The Sugar Problem and Our Kids

There's been a huge increase in obesity in children in the last decade.  It is a growing concern among doctors, educators, and parents.  I think it has an awful lot to do with the food we're feeding our children.  One of the culprits is sugar.


I was thinking about this and wondering how I could find some good kid-friendly recipes with less sugar when I realized that diabetics must eat less sugar.  I found a cookbook for kids with diabetes and was excited to see what was inside it!

The cookbook is America's Best Cookbook for Kids with Diabetes by Colleen Bartley.  It's published by Robert Rose Publishing.  Honestly, I really like how they format their cookbooks.  The fonts are very readable.  The spacing is great so that it's easy to follow a recipe and come back to the step you're on as you're cooking.  You don't lose track of what you're adding or what you're doing!


In this cookbook, there's a great introduction and discussion about sugars and artificial sweeteners.  The discussion about artificial sweeteners isn't very indepth, but it's a good introduction to the topic and gives some food for thought.


As I flipped through the cookbook, I immediately thought "What a great cookbook!"  The recipes are all what I what I'd say are "kid-friendly".  I have often noticed that well intentioned cookbooks for kids throw in a lot of healthy ingredients that kids are reticent to eat.  If you have amiable eaters, that's great.  If you don't, you may often find yourself in a pickle like I do.  


Over the past few weeks, I've made several recipes from this cookbook.  One night we had the fish sticks and the tartar sauce.  I was surprised at how well the coating stuck to the fish. I've had a lot of problems with that over the years!  Then, a few days ago I made the Baked Apple-Raisin Oatmeal.  Of course, my picky eaters won't eat raisins, so I subbed in mini-chocolate chips.  I know this adds in sugar, but for an afternoon snack, this was still a lower sugar alternative than cookies.  A friend of mine was over and ate some.  She commented how much she enjoyed them because it wasn't quite so sweet.  Another recipe I made was using the teriyaki sauce from the pork chop recipe.  I used it when we barbecued chicken.  It good and mild.  Each of the recipes were simple and quick to make.  


If you a) have picky eater and are looking for simple, healthy recipes or b) have a child with diabetes, then you might really like this cookbook.  I did.


Please note note that I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook for review from Robert Rose Publishing.