How To Steer Your Kids Away From High Fructose Corn Syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is an inexpensive, highly processed, concentrated sweetener that is found in many commercial products including candy bars, sodas, salad dressings, cereals, even yogurts and nutrition bars.

But encouraging your children to steer clear of sugar can be challenging. So what can you do to make them want to try healthy alternatives?

Let kids do the shopping. Kids like new experiences: a trip to a health store or the organic aisle of the supermarket may be all you need to get them to eat better. Encourage them to look for the organic seal and let them choose a few of their favorite foods. Then reward them with a healthy snack of their own.

Go for less fluff, more substance. Instead of baked goods with bleached flour and hydrogenated oils, stock your home with organic and healthy snacks and let your kids choose freely: Health Valley Low Fat Chocolate Chip Granola Bars provide a good chocolate fix. Our Strawberry Cobbler Cereal Bars contain real strawberries and have no artificial coloring. The taste of both will make their eyes light up (and put a smile on your face, too).

Cereal isn't just for breakfast. Organic cereal is a great snack alternative your kids can even serve themselves—anytime. Try kid-pleasing favorites like Health Valley's Blast Ems! Cereal served with Soy Dream™, Rice Dream™ or West Soy™ instead of milk. Add some fresh fruit, and you have a fast, complete meal that satisfies sugar cravings.

Teach them to cook. Let each of your children choose a meal night, and plan what you'll cook — together. Enlist younger children in setting the table or washing the veggies. Keep their tasks simple at first, like having them microwave a ready-to-eat Healthy Valley microwaveable soups.