A Swedish mum has turned into something of a social media star, after she took a stand against the big bad wolf: sugar.
Anna Larsson decided to cut the sweet stuff from her daughter’s diet, after she realised how often she was craving sugary treats.
After just a few difficult days, Anna says her daughter was no longer constantly asking for yoghurts and iced buns, and would actually eat the things that she had hated previously.
The 38-year-old mum has expressed her amazement, after her tantrum prone daughter would now sleep and eat better than ever before.
Her four-year-old kid often used to throw a tantrum when she was refused sweet treats.
“I thought, she has real cravings for sugar. She did not want to eat the food we are making, all she wants to eat are things like sweet yoghurts,”Anna told the BBC.
The mum also explained that her daughter’s taste buds seemed like new, and after a few days of quitting the sweet stuff, would actually eat what was put in front of her.
Anna’s post struck a cord with parents, being shared and commented on thousands of times since it’s original posting.
But how much sugar is OK for kids?
According to the National Health Service in the UK, the following applies to kids per day:
Age 2: Under 13 grams (1 to 3 teaspoons)
Age 3: Under 15 grams (2 to 4 teaspoons)
Age 4 – 6: Under 19 grams (3 to 5 teaspoons)
Age 7 – 10: under 24 grams (4-6 teaspoons)
Age 11 +: under 30 grams (5-6 teaspoons)
Some parents have not taken Mrs Larsson’s approach well, saying the approach is too extreme.
But Anna’s answer is that is kids are craving sugar, they actually have a problem, and it’s your job as a parent to help them.
“We cannot give them sugary treats just because we want them to be quiet in the store.”
This news comes just days after two dairies in Taranaki were praised for their ‘no pre-school sugar’ stance. With both shops saying they’ll refuse to sell sugary drinks to kids before school.
