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Discover how the book Zuckerfrei mit Kindern from riva Verlag, packed with over 70 simple recipes, helps make everyday family meals healthier — with light, delicious dishes the whole family will enjoy.

By Lisa Ehrhardt

What children eat has an enormous impact on their health and development. It’s in those early years that the sense of taste takes shape, making it crucial to build healthy eating habits from the start. A sugar-heavy diet can lead to excess weight, obesity, type 2 diabetes and a host of other health problems. Yet knowing this doesn’t make daily life any easier — sugar hides in more foods than most people realize, and children, understandably, love anything sweet.

Why a Sugar-Free Diet Is So Hard to Pull Off

Sugar is everywhere in our society. It hides not just in obvious sweets but in countless processed foods — sauces, yogurts, even bread — which makes steering children toward a sugar-free diet especially difficult. To make matters harder, sugar has an addictive quality of its own, which only deepens the challenge of cutting back.

Zuckerfrei mit Kindern from riva Verlag Offers a Solution

This is exactly where the book “Zuckerfrei mit Kindern,” by Elisa Täufer and Loreen Eiffler, comes in. The two mothers, nutrition coaches and bloggers have made it their mission to help families find their way to a sugar-free diet. Their book contains over 70 simple, delicious recipes built around natural sweetness, designed to please the whole family. It’s not just a recipe collection — it doubles as a guide, packed with useful tips and information about cutting sugar from your diet.

Elisa and Loreen know firsthand how hard it can be to build healthy eating habits into the chaos of family life. Their book sets out to prove that cutting sugar doesn’t have to be a chore, and can even be fun. The recipes are designed to be easy to cook and to genuinely please kids and adults alike.

Zuckerfrei mit Kindern

Three Simple, Delicious Recipes from the Book

Fruit and Milk Rolls

Serves 4–5. Prep time: 1 hr. 20 min.

70 g butter 250 ml plant-based milk 1 packet dry yeast 4 dried apricots 1–2 handfuls raisins 500 g spelt flour

Glaze: 1 egg yolk 2 tbsp milk

Method

  1. Warm the butter, milk and yeast briefly together in a pot.
  2. Finely chop the apricots. Combine with the raisins, spelt flour and warm milk mixture in a bowl.
  3. Mix into a dough and let rise for 30 minutes.
  4. Shape into small rolls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Whisk the egg yolk with the milk and brush over the rolls. Let rise for another 10 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 150°C (top/bottom heat).
  7. Bake the rolls for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Vegetable Muffins with Egg and Tuna

Makes about 8. Prep time: 40 min.

80 g feta 1 small can tuna in brine ½ red bell pepper 100 g cherry tomatoes 5 brown mushrooms 3 spring onions 6 eggs 6 tbsp quark Salt Pepper Optional: Potato wedges Salad

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan).
  2. Pat the feta dry and crumble finely.
  3. Drain the tuna and flake with a fork.
  4. Finely chop the vegetables, or use a food processor.
  5. Whisk the eggs, quark, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
  6. Divide the feta, tuna and vegetables among the muffin cups and pour the egg mixture over the top.
  7. Bake for about 25 minutes, until lightly golden on top. Let cool briefly.
  8. Serve with fresh oven-roasted potato wedges and a good salad.

Apple and Almond Crumble

Serves about 6. Prep time: 45 min.

Butter, for the dish 3–4 medium apples 3 tbsp coconut blossom syrup 100 g flaked almonds 100 g chopped hazelnuts 35 g rolled oats 160 g butter 70 g spelt flour (type 630) 35 g shredded coconut 25 g coconut blossom sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
  2. Grease a small baking dish with butter.
  3. Peel the apples, halve and cut into small pieces. Place in the dish and drizzle with the coconut blossom syrup.
  4. Scatter the flaked almonds and chopped hazelnuts over the top and let sit briefly.
  5. Combine the oats, butter, spelt flour, shredded coconut and coconut blossom sugar in a bowl and mix well.
  6. Chill the mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  7. Knead the mixture briefly to form small crumbs.
  8. Scatter the crumble over the apples and bake for 20 minutes.

In Short

Zuckerfrei mit Kindern makes a compelling case that raising children sugar-free doesn’t mean sacrificing fun or flavor. With simple, inventive recipes, Elisa and Loreen turn cutting out sugar into something the whole family can genuinely enjoy. Their book is a valuable companion for any parent hoping to give their children a healthier start.