‘Half sugar consumed by young is from snacks and drinks’
HALF THE sugar consumed by children comes from unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks, according to a campaign that suggests parents look out for snacks of no more than 100 calories at a time.
Public Health England (PHE) warned that on average, children are consuming at least three unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks a day, with around a third consuming four or more. This means that children can easily consume three times more sugar than is recommended.
Its new Change4Life campaign encourages parents to “Look for 100-calorie snacks, two a day max,” to help them offer healthier snacks in a bid to tackle the obesity epidemic that is seeing a third of children leave primary school overweight or obese.
Half of children’s sugar intake, currently about seven sugar cubes a day, comes from unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks, leading to obesity and dental decay, PHE said.
This is while the recommended daily maximum is no more than five cubes of sugar for four to six-year-olds and no more than six cubes for seven to ten-yearolds per day.
The campaign, the first Change4Life to promote healthier snacks, will offer parents special offers on a range of healthier snacks, including fruit and vegetables, at selected supermarkets.
Healthier suggestions for snacks and drinks include fresh or tinned fruit salad, chopped vegetables and lower-fat hummus, plain rice cakes, crackers, malt loaf, crumpets and Scotch pancakes.
PHE said its new advice applies to all snacks apart from fruit and vegetables, as children should still be encouraged to eat a variety of these to achieve their five a day.
Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said: “The true extent of children’s snacking habits is greater than the odd biscuit or chocolate bar. Children are having unhealthy snacks throughout the day and parents have told us they’re concerned.
“To make it easier for busy families, we’ve developed a simple rule of thumb to help them move towards healthier snacking – look for 100-calorie snacks, two a day max.”