Summer Just Got More Fun with Low-Sugar Treats

By Heather Reid

Swimming, road trips, catching fireflies, playing in the park—no matter what your family’s fave summer activities are, there are usually treats involved. No doubt you want your family to enjoy something sweet without the sugar rush (and crash), so we tapped registered dietician nutritionist and family nutrition consultant Laura Hoover for her best strategies to find that balance.

“Sugar is everywhere, and summer can be a particular challenge,” says Hoover, author of Mom’s Sugar Solution: 150 Low-Sugar Recipes for Your Kids’ Favorite Foods, Sweet Treats, and More. “But there are options for everything. I like to think of myself as a sugar consultant rather than a sugar cop.”

Introducing healthy alternatives early on can help create a foundation for improved nutrition in the long term for families, she says. “Talk about moderation versus restrictions and have that dialogue,” she says. “We have such a short time to feed our kids before they are eating without us.”

It’s also important to know your kids as individuals and what approach works for them. “Some kids need rules, some need more flexibility,” Hoover notes. “We can find a balance between what they need and what they want. It’s up to grownups to present a variety of foods that make them feel good for a long time while also teaching them how to make choices on their own.”

Start with these three recipes from her book—they bring all the indulgent flavor, minus the sugar bomb.

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BIO: Heather Reid is a Chicago-based writer, blogger and avid cook. She writes about baking bread and other adventures at heatherreidwrites.com.