Q & A: "My kid loves sugar! What should I do?"

Q: My kid loves sugar! What should I do?⠀
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A: Most of us love sugar! Breastfed humans start out life receiving a sweet tasting liquid full of the sugar lactose. Our ancestors used taste to determine if something was poisonous or not - sweet tasting things were usually safe. There is nothing wrong with loving sugar. Often, though, our drive for sugar will become even stronger if it is restricted. Mental and physical deprivation can lead to a preoccupation with the food being deprived. To help kids form a neutral, healthy relationship with sugar (and other foods), we need to offer more of it, not less of it. Kids who are restricted will be more likely to sneak food, eat in secret or binge when the opportunity presents itself. ⠀
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What I'd suggest is offering sweet foods regularly. Using the division of responsibility (parents decide what, when, where and child decides how much and whether), we can plan for scheduled snacks with an unlimited amount of a sweet food and then meals that include a smaller portion of a sweet food as a component of the meal. For example, you could add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips to morning oatmeal, a chocolate square in the lunchbox, cookies and milk for snack or a mini cupcake alongside dinner. If the availability is unpredictable, there will be more disordered eating around the food. ⠀
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There is no good evidence to date to show that sugar is addictive. In fact, a 2016 paper concluded: "Given the lack of evidence supporting it, we argue against a premature incorporation of sugar addiction into the scientific literature and public policy recommendations." People may certainly "feel" addicted and this often stems from the restriction. In a study of rats, only those that were fed sugar intermittently demonstrated binge-like behaviors. Those that were given regular access to sugar did not binge. ⠀
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So, what's a parent to do? ⠀
✔️Don't make sugar a big deal⠀
✔️Incorporate sweets as regular components of meals and snacks⠀
✔️Don't use sweets as a reward or take them away as a punishment - food is food, it is not meant to be earned. ⠀
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What questions do you have about this topic? How do you handle sugar in your household?