Reduce your family's sugar intake
From January 2015, parents can benefit from new tips and practical advice to help them reduce the amount of sugar their kids eat and drink during the day.
The Change4Life Sugar Swaps campaign enables parents to sign up to receive practical, easy to implement hints, tips, advice and recipes to try with their family.
Parents can find tips on how to cut back on sugar throughout the day, suggestions for healthier alternatives to sugary food, drink and snacks and details on how much sugar can be found in common foods.
Adrian McLachlan, Chair of Lambeth CCG, said many people have no idea how much sugar they and their families really consume as it can be found in so many things.
"It can be surprising how much sugar there is in some of the things that children eat and drink throughout the day," hesaid.
"This can range from the cereal they have for breakfast, to the snacks they have after school to the drinks they have during the day.
"This new campaign provides parents with lots of ideas about how they can swap sugary options for healthier food and drink choices that can help their children cut a little sugar out their diet."
Some of the suggested 'sugar swaps' include:
- Replacing sugary cereal with shredded whole grain or porridge
- Replacing an after school muffin with carrot and cucumber sticks or rice cakes
- Replacing pop drinks with water, lower fat milks or sugar free pop drinks.
Excess sugar leads to excess calories and a build-up of fat in the body, and increases the risk of developing dangerous conditions including cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
In 2012, 40% of children aged 10-11 in Lambeth were overweight or obese.
Change4Life Sugar Swaps is a Public Health England campaign. To view the Sugar Swaps advice, tips and recipes visit www.nhs.uk/change4life/