In this winter period, you might be tempted to give your child a little more sugar, with the idea of enjoying the festive season and increasing his ability to resist the cold better. However, this is a common misconception, and there is a risk of giving your child too much sugar, which can endanger their teeth and get them used to the sweet taste.
Although children like to eat sweet products, they don't really need them because they get their energy from carbohydrates from milk(lactose), fruit(glucose, fructose), and starchy foods(starch from pasta, rice, potatoes).
HOW MUCH SUGAR TO GIVE?
Here's a good way to remember how much added sugar a young child should not have in a day:
- at 1 and 2 years: 2 sugar cubes
- at 3 years: 3 sugar cubes
- at 4 years: 4 sugar cubes
- at 7 years: 7 sugar cubes
- and ... at 10 years old: 10 lumps of sugar (and that's it!)
This is obviously a maximum that should not be exceeded - not a recommendation.
BACK TO OUR LITTLE ONE
A sweet Swiss roll contains one sugar cube - an industrial compote contains 1 to 2 sugar cube - a drop of syrup in a baby bottle contains at least 1 sugar cube... in short, everything goes very quickly with sugar. Of course, no food should be demonised, it's all a question of balance.
MY LITTLE TIPS
It is preferable to get baby used to eating plain milk, even if it means accompanying it with pieces of fresh fruit or compote with no added sugar. Particular attention should be paid to growing-up milks, which are sometimes sweetened; read the labels carefully (universal advice that applies to all industrial foods offered to baby). And we should favour water as the main source of hydration.
Dr Laurence PLUMEY
Nutritionist. Paris Hospitals IDF
Professor of Nutrition
Author of numerous books for the general public
