Even before breakfast children have eaten half their amount of sugar intake
According to UK Government, many parents don’t realise that children have already eaten half their intake of sugar, saturated fat and salt by the time they have finished their breakfast. The organisation, Public Health England, have discovered that young children are eating above the healthy limit of sugar.
With children already consuming over half the healthy limit before even getting to school, this means children’s sugar levels are high. Many parents think that what their child is eating is healthy when in fact, some of what they are eating contains a large amount of sugar.
It is important that children are offered a healthy meal first thing in the morning, however, for some families this time of the day is the busiest. A new Be Food Smart App has been created to help parents choose what food and drinks are healthy for their children. The app which was developed by Public Health England allows parents to monitor and gain an understanding of what their child is eating. The app encourages families to choose healthier food choices. It allows parents to scan the barcode of products, enabling them to compare brands.
According to UK Government if the app doesn’t work a sugar tax in April 2108 will be introduced.
To download the Be Food Smart app visit: www.nhs.uk/change4life-beta