Sweets for children
Sweet treats are allowed – according to the WHO, a primary school child should eat no more than about ten sugar cubes' worth of free sugar a day, and ideally only half that.
Ausführlich erklärt
Sweets are part of childhood – the question isn't whether, but how much and when. The WHO recommends that free sugars (added sugar plus the sugar in juice, syrup and honey) make up less than 10% of energy intake, ideally less than 5%. For a primary school child eating around 1,600 kcal a day, 10% is about 40 grams – a good 13 sugar cubes of 3 grams each. The DONALD study in Dortmund shows that children and teenagers in Germany are, on average, well above this.
A large part of this sugar doesn't come from the sweet drawer but is hidden in drinks, sweetened dairy products, breakfast cereals, fruit yoghurt and “children's” snacks. A glass of juice, a fruit yoghurt and a bowl of sweetened cereal use up the daily allowance before the first sweet is even eaten.
What works for many families: sweets are allowed, planned and come without conditions. For example, one small portion a day (as much as fits in a child's hand), ideally straight after a meal rather than in between – that's gentler on teeth and stops sweets from spoiling the appetite for the meal. Strict bans often just make sweets more exciting; children who never get anything at home often eat all the more at their friends' houses.
The role sweets play matters: they're not a reward, not comfort, not a punishment – just something you have sometimes. Talk about “sometimes foods” rather than “unhealthy” or “forbidden” ones. And make the sugar visible: stacking up sugar cubes together for favourite drinks often impresses children more than any rule.
A word on substitutes: sugar-free fizzy drinks or yoghurt sweetened with sweeteners don't wean children off the sweet taste. Water, fruit and unsweetened versions are the better habit – and if you eat fewer sweet things, after a few weeks lots of foods already taste sweet enough.