Sugar, sugar, honey, honey — the difference between natural and added sugars adds up
Theresa Beeley uses games and props to show students at the East Providence Boys and Girls Club how quickly sugar adds up in a day
Popcorn contains a small amount of natural sugar — just a little, but it’s there. When toppings like butter, cheese, or caramel are added, even more sugar is introduced. While this might …
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Sugar, sugar, honey, honey — the difference between natural and added sugars adds up
Theresa Beeley uses games and props to show students at the East Providence Boys and Girls Club how quickly sugar adds up in a day
Popcorn contains a small amount of natural sugar — just a little, but it’s there. When toppings like butter, cheese, or caramel are added, even more sugar is introduced. While this might seem like boring information, especially for kids who just want to snack and get back to playing, it’s the kind of thing a teacher can turn into a fun and engaging lesson on nutrition.
Theresa Beeley, the community nutrition coordinator for the Food Bank of Rhode Island, recently wrapped up a series of nutrition classes at the East Providence Boys and Girls Club as part of the healthy habits academy program. According to Yesenia Barnier, the Food Bank's director of community nutrition, the collaboration between the Food Bank and organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, provides the community with science-based nutrition education.
Though Beeley is moving on to a new location in Rhode Island to teach another set of kids, she left behind some knowledge about nutrition that won’t be soon forgotten. The third-graders that filled her classroom were fully engaged in the curriculum.
The first student to enter the classroom asked in a rather disgusted tone, “Are we eating vegetables today?” As more third-graders trickled in, Beeley responded, “No, actually, we are talking about sugar today.” The student's face immediately lit up. As more students entered, the noise level rose, each one eager to ask a flurry of questions about the lesson. It was clear they were excited and curious about the topic at hand.
Beeley began class with her own excitement, compelling the kids to make some noise, saying, “Today we are talking about … let me get a drum roll!”
The students pounded on the tables in front of them following Beeley’s direction to create a drum roll. Then, with a smile, Beeley revealed, “Today we are talking about sugar.”
Before moving into the topic, the class did a mini review of previous lessons. Beeley asked, “Do you remember what healthy snack we made last week?” The kids in the class raised their hands almost in unison; they each seemed eager to answer this question.
The answers came flooding in with raisins, honey, chia seeds, sunflower seed butter, and finally, chocolate chips. At that last answer, Harlem Hartley raised her hand and asked, “Aren’t those unhealthy?” Beeley responded, clarifying, “It’s all about balance and moderation.”
Let the games begin
Before the first game, Beeley reviewed “whoa foods” with the class, which, according to Beeley are processed foods. The kids named candy, fast foods, and pizza as the “whoa foods” they could remember. One student, Amina Diop, weighed in, explaining, “Processed foods are things that don’t help your body.”
And with that, the first game began.
For the first game, Beeley announced, “You have one minute to write down as many foods as you can think of that have sugar in them.” Then she said, “On your mark, get set, go!” The kids, who had been frantically writing down as many foods as they could remember, immediately put their pens down when she yelled out, “Times up!”
Many of the answers centered around candy, junk food and fruit. One answer Beeley was looking for was missed, though. She probed, “What does lactose intolerant mean?” The kids seemed a bit perplexed by this question, though they still tried to answer it. One student said her aunt is lactose intolerant, which means she can't have dairy. Beeley went on to explain that lactose is the sugar that’s in milk, connecting the fact that it is a natural sugar.
In the final game of the day, Beeley asked the students to guess how much added sugar was in the lineup of drinks she had set up on the table in front of her. The students collectively decided which order to place the drinks, from least to most amount of added sugar.
The biggest shock came when the kids learned that a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola contains a whopping 65 grams of added sugar, prompting looks of surprise from the entire class. Ironically, it wasn’t even the drink with the most added sugar. The first place for the drink with the most added sugar was actually a tie between Minute Maid Lemonade and Arizona Ice Tea.
The key takeaway for the kids, effectively communicated by Beeley through engaging games and props, was that natural sugars found in foods like honey, maple syrup, fruits, dairy, and vegetables are healthier than added processed sugars. However, Beeley also taught that moderation is essential to a healthy diet. Through the interactive activities of the healthy habits academy program, the kids learned that while natural sugars are a better option, moderation remains crucial to maintaining a balanced diet.
Class ended with a plate full of fruit containing cotton candy grapes, dragon fruit, oranges and apples — all naturally as sweet as honey.
