Boy cartoon Girl cartoon

Your child is having more sugar than recommended

You might not have realised how much sugar your child is having. It’s easily done with all the confusing labels on food and drink. This is exactly why we’ve developed this sugar check, to help parents by highlighting how and where sugar can sneak into your child’s diet.

Once you know the dangers of a sugary diet and what you can do to help prevent them, it’s easier to start making healthier choices and reduce the amount of sugar your child is having.

At the moment your child’s diet could be putting them at risk of tooth decay, an unhealthy weight, and it could also lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers in the future.

The good news is however, that it may only take a few small changes to start keeping them safe from sugar.

Yogurts can push your child over their daily sugar allowance

Surprisingly some of the yogurts you give your children can contain over 3 sugar cubes in one pot! Adding this to drinks and cereals can put their health at risk if you’re not careful.

Click here to see a full list of yogurts

Tasty Tip

Add fruit to plain yogurts such as natural, skyr and low fat Greek yogurts for natural sweetness. All these yogurts provide a healthy source of calcium and protein that helps to promote healthy bones and teeth in children.

Click for DIY yogurt recipes
DIY yogurt recipes

Watch out for high sugar cereals

We’ve put together a list that clearly shows which popular cereals contain the most sugars. This will help you spot the hidden sugars and make picking healthier options easier.

Click here to see our full list of cereals
Bad cereals

Start with a healthier breakfast

Giving your child sugary cereal for breakfast can put them close to their maximum daily sugar allowance before the day has even started.

Try swapping to something with less sugar, there are lots of healthier alternatives ranging from porridge with fruit to a boiled egg or wholegrain toast.

Click here for tips on swapping to healthier breakfasts
Good Cereals

There's no place for these drinks in a child's diet

It’s shocking to see how much sugar is hiding in popular drinks. We’ve put together a clear list to show you which drinks have the most sugar, which should help you make healthier choices.

Click here to see our full list of drinks
Bad drinks

Swapping to water or milk is the best choice

Some drinks can contain two or three times a child’s maximum daily sugar allowance. If you want to protect your child and look after their teeth we suggest giving them milk or water instead.

Milk is good for building healthy teeth and bones, plus drinking water is refreshing and helps keep the body hydrated. Liverpool’s tap water in particular is great because it is sourced from Lake Vyrnwy and is as good as bottled water.

Click here for tips on cutting down on sugary drinks
Good drinks

Dentists's Tips

Tooth decay can cause a lot of unnecessary pain and stress for you and your child. In some cases they may even end up needing to have teeth removed. You can avoid this however by listening to dentist’s advice and keeping your child’s teeth safe from sugar.

It’s good to know that:

  • 1.

    The acid found in all soft drinks, including diet and ‘no added sugar’ types, can cause enamel damage.

    Beer
  • 2.

    The sugar found in sugary drinks, including fruit juice, can cause tooth decay.

    Bad drinks
  • 3.

    Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste, last thing before bed and one other time every day

    Plate with knife and fork
Click here for more tips to prevent tooth decay