By Divya Achrekar
It’s the season of joy, traditions and an abundance of sweets and savoury treats as families gather around loaded tables to enjoy festival foods. From chocolates, cakes and cookies to sweetened drinks and desserts, sugary foods are a part of the celebrations during the festive season. But, this also is a cause for concern as the festival goodies can spike sugar levels especially in children within no time. Holidays should not be a time to dread sugar, instead they should be seen as an opportunity to understand how high sugar levels can affect a child’s health and how families and parents can enjoy the celebrations while keeping their long term health in mind as well.
Short-Term Effects During the Festive Season
Consuming excess sugar during the holiday season, or on festivals, can affect children’s daily functioning in the short-term through:
Energy fluctuations: Children can experience hyperactivity or suddenly become tired or cranky.
Appetite disruption: Sugary snacks can reduce hunger, thereby leading to children missing regular meals or compromising on them altogether. This robs them of nutrients like protein, iron, and fibre, which are important for their growing bodies.
Digestive discomfort: Too much sugar can cause bloating, stomach aches, or changes in bowel habits.
Sleep disturbances: Sugary foods, especially later in the day, can interfere with sleep quality.
The Emotional Side of Holiday Eating
Food is deeply connected to culture and traditions in any country – an indispensable part of holiday festivities around the world. In India, with its diverse food baskets, sweets occupy pride of place at every festival, attracting the attention of kids and adults alike. Strict monitoring of children’s intake of sweets can make sugary treats more appealing to them. Over time, they will learn to associate sugar, snacks and sweets with reward and rebellion rather than enjoyment and moderation.
Instead of avoidance and control, guidance will prove beneficial. Children learn by observing and when they see their elders enjoying sweets and snacks in reasonable portions along with balanced meals, they are more likely to learn that all foods, including sweets, can be enjoyed without guilt or excess.
Here are some ways to help you manage your family’s sugar intake during the festive season:
1. Pair sweets with meals
Having a dessert after a balanced meal slows down the sugar absorption and reduces blood sugar spikes as against eating only sweets.
2. Monitor routines where possible
Regular, fixed meal schedules and snack times help to avoid constant craving for sugary foods through the day.
3. Focus on what to add, not just what to limit
Food, even on festivals, should ideally include protein, fibre, and healthy fats – in the form of nuts, yoghurt, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and wholegrains, to help children feel satiated.
4. Offer choice, not pressure
Let children choose the holiday treats they enjoy most rather than sampling everything available at the same time.
5. Keep sweets neutral
Avoid using desserts as bribes or rewards. This helps to prevent emotional attachment to sugary foods.
A Balanced Holiday Perspective
The holiday season, no matter how joyful, should be about finding the right balance between celebrations and maintaining your child’s health. No festival is complete without sweets and savouries; they can even complement nourishing foods that support children’s overall growth and development. By guiding and informing, rather than restricting and denying, families can help children enjoy festival treats and learn good eating habits that support health long after the holidays end.
*Divya Achrekar, is Deputy Manager – Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, Mumbai
