BE FOOD SMART How much is too much? SUGAR

Kids are having nearly three times more sugar than they should!

Kids are getting a lot of their sugar from... Buns Cakes Pastries Biscuits Fizzy drinks Juice drinks Breakfast cereals Yoghurts Sweets Chocolate Ice cream

How sugar affects our kids Too much sugar can lead to the build up of harmful fat on the inside that we can't see. This fat around vital organs can cause weight gain and serious diseases in the future like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Having too much sugar can also cause tooth decay.

The maximum daily amounts of added sugar are: How much is too much? The maximum daily amounts of added sugar are: 4-6 years 7-10 years 11+ years

MILK AND PLAIN YOGHURTS What you need to know about... ADDED SUGAR! When we talk about added sugar, we mean sugar that has been added to food and drink to sweeten it. It could be added by the food manufacturer, by a cook or a chef, or by you at home. It doesn’t just mean the sugar you add to your tea – it also includes honey , syrups, and fruit juice nectar. MILK AND PLAIN YOGHURTS You don’t need to worry about the sugar in milk and plain yoghurts as this isn’t added sugar. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES You don’t need to worry about the sugar in whole fruits and vegetables as this isn’t added sugar . Plus they contain vitamins and minerals , are a great source of fibre and count towards your 5 a day. But remember to keep dried fruit to mealtimes to protect your teeth. JUICE AND SMOOTHIES Fruit juice and smoothies are sugary. They still count towards your 5 A DAY, but remember to limit the amount to no more than 150 ml a day – and keep to mealtimes as they cause tooth decay.

Easy ways to cut back Start smart For a healthy start to the day, swap sugary cereals for plain porridge, plain wholewheat biscuit cereals, or plain shredded wholewheat. Cut back on sugary snacks by swapping cakes, biscuits, chocolate and sweets for fruit, plain rice cakes, toast with lower-fat spread, fruited teacakes or a bagel. Drink smart A quarter of the sugar kids have every day comes from sugary drinks. Swap soft drinks, juice drinks and flavoured milks for water, lower-fat milks and diet, sugar-free, or no-added sugar drinks. Get tips and easy drink swaps. 

Sugar smart shopper Use the Food Scanner app to see how much sugar is in your favourite food or drink — look for products that are low in sugar! Liven up your yoghurt Choose low fat, lower-sugar yoghurt instead of sugary yoghurt, ice cream and sugary desserts. Make it more interesting by adding some chopped fruit or berries. DIY snacks Ask your kids to help prepare healthier snacks from a selection of fruit, low sugar cereal and unsalted nuts — they're more likely to eat it if they've made it.

5 A DAY and fruit juice Fruit juice counts as one of your 5 A DAY, no matter how much you have. So limit the amount you and your kids drink to no more than 150ml a day. Leave it on the shelf It's the simplest trick in the book — but if you don't have biscuits and sweets in the house, you won't be able to eat them! Go bananas! Try adding a sliced banana to wholewheat biscuits or low fat, lower-sugar yoghurt. You can also use it as a healthy topping for toast — a great way to get one of your 5 A DAY.

Shop smart At the supermarket, look out for sugar-free and lower-sugar versions of your family favourites. Skip the sweetie aisle Keep temptation out of the way. Swerve past the sweetie aisle in the supermarket and steer clear of checkouts with unhealthy treats on display. Bigger isn't better The big bottles of fizzy drinks and juice may seem like a good deal — but you're just getting more sugar! Don't be tempted: choose water, lower-fat milks, sugar-free or no-added sugar drinks instead. Your family favourites Look for reduced sugar and no-added sugar versions of your regular brands. Why not give a healthier choice of yoghurt, ketchup or beans a try?

Get the FREE Food Scanner app Scan barcodes using the app to find out what's inside popular food and drink.

If you don't have the app... Some food labels have traffic light coloured labels to show the sugar content. Choose more greens and ambers, and fewer reds. Red means this food is HIGH in sugar. Think about how often you choose it and how much of it you eat. Amber means this food has a MEDIUM amount of sugar. This makes it an OK choice, although going for green is even better. Green means it's LOW in sugar, which makes it a healthier choice.