"Sugar is celebratory. Sugar is something that we used to enjoy. Now, it basically has coated our tongues. It's turned into a diet staple and it's killing us."
--Dr. Robert Lustig
Recently I
was reviewing notes from our Growing Healthy Kids’
workshop in Vero Beach, Florida. For the
label reading demonstration with the kids, I purchased a box of popular
cereal, as determined by shelf space and placement in relation to the eye level
of an elementary age child. This cereal
was loaded with hidden ingredients, a common practice in foods marketed to
kids. It contained not 1, not 2, not 3,
but 4 different food dyes which are known to contribute to attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder.
One cup of this cereal contains 32 grams of carbohydrates (with less than l gram of dietary fiber), which equals 8 teaspoons of sugar. When I asked one of the kids to
measure out 8 teaspoons of sugar into a cup and then pass it around to see who
would eat it, the kids were repelled by the thought of eating refined
sugar. However, when they have a bowl of cereal, such as the Captain Crunch Berry used in our demonstration, before school, they don’t think about the added sugars, food dyes, and chemical ingredients that they cannot pronounce.
Teaching the
Becoming a Sugar Detective lesson as a lead-in and contrast to the lesson on making
grilled vegetable sandwiches on some of out-of-this-world delicious whole grain
bread imported from New York City by Chef Anthony Damiano of Counter Culture
was intentional. I wanted kids to
remember the contrast between the choice of eating 8 teaspoons of pure added
sugar or having a delicious grilled vegetable sandwich containing no added
sugars. Oh my, the flavors of the
grilled sandwiches were pure heaven! The
taste of real food is so amazing!
 |
| Chef Anthony Damiano of Counter Culture, with kids at our recent Nutrition Scientist Training Program |
The health
of America’s children has become a commodity for sale to the for-profit sector. Processed food manufacturers
employ flavor scientists to make foods intentionally addictive. Companies employ branding experts to design
packages in bright colors that will catch the attention of kids, especially
when placed at eye level in your favorite grocery store.
Become a
Sugar Detective. Our children’s health
stands in the balance.
With love,
Nancy
Heinrich, MPH
Founder and
Wellness Architect
Growing
Healthy Kids, Inc.
