• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Thinkstockphotos 84469401

5 Easy Ways to Cut Sugar in Your Child’s Diet

Updated: Feb 18, 2020 | Originally Published: Sep 22, 2015 |
By Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

So you’ve eliminated the soda, sugary cereals and chips from your child’s diet, however could high calories and sugar still be lurking in some of your little one’s favorite snacks?

You may think that those yogurt packs, animal crackers and fruit pouches that you’re packing in your child’s lunch are a nutritious snack, however even these popular bites can be loaded with sugar and additives. To help give your toddler’s diet an upgrade, check out these 5 simple snack swaps featured in one of our recent “Get the Skinny” segments. With just a few key changes, you can quickly ditch the sugar and additives, and get more of the good stuff you want for your child.

Tip: Most of the snacks from brands like Plum, Happy Tots, Ella, etc. are good quality wholesome snacks and contain no key ingredients to avoid. However, not everything’s 100%, so here are 5 tips to upgrade your kids’ snacks!

1. Animal crackers (per 2 cookies: 43 calories – 50 mg sodium – 7 grams carbs – 0 fiber – 2.3 grams sugar)

  • Instead of traditional animal crackers, switch to:
    • Gerber Graduates Animal Crackers (made with whole wheat flour as first ingredient)
    • Per 2 cookies: 30 calories – 25 mg sodium – 5 grams carbs – 0 fiber – 2 grams sugar
    • Still made with added sugars, but at least contain more whole grain flour than any other ingredient

2. Organic Sweetened Applesauce (per tub: 90 calories, 23 grams carbs, 19 grams sugar)

  • Instead of organic sweetened applesauce, switch to:
    • GoGo Squeez Applesauce on the Go (plain or flavored available with no added sugar)
    • Per tube: 60 calories, 15 grams carbs, 12 grams sugar
    • Ingredients: apples, apple juice concentrate

3. Squeezable Yogurt (per tube of Yoplait Go-Gurt: 60 calories, 12 grams carbs, 9 grams sugar, 2 grams protein)

  • Instead of Yoplait Go-Gurt, switch to:
    • Siggi’s Low-Fat Yogurt Tubes (50% less sugar and 2.5 times more protein)
    • Per tube: 50 calories, 6 grams carbs, 5 grams sugar, 5 grams protein
    • Ingredients: lowfat milk, sugar, real whole fruit, fruit pectin, live active cultures

4. Fruit Pouches (made with 100% fruits and fruit purees)

  • Instead of fruit-only pouches, switch to:
    • Fruit and Veggie Pouches & Fruit + Yogurt Pouches
    • It will still taste sweet because of the fruit, with the added benefit of fiber-rich beans/lentils, probiotic-rich Greek yogurt and the additional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants of the veggie blends.

5. Fruit Juice and Punch Boxes (per box of Kool-Aid Jammers with 100% DV Vitamin C: 80 calories, 20 grams carbs, 20 grams sugar)

  • Instead of Kool-Aid Jammers, switch to:
    • V8 Fusion Fruit Punch (no added sugar, plus real fruit and vegetable juices)
    • Per box: 60 calories, 15 grams carbs, 14 grams sugar
    • Ingredients: water, juices of white grapes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cherries, pomegranates

For more details on this topic, watch Molly’s full “Get the Skinny” segment on WGNO.com.

Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD registered dietitian with Ochsner Health, manages the Nutrition department of Ochsner Fitness Center and is founder of the Ochsner Eat Fit nonprofit restaurant initiative. Tune in to her podcast, FUELED | Wellness + Nutrition and follow the Eat Fit team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @EatFitNOLA.

Looking for healthy recipes? Download the Eat Fit Smartphone app. Visit OchsnerEatFit.org.

Email nutrition@ochsner.org to schedule an appointment for nutrition counseling


You may also be interested in:

Thinkstockphotos 176437019
Food & Fitness
Aug 3, 2015

Best and Worst Kid-Friendly Cheese Crackers

Check out which cheese cracker products on the market make the cut and which ones you should avoid.
125556061 Children At Halloween Party
Food & Fitness
Oct 31, 2014

Healthy Halloween Treats Without Scary High Calories

Consider having a few of these low-sugar, low-calorie Halloween-themed foods and drinks on hand.
460638705 School Lunchbox
Food & Fitness
Sep 16, 2020

3 Healthy Ideas for Your Child’s School Lunch

Three ideas for easy lunches that are well-balanced, nutrient-rich and offer a variety of flavors and textures.

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide