What Foods Should I Choose For My Child?

The usual questions parents have tried to answer researchers from Yale University, USA. Main objectives of this research was to examine whether children will eat breakfast cereals with low sugar and still results in consumption of high compared with low-sugar cereals. 91 children were in summer camp were divided randomly into two groups: one was for breakfast cereals high in sugar and the other foods low in sugar. In the morning there was still all children low-fat milk, orange juice, bananas, strawberries and sugar cubes. Respondents chose whatever they wanted from these for breakfast and filled out questionnaires after eating. The researchers looked at what they ate and estimated the number of calories taken in each child.

All children, not only those who ate cereal with a lot of sugar, reported that they liked the breakfast. Children who ate cereal with a little sugar took an average amount of one serving of cereal (35 grams), while those who ate cereal with a lot of sugar consumed significantly more, nearly twice as much (61 grams). The group with high sugar consumed almost twice as much sugar (24 grams versus 12.5 grams).

The total calories consumed at breakfast were not different between the two groups. It also varies the amount of milk received. However, there was a large difference in fruit consumption: a group of children who ate cereal with a lot of sugar they put fruit in their cereal to just 8%, while the group of children with a little sugar 54% put fruit in their breakfast. The percentage of calories derived from fruit was 13% for children who ate fresh foods, compared with 20% for children of the second group.

The scientists concluded that compared with low-sugar cereals, breakfast cereals high in sugar increase the total sugar consumption in children against consumption of more healthy options like fruit.

They concluded that children will eat fun foods without a lot of sugar, if their offer, that will have to do as parents to offer a superior choice breakfast.