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Every mom wants their child to be happy and healthy. What most of us don’t realize is that your diet is really the core of good health. A lot of people also don’t understand what a good diet really consists of. We hear “eat your vegetables” and “carbs are bad” (not true!) but beyond that, the majority of us are unfortunately undereducated on food.
Did you know that the craving for sugar is actually learned? We’re born to desire salty foods, as our body needs salt. We actually don’t NEED sugar. By continuously feeding our kids or ourselves high sugar foods, WE are creating the desire for sugar. For more on this, check out the book Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
The best way to not get hooked on sugar is to keep your consumption low from the beginning. You will be doing an amazing service to your child by not allowing them to develop a sweet tooth. Switching out a few sugary snacks from your child’s diet will drastically lower their consumption.
1. Benton’s Alphabet Cookies
These cookies are one of my favorite Aldi finds for my son. With an average price of $2 a box, you get 12 packs of “cookies” that are really more like a cracker. Coming in at 6 grams of sugar total, compared to 10-12 in ONE sugar cookie (you know they never have just one) this is a great swap for your child’s diet and your wallet. Another great thing about this swap is that these cookies are allergy friendly and made in a nut friendly facility.
2. Avocado
Most people know that avocados are among the “superfoods”. High in good fats (which most don’t get enough of) avocados are a very versatile food. Honestly, I will eat an avocado by itself with a little salt. Like just give me a spoon and I’m good! Usually, that’s not the case for kids.
Luckily, avocado can be transformed into something any child will eat. You can mash them up for guacamole and use it as veggie dip. Spread some avocado on toast for a quick breakfast. Mix it in as a baking substitute for your recipes. One of my favorite snacks is slicing up an avocado into cubes and mixing it in with cottage cheese. Sounds weird, I know, but it is a great low carb snack and is delicious!
3. Chia Seed Pudding
Chia seeds are a great, well-rounded food. They’re high on fiber, low on sugar, and have great amounts of protein and fat. They also have over 10% of the daily recommended iron intake, which is why I started making chia seed pudding for my son. I go for simple when it comes to making foods, so I just put some chia seeds and milk in a container and throw it in the refrigerator overnight. I personally don’t think they need much more to them than that, but some people add sugar, vanilla extract, or other additives.
4. Made Good Granola Bars
My son is obsessed with bars. Granola bars, fruit bars, if it’s a singular rectangular shaped snack, he wants it. He got into Nutrigrain bars, but when I saw they were 13 grams of sugar, I rushed to find another option. I came across the Made Good brand in a grocery store.
This is a great allergy friendly snack. These bars are free from most major allergens, including dairy, egg, peanuts, and soy. I’ve linked a variety pack because they have so many great flavors I couldn’t recommend just one! This pack also include granola bites. What kid doesn’t love a bite sized snack?
5. Oatmeal
Typically a breakfast food, oatmeal has great nutritional value. That is, however, more true for regular oatmeal without all the added artificial flavors and sugar. I get the large canister of old fashioned oats and make overnight oats with my own ingredients versus the premade packets.
If you’re looking for a nighttime snack for your kids, oatmeal is great! The nutritional makeup will actually help promote sleep over a snack high in sugar, or protein, before bed. There’s a great list of other snacks to promote sleep in The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Child’s Sleep
6. My Super Foods Blueberry Granola Bites
What did doesn’t love those Little Bites Blueberry Muffins? Of course kids love them, the first ingredient in them is sugar! They come with 15 grams of sugar and a ton of ingredients you can’t pronounce. I found the brand My Super Foods on Thrive Market and my son loves them. Even though they’re higher in sugar (10 grams per serving), I know what all the ingredients are and they’re delicious. I’ve been guilty of stealing a few packs of the chocolate chip flavor for myself. The blueberry flavor is actually cheaper on Amazon. I’ve linked them here:
7. Hummus and Veggies or Crackers
My son is HUGE on dipping. He asks for a dip with basically any meal, so I’ve gotten creative with what to give him. Crackers or veggies and hummus are a great fun snack for your child, especially if they love having dips for their food. Hummus is a great low sugar “dip” for kids with good fats and plant based protein. This may be a great way to get your kids to eat some veggies, but crackers would work just fine too!
8. Maverick’s Double Chocolate Cookies
I found this brand while searching for some low sugar snack options for my son. One of our friends has a son named Maverick so I had to try these out. They’re only 5 grams of sugar per serving and come in a variety of flavors. The ingredient list is short and all the ingredients are known.
9. Berries
Most berries have a sweet taste, but are actually pretty low in sugar. A cup of strawberries contains 7 grams of sugar while one apple has 19 grams. Among the low sugar berry options are also blackberries and raspberries. When your child is itching for something sweet, but not filling, berries are a great go-to option.
I hope you try some of these snack options for your kids and take a second look at that nutritional label on your children’s favorite snacks! You might be surprised how much sugar is hiding in foods that are advertised as “healthy.”
Do you have any low sugar snack options that your kids love? Share some of your ideas in the comments!
