Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Preschool children do not need to be completely banned from eating sweets, but it is important to control their sugar intake and avoid using desserts as a reward or a way to calm them down.
For children aged 4–6, the upper guideline for free sugar consumption is around 19 grams a day. This was stated by Elena Koltygina, associate professor at the Department of Health Preservation and Fundamentals of Medical Knowledge at the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia.
According to the expert, this amount is not a recommended daily serving but a limit that should ideally not be exceeded. Sweets can remain part of a child’s diet, but they should be a small dessert rather than a substitute for a proper meal.
Koltygina stressed that children aged 3–7 need a varied diet that meets the needs of a growing body.
Their diet should provide energy, protein, calcium, iron, vitamins and sufficient water. In preschools, menus are planned in advance, and hot meals should not be replaced with snacks alone.
A daily diet should include dairy or fermented milk products, grains or bread, vegetables, fruit, sources of protein and healthy fats. Porridge, an omelette or cottage cheese are suitable breakfast options, while lunch can include soup and a main course.
For an afternoon snack, children can have kefir, yoghurt without excessive added sugar or a casserole. Dinner may consist of vegetables, grains, fish, poultry, eggs or cottage cheese.
Meat, fish, eggs, legumes and cottage cheese do not all have to be included in the menu on the same day. The important thing is to ensure that these foods regularly feature in the diet throughout the week.
The expert recommends serving fish at least twice a week and vegetables and fruit every day. Children should also have access to clean drinking water throughout the day.
Koltygina advises parents to check their child’s preschool menu and complement it with meals at home to avoid unnecessary repetition. It is equally important not to force children to finish their portions at any cost. A calm atmosphere at the table helps reduce stress and encourage healthy eating habits.
The expert also addressed common misconceptions about sweets. The claim that children should never eat anything sweet is incorrect: sweet flavours are also found in foods that are important for the body, including fruit, berries and milk. However, sweets, biscuits, chocolate and sugary drinks should remain desserts rather than become the foundation of a child’s diet.
The idea that the brain’s need for energy makes sweets beneficial is also misleading. Children can obtain energy from ordinary foods, including porridge, bread, potatoes and fruit.
Koltygina separately warned against excessive juice consumption. Juices contain significant amounts of free sugars and less fibre than fresh fruit. An apple or pear may therefore be a more suitable choice. Juice is best offered in a small portion with a meal rather than as a drink consumed throughout the day.
Honey, syrups and fructose are also sweetening ingredients and are not automatically safe for health simply because they are considered natural.
To help children develop healthy habits, the expert recommends keeping drinking water, fruit, unsweetened dairy products and suitable snacks at home, avoiding stocking up on sugary soft drinks and carefully checking product labels.
Rather than dividing food into “unhealthy” and “healthy” categories, she advises explaining to children which foods are suitable for everyday meals and which should be eaten only occasionally. Parents’ own eating habits also play an important role.
