butter with a spoon from a jar. It can be a topping for pancakes or pancakes, but in a small amount, because this product is very high-calorie. Buying and giving is one thing, but teaching a child not to overeat even healthy sweets is another difficult task for parents.

Organizing a holiday, nutritionists advise parents to resort to some tricks: the brighter and more varied you decorate the table, the more interesting children will be. That is, choose the most colorful products.
It doesn't have to be sweets. For example, buy white dough baskets. Fill them with soft cheese with dill, caviar, a mixture of cottage cheese, boiled egg and krill MEAT.

Cut vegetables into strips: celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots and lay them out in the form of rays. In the middle, place bowls with homemade sauces: sour cream, cream, guacamole, or adjika. The main thing is that everything should be crispy and colorful.

Instead of sugary fizzy drinks and store-bought juices, prepare compote, homemade juice (it also contains a lot of sugar, but if you don’t drink it often, then you can) or fruit tea without sugar.

You can also make hearty smoothies with berries, bananas, avocados, and coconut milk. They have a low glycemic index, so they won't spike your blood sugar. Moreover, they look attractive, and children will drink them with pleasure.

Let your holiday gifts be tasty and healthy, and children healthy and happy!


| Prepared by Anastasia ZLOTNKOVA, BELTA+
| Photo: open Internet sources.


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