Sugar Reducing Tip

You're a nicer mom than I am! I don't even buy the "fun" cereals! But, my kids are quite young still, so I'm sure the time will come when they'll start asking for them. One trick I use with my kids was something my mom always did. It doesn't necessarily cut sugar, but it does ensure that my kids get something good in their bodies. If they ask for a treat, I tell them they have to have something healthy first. Like if they want a cupcake, they have to have an apple first. (And granted, they aren't eating cupcakes every day!) I also hope by filling them up with the apple, they won't have as much room for the much junk!

Hobbymommy, 38, is a discussion leader from Mesa. She is a happy stay-at-home mommy to a 3-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.

When my children ask for gatorade or a real sweet juice which is rare, I like to add some water to it. I know I'm cheap but it makes me feel at ease that I am not fueling them up with too much sugar. And at meal time, the only way that they can have juice or anything with sugar is that they have to finish their glass of milk. Alot of the times my oldest says okay but once he finishes the first glass of milk he is asking for another.

When I was a kid with a diabetic brother, my mother would only buy puffed wheat and puffed rice. Not the sugar coated kind, the plain kind that comes in big bags. They get soggy instantly. So I'm all about the sugared cereals :)

We take the sugared variety and mix it 50-50% with the plain version. For example, honey nut cheerios and regular cheerios or frosted flakes and corn flakes.

The cereal is still plenty sweet, and no one misses the extra sugar.

Also, we mix all 3 kinds of check to make "triple chex". It doesn't save any sugar, it's just tasty.