Help us eat less sugar.....

[scrambled]

I've been thinking about sugar a lot this week, and how we can all eat less. DS (8) reacts badly with awful stomach aches if she has too much and I think it would benefit us all if we cut back. But I've googled and am bit overwhelmed by some the the stuff out there. Can you give me some low sugar snacks, lunch and pudding ideas? TIA :)

I would cut out most breakfast cereals

Limit white bread. Most things in a packet or that have an 'advert' are sugar laden

I've checked all the cereals today - most are pretty low in sugar, luckily they like shredded wheat and such like. I make our bread (in a breadmaker). I've been a bit shocked by the amount of sugar in some of the snacks, like the go ahead bars. Also shocked by many websites saying fruit is bad - fruit is good, surely?!

Give us an idea of your typical day/family meals..

Cereal / toast for breakfast
fruit snack
lunch is either hot dinners for the school aged 2, or sandwiches / eggs / cheese and crackers etc for the little two
dinner is generally home cooked, spag bol, pasta, standard stuff
pudding is often yoghurt / ice cream / rice pudding

I could do with some low sugar snack idea for the ones at school, and some low sugar puddings.

Maybe I am worrying too much?

I think almost any bought snack, like go ahead bars, flapjacks. Cereal bars are - despite the marketing - full of sugar and generally pretty rubbish.

I worry a bit about fruit - full of good stuff but also sugary on little teeth. And my DD would cheerfully fill herself up on it over anything containing protein or fat. I mainly only offer it as part if a main meal rather than as a snack, other than post-swimming banana.

Snack-wise, I keep a freezer full of scotch pancakes and generally use grated apple to sweeten them. They defrost brilliantly in a dry pan. Also, sugar-free banana muffins are a big hit here and freeze brilliantly. But I also try not to only offer 'sweet' (if not sugared) snacks so I also have pancakes with grated veg in, served with a bit of Philly. Savoury muffins. Or sometimes just chunks of cheese with cherry toms. I keep meaning to make cheese straws but haven't got round to it yet.

Http on the snack front.

That's a good idea about scotch pancakes. The youngest two start school this year so I'm planning on filling the freezer with stuff like that, home made pizza bases etc.
All my muffins so far have been dismal failures, I've no idea why. I can make a mean cake though! Cheese straws are a good idea!

Perhaps I'll be brave and try some home made popcorn. I wonder if they'd eat pumpkin and sunflower seeds too.

Pudding-wise, I only offer fruit and plain yoghurt most days. Maybe something more at weekend but not always. I might sex up the yogurt a bit - mashed banana and a bit if but butter is good, finely chopped apricot with ground almost also popular here - but I only ever buy plain Greek yoghurt. and often serve it plain, too. DD doesn't mind so long as it's a nice creamy brand - Rachel's or Yeo are good.

Treats might be rice pudding but I do a very slow-cooked version that doesn't need much sugar. Maybe some apples fried in butter and cinnamon. You could try making some frozen yoghurt - I've done it with mashed banana and a dash of honey.

*thats meant to be nut butter in the yoghurt!

My muffins are never going to win awards but my DD seems to accept them!

Oh and ground almonds! Sorry - on phone.

Thankyou. The frozen yoghurt sounds delicious. I'm off to make some lists, i think!