Sauces and Dressings: How to Keep Children Away from Them (Part 2)

As a continuation of the earlier part, let’s look into whether we keep our children away from consuming too many store-bought sauces and dressings, and if so, how?

Ketchup and sauces are a common part of many children’s diets. However, these condiments can be high in sugar, sodium, and calories. As a result, it is important to limit the amount of ketchup and sauces that children consume.

As a parent of teenagers, I believe that it’s important to be mindful of what our children are eating because they’re still growing and developing, and it’s utterly important to establish the right eating patterns and introduce them to better choices.

Some of the potential negative impacts of eating too many sauces and toppings:

• Weight gain: Sauces and toppings can be high in calories, which can lead to weight gain.
• Tooth decay: Sugary sauces and toppings can contribute to tooth decay.
• High blood pressure: High-sodium sauces and toppings can contribute to high blood pressure.
• Heart disease: High-fat sauces and toppings can contribute to heart disease.
• Diabetes: High-sugar sauces and toppings can contribute to diabetes.

A look at some real-life examples of how sauces and toppings can impact teenagers can set things in the right perspective.

• A study by the University of California, San Francisco found that teenagers who ate more sugary sauces and toppings were more likely to be overweight or obese.
• Another study by the University of Minnesota found that teenagers who ate more high-sodium sauces and toppings were more likely to have high blood pressure.
• A study by the University of Texas found that teenagers who ate more high-fat sauces and toppings were more likely to have high cholesterol.

So, what can you do to help your teenagers reduce their intake of sauces and toppings? Here are a few tips:

• Don’t buy and store large bottles because they are cheaper: Serve sauces and toppings sparingly. Only offer a small amount on the side of the meal.
• Offer healthier alternatives: There are many healthy sauces and toppings available, such as salsa, hummus, and guacamole.
• Be a role model: Children learn by watching the adults in their lives. If you want your teenager to eat less sauces and toppings, make sure you are not eating them yourself.
• Be patient: It may take some time for your teenager to adjust to eating less sauces and toppings. Be patient and offer healthy alternatives consistently.

I know it’s not always easy to get children and teenagers to eat healthy foods. But by following these tips, you can help them make better choices and improve their overall health.

Here are some additional tips that may be helpful for children and teenagers:

• Learn to cook healthy meals at home. This way, you can control the ingredients and make sure that your teenager is eating healthy foods.
• Get involved in sports or other physical activities. This will help your teenager burn off excess calories and stay fit.
• Talk to your teenager about the importance of eating healthy. Explain to them why it’s important to make good choices about the foods they eat.

Being a full-time working mother, I do struggle with making homemade sauces and have to sometimes rely on store-bought. Here are some sauces and dressings I buy that are chemical and preservatives-free, and do not contain refined or artificial sugar and artificial colours. Of course they are slightly more expensive compared to the regular ones, but health comes at a price!

Troovy Healthy Tomato Sauce

Orchard Lane Organic COMBO of Organic Tomato Ketchup + Organic Peri Peri Ketchup + Organic Pizza Pasta Sauce

Pureberrys Kiwi Preserve

K’s Kitchen No Added Sugar Alphonso Mango Jam

By working together, you can help your teenager develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.