Sugar: at what age should I give it to my child? Find out, according to the recommendations of experts.
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In general, experts recommend that children up to 24 months of age have a diet based on breast milk and the consumption of natural and unprocessed foods. Therefore, until the age of 2, sugar should not be part of the baby’s diet in any way. However, if you want to delve into the answer to the question “Sugar: at what age should I give it to my child?”, read on.
Sugar: at what age and how can you incorporate it into your child’s diet?
As we have already said, up to 24 months of life, babies should not ingest sugar in any form, namely as a sweetener in fruits or drinks.
When we talk about sugar, we are referring to white, brown, crystal, demerara, coconut sugar or even corn syrup, honey, molasses or also sweeteners (aspartame, sodium cyclamate, potassium acesulfame, sodium saccharin, stevia, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol and sucralose). Naturally, children should not be offered cakes, biscuits, sweets and jellies either.
It is important to remember that sugar is “hidden” in many products which, therefore, should be avoided at this age, such as chocolate powder, sugary drinks, cereals, powdered gelatine, cereal flour, flavored yogurts, candies, chewing gum, lollipops, chocolates, among others.
Early sugar consumption
The ingestion of sugar in excessively high amounts is at the origin of several chronic diseases that, many times, begin precisely in childhood. However, avoiding sugar, in addition to being a health issue, is also a means of education for healthy habits.
Sugar is addictive and accustoms the palate to sweet things. In addition, many of the foods that contain it have an unbalanced nutritional composition, a high energy content and a low nutritional quality that favors problems such as obesity, bacterial plaque and tooth decaya hyperactivityamong others.
It is during the first 2 years of life that the child will determine many aspects of his future life. Basically, the more the child is used to sweet flavors, the more he will reject good and healthy ingredients, such as vegetables and legumes.
How to avoid sugar
Basically, the best way to control sugar consumption is to prepare your children’s meals, making them attractive through the colors, textures, aromas and flavors available.
Whenever possible, include the child in the idealization, preparation and cooking of meals, making them aware of the greater importance of certain foods, rather than others.
Don’t forget that there are naturally sweet fruits and vegetables, such as bananas and carrots, which can therefore be used to give dishes a sweeter touch.
And after 2 years?
The child’s contact with sugar should be gradual and always regulated. The most sugary foods must be present on exceptional occasions and their consumption must be controlled.
The American Heart Association advises that children over 2 years of age eat no more than 25 grams of sugar a day.
However, do not be fooled, as it is “easy” to exceed this dose, as sugar is present in various products, such as bread, juices or even cereal bars.
Just to give you an idea, in the United States of America, a child ingests an average of 80 grams of sugar, that is, three times more than what is advised. In our country, studies suggest that children between the ages of 5 and 9 consume an average of 50 grams of sugar per day, twice as much as recommended by the American Heart Association.
Therefore, it is imperative that, as a society, we review the amount of sugar we are offering our children, often from their first months of life.
