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With busy family schedules and supermarket shelves packed with products marketed towards children, it can be challenging for parents to navigate sugar intake. While an occasional treat can certainly form part of a balanced diet, evidence continues to show that many UK children consume more free sugars (sugars added or released) than recommended.
Making simple, practical sugar swaps can therefore be a valuable strategy for supporting children's health and wellbeing.
Sugar Advice
So, what exactly are free sugars? Well, in a nutshell, these are sugars added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks or consumers, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and smoothies. They do not include sugars naturally found within whole fruits, vegetables or milk.
In the UK the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) advises that free sugars should contribute no more than 5% of daily energy intake from the age of two years onwards. However, children are getting about double – about 10.5% of energy from free sugars
In practical terms, the 5% of the energy (calories) daily from foods and drinks equates to around 19g of free sugars per day for children aged 4–6 years (about 5 teaspoons/sugar cubes), 24g for those aged 7–10 years (6 teaspoons/sugar cubes) and 30g for children aged 11 years and over (about 7-7.5 teaspoons/sugar cubes).
Are Excess Free Sugars a Concern?
Excessive free sugar consumption can affect children's health in several ways, immediately and over the longer term.
Tooth decay is damage to a tooth that can cause pain, swelling and infection and having lots of sugar in the diet can be a risk factor. Free sugars provide fuel for oral bacteria, which produce acids that gradually erode tooth enamel.
Drinks and foods high in free sugars can also increase the risk of overweight and obesity. When children consume too many sugary products, they may eat fewer nutritious foods, leading to a less balanced diet. Over time, a high intake of free sugars may also increase the risk of health problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life.
Research also shows that regularly consuming large amounts of sugar can disrupt the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. This may affect how well the immune system works, potentially making it harder for the body to fight off infections and stay healthy.
Establishing Lifelong Eating Habits
Children's food preferences begin to develop from a very young age. Frequent exposure to highly sweetened foods and drinks can reinforce preferences for sweet tastes, potentially making it more difficult for children to accept less sweet but nutrient-rich options such as vegetables, wholegrains and unsweetened dairy products.
Parents and caregivers therefore play a vital role in helping children develop balanced eating patterns. Small, consistent changes can gradually reshape taste preferences without children feeling deprived.
The Power of Small Changes
One of the most encouraging messages for parents is that improving children's diets does not require perfection. Small, sustainable changes often have the greatest long-term impact.
For example, replacing a sugary drink with water or milk, choosing a lower-sugar breakfast cereal, or swapping confectionery for fruit and unsweetened dairy products can meaningfully reduce daily sugar intake.
Rather than focusing on restriction, many families find success by adopting a "swap not stop" approach. This involves identifying higher-sugar foods and drinks and replacing them with appealing alternatives that provide similar convenience and enjoyment. Below are a few examples and ideas of lower sugar swaps.
Table 1: Sugar intakes - the power of swaps
*Known allergen. Supermarket/manufacturer nutrition information (primarily Tesco product pages and manufacturer labelling). McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID). Sugar values are approximate because formulations may change between manufacturers and supermarkets. Values are presented per 100g or 100ml to support easy comparison.
Final Thoughts
Reducing free sugar intake does not mean removing all treats or making children feel restricted. Instead, it is more about creating healthier habits through practical everyday swaps and informed choices.
By focusing on realistic changes at breakfast, in lunchboxes and during snack times, parents can help children build healthier eating habits that reinforce lifelong wellbeing.
References
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2025) Official Statistics National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019 to 2023: report.
- Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2015) SACN Carbohydrates and Health Report. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommendations on carbohydrates, including sugars and fibre.
- NHS Inform (2026) Sugar.
- Mis NF et al. (2017) Sugar in Infants, Children and Adolescents: A Position Paper of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Committee on Nutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 65(6):681-696.
- Arnone D et al. (2022) Sugars and Gastrointestinal Health. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 20(9):1912-1924.e7.
