We may be born with a sweet tooth, but cultivating it can lead to long-term health problems. Here's some advice for cutting down on sugar

If children are allowed to develop a preference for sweet foods, they may end up eating a high-calorie diet that can lead to excessive weight gain. This can result in more complicated problems, including diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. Too many sweets can also cause tooth decay and unhealthy gums.

Because of a decade-long obsession with low-fat consumption, we have managed to fill our store shelves with food that's fat-free but loaded with sugar. The result is a steady increase in the amount of sugar eaten inadvertently through processed foods. The Americans are the worst: on average, each American eats 19 teaspoons of sugar per day, whether it's incorporated into foods by manufactures or added themselves. And as people become accustomed to sugary foods, companies have to make new products even sweeter. It becomes a vicious circle.

Secret sugars
While you may be aware of the sugar you do - or do not - add to foods, are you aware of the hidden sugar found in many products? From tomato sauces to hot dogs, sugar can be found in the ingredients.

Sugar is a good source of energy, but it provides few nutrients, so processed sugars should only be a very small part of a balanced diet. Children are developing taste preferences that will last a lifetime, therefore it is an excellent time to help them achieve a preference for the natural taste of unprocessed, unsweetened foods.

Some foods, such as fruits, naturally contain sugar; however, the sugar in fruit is accompanied by a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Developing a preference for the sweet taste of fruits is a great alternative to sweeties and baked goods.

Over the page: 10 sugar-reducing tips

The following suggestions may help you to reduce sugar in your children's diet:

1. Don't ban sugar altogether: Some sugar, judiciously added to wholesome foods, may make them more appetising, such as a sprinkling of brown sugar on oatmeal or a teaspoon of maple syrup on winter squash.
2. Become a careful label reader: The sugar listed on the nutrition label is a combination of the naturally occurring sugar and the added sugar. If you spot the ending '-ose' on a word, it's sugar in disguise. Examples are sucrose, glucose and fructose. Other common ingredients that are sugar in hiding include syrup, honey, brown sugar, fruit juice concentrate and high-fructose corn syrup.
3. Don't make desserts a regular part of every meal: Save them for special occasions or weekend treats. Buy breakfast cereals only if sugar is not one of the top listed ingredients.
4. Reduce the sugar called for in baking: Sugar can often be reduced by up to one-third.
5. Serve alternatives to sugar: Bagels, wholegrain muffins or tortillas can take the place of doughnuts or brownies.
6. Top cereal with fresh fruit: Fresh fruit adds natural and healthy sweetness.
7. Use fresh fruit to sweeten plain yoghurt: Puréed banana mixed with plain yoghurt is great for a toddler treat.
8. Make your own frozen treats: Just freeze 100 per cent pure fruit juices.
9. Create smoothies: Blitz plain yoghurt with banana and fresh fruits for delicious homemade smoothies.
10. Make your own soft drinks: All you need is soda water and your choice of fresh fruit juice.

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