How do you know that your children eat too much candy??

3 Signs Your Child Eats Too Much Sugar:

1. Cavities – Sugar is the #1 cause of cavities. Dentist Peter Shay says, “No matter how well a child brushes his or her teeth, if they consume sugar on a daily basis they will get cavities. Sugary beverages like fruit juice and sodas grab on to a child’s tooth and destroy the enamel before they have a chance to brush.” Children who consume little or no sugar in their diets rarely have cavities.
2. When your child is thirsty, does he ask for water….or something sugary like fruit juice, sodas, sports drinks or chocolate milk? Sugar is a very addictive substances. Children develop cravings for sugar at a very early age – and a big source of their “sugar fix” comes in the form of beverages. Children who are not addicted to sugar typically ask for water when they are thirsty.
3. Have you ever said, “When my child eats something sugary, I don’t see any difference in their behavior”? In many children, their bodies have built up such a high tolerance for junk food that their behavior doesn’t alter. Sugar is to kids what alcohol can be to adults. There are adults who are affected by one sip of alcohol, and other adults who are regular drinkers with a high tolerance where one beer won’t affect them. If your child drinks a can of soda and you don’t see a behavioral change, this is a big sign that she consumes too much sugar.

Not sure what to feed your child which is low in sugar? Here are a list of 10 alternative snakcs, beverages and foods:

* Water, water, water instead of anything else (And if you don't buy or offer anything else.. YES THEY WILL EVENTUALLY DRINK IT!)

* White milk instead of chocolate milk

* Fresh fruit instead of canned fruit

* Fresh fruit instead of fruit roll-ups, fruit snacks or anything misleading with ‘fruit’ in the title (Most "fake fruit" isn't even possessing 5%real fruit juices)

* Kashi brand cereal – it’s lower in sugar

* Skip granola bars – they are no better than a candy bar. Try whole grain crackers with hummus instead.

* Skip cookies and crackers – try carrot sticks or apple slices with a bit of peanut butter instead

* Make a fruit smoothie by blending a mix of fresh fruits and veggies instead of popsicles or ice cream

* Small cheese cubes with whole grain crackers

* Greek yogurt – high in protein and lower in sugar than regular yogurt