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Kids and Ketchup
Can Children Eat Too Much?
By Donna Smith
But that does not mean that ketchup consumption should not be monitored. "Ketchup can be high in sugar and/or salt so be sure to read the labels and look for the low-sugar and low-sodium versions of your child's favorite," O'Shea says. "Therefore, you can hardly call ketchup a 'health food' as there are other ways to get lycopene that would be considered a better nutritional choice. But a little ketchup here and there can certainly fit into an overall healthy diet with some benefits as a bonus."
Hutches never really worried about her daughter's ketchup addiction. "It's just like everything else in life, a phase, and you can't stress about those too much when they're probably going to change in a week or so," she says. "As long as she's taking her multivitamin and eating a well-balanced diet I just limit how much ketchup (due to the sugar content) she can have and everyone is happy."
Cruz attributes her son's varied diet to ketchup. "I really think because of ketchup, he is eating more things than he would be without the ketchup," she says. "I really can't stress how much more he will eat and try with ketchup. I feel like if he did not have his comfort food to go with the 'new and strange' food we would never eat anything outside of mac and cheese and hot dogs!"
itself that is enticing to children, so try some other creative options for dipping or topping such as hummus, mustard, etc.," she says. "And of course remember that it is common for kids to go through food jags, so don't get discouraged, and don't feel like you have to 'give in' to constant requests for ketchup. Keep offering a variety of healthy food and you might just be amazed at how your child will respond!" 
