How to Avoid Kids' Blood Sugar "Spike and Crash"

By Missy Chase Lapine

Kids love roller coasters. Moms don’t -- well, at least not the ones that take place inside our homes! I’m talking about the “spike and crash” syndrome that describes the rapid ups and downs of children’s blood sugar levels when they eat too much sugar and overly processed carbs, especially on an empty stomach.

Foods that are especially high in sugar -- even natural sugar and honey -- are known to cause a very quick rise in blood-sugar levels. They are rated high on the “glycemic index” (GI) -- a measurement of the effect a food has on one’s blood sugar level. The higher the rating on the index, the more rapid the increase in blood sugar level. The spike doesn’t last very long and is followed by a corresponding fast drop in blood-sugar level. (often it drops even lower than it was before we ate). This is commonly referred to as the “spike and crash syndrome.”

Children seem especially susceptible to this phenomenon. After they eat the kid-favorite jelly beans (the ultimate sugar spike), particularly when it’s on an empty stomach, parents notice them acting as if they’ve had four cups of coffee. They’re bouncing off the walls and then, in a predictable amount of time, they crash -- growing sleepy, lethargic, and cranky. The reason is that refined sugars (or carbs) raise blood-glucose levels too quickly, causing a surge of insulin, which soon removes even more sugar than when the person started; the loss of sugar is what makes him feel lethargic. For people who are particularly sensitive, the crash may be accompanied by shakiness, irritability, fogginess, and a feeling of intense hunger even though they just ate an hour ago. Almost all packaged snack foods and cereals that are marketed to kids today have this effect on them.

Examples of slower-burning carbs (those with a low GI) are high-fiber foods such as whole grain breads and crackers, vegetables, beans, legumes, brown rice, oats, and whole grain pasta. These high-fiber foods not only add nutrients, but they also contribute to the feeling of being full, which prevents children from overeating. Including low-GI foods in recipes keeps the blood sugar levels balanced, reduces subsequent cravings for more sugar and the snacks that contain it, helps manage weight, and has a positive influence on moods and concentration, among other things.

We need to get kids to eat these low GI, slow-burning foods more often, and at the right times (along with the high GI snacks, for example). That’s just what the recipes below do, yet none of these sneaky additions are obvious. When your kids eat a Sneaky Chef Corn Muffin (below), all they know is that it’s delicious. They stay satisfied longer than if they’d eaten a donut or candy bar, have more sustained energy, feel happier overall, and don’t crave as much junk food. Your little muffins won’t realize that the muffins they ate had enough fiber from the hidden vegetables, wheat germ and stone ground flour to stabilize their blood-sugar levels. They have no idea why the Sneaky Chef Chocolate Chip Cookie was so gratifying to eat. After all, it tasted just like any other chocolate chip cookie, so they couldn’t possibly guess that it contained pureed white beans, whole grains, and half the sugar. The only one who knows these little secrets is you (and their healthier bodies).

As “The Sneaky Chef,” I’m known for coming up with simple solutions that we can use right now, without radically changing our lives, but that make families healthier without a struggle. I live in the real world where kids eat sugar, junk food, and pizza, but I’ve found ways to boost all their foods with extra nutrition and help offset any ill effects of a less-than-ideal diet.

So here are 7 simple ways to prevent the sugar “spike and crash” syndrome and give your child lasting energy:

1. Sneak vegetables into high-carb foods -- these low-GI veggies add not only important nutrients, but lots of fiber that helps slow down the sugar rush. For example, hide pureed cauliflower and zucchini in corn muffins.
2. Sneak whole grains into high-carb foods -- the high fiber grains not only slow the sugar rush, but help make kids feel satisfied so they won’t be as likely to overeat. For example, mix wheat germ and whole wheat flour with white flour for homemade baked goods.
3. Sneak beans into high-carb foods -- low GI beans add not only important nutrients, but lots of fiber that helps slow down the sugar rush. For example, hide pureed white beans in homemade chocolate chip cookies.
4. Make snacks into “mini-meals” -- instead of giving kids a “snack” of high-GI carbs alone (like potato chips, most cereal bars, even most fruits), make it a “mini-meal” and pair that fast-burning carb with some good fat and protein like a cheese stick, slice of turkey breast, or a handful of almonds to help slow the sugar rush.
5. Avoid high sugar foods before going to bed -- this can cause the child to wake-up already in a sugar low and on the way to a downward spiral. If you’re going to have the classic bedtime cookies and milk, make it the Sneaky Chef’s high-fiber, low-sugar cookies.
6. Start the day with fiber and protein -- this is far more important than a glass of juice which has too high a sugar count. A whole grain breakfast of old-fashioned oatmeal with almonds (grind them up to hide them, if necessary) will hold a kid way longer than orange juice and a bagel. So will a slice of cheese melted on a whole grain English muffin. For a fast, “grab and go” breakfast loaded with whole grains and protein.
7. Sprinkle cinnamon on cereal, desserts, and juice -- One of the easiest ways to balance your blood sugar for the day is to add a sprinkling of cinnamon in oatmeal, hot cocoa, chocolate milk, apple juice, or cereal. Cinnamon has been found to be one of the most effective ways to balance blood sugar levels and prevent the “spike and crash.”

Missy Chase Lapine, all rights reserved.