We’ve all heard about the many benefits of Stevia and why is it the perfect sugar substitute, however we haven’t talked a lot about incorporating this sweetener in children’s diet. As we all know, hardly any kid grows up without sweets because children, whether we like it or not, simply adore them. Babies have an innate desire for sweet tasting food, starting with the slightly sweet taste of breast milk. What’s more, almost 90% of the children develop a special bond with the sweet taste of food, that’s why the doctor’s office, the supermarket shelves for children’s products and even the bank drive-throughs are full of all kinds of colorful and delicious sweets. So what can we do to satisfy our children’s sweet tooth but at the same time, provide their little bodies with the proper nutrition in order to stay healthy? The answer is simple: stevia.
Although the stevia artificial sweetener has been proven safe and has been granted regulatory approval by international food regulatory bodies, you should still pay attention to the amount of stevia your children consume. In fact, that’s what you should do with every food when it comes to your child. This doesn’t mean that the stevia artificial sweetener is not good for kids, it just means that they can’t take the same amount as grown ups. Due to their lower weight, children normally reach the acceptable daily intake faster than adults, so if the adult takes ten spoons of stevia artificial sweetener a day, the child’s daily intake should be reduced to four. It would be ideal if every parent chooses a safer and healthier food alternative for their children’s diet and at the same time let them discover new tastes.
The over-consumption of added sugars by children has always been a serious problem and stevia alone cannot solve it, but it is one tool in the toolbox of better health. By getting rid of packaged foods and beverages that contain tons of sugar, or by replacing the confectioners sugar with stevia artificial sweetener in your kitchen, you can definitely cut the intake of unwanted calories for the whole family.
Home-baked cookies and cupcakes are always a better alternative than the ones bought from the supermarket. This way you’ll actually know what your children are eating, so you can reduce all the bad ingredients to a minimum. The bottom line is, children love sweets and they will continue to do so, but our job as adults, teachers, parents and caregivers is to find a safe and healthy way to substitute the harming sugary ingredients in their favorite foods and teach them that eating healthy is possible, even when it comes in the form of sweets.
Reference: https://www.naturallysweet.com.au/our-products/stevia-products
