The child is born with the pleasure of a sweet taste in his mouth; you only have to see his happy expressions when a few drops of sugar water are placed on his tongue. They instinctively appreciate this flavour because it provides their body with sugar and therefore energy. Indeed, sugar (sucrose), glucose and fructose are sugars that are sought after by all the cells of the human body to release their energy and thus ensure cellular life.
However, there is no such thing as too much. Added sugar should be consumed in controlled quantities for several reasons. Firstly, there are other sources of sugar: glucose and fructose from fruit, lactose from milk, glucose from the digestion of starch in bread and starchy foods. ... Secondly, added sugar (mainly from sugar beet and sugar cane) can easily be consumed in excessive quantities because it is often hidden and not measurable by the consumer. Thus, in a pot of fruit yoghurt, there are 2 lumps of sugar - in a 100g pot of compote, 1 or even 2 lumps of sugar ... in short, the bill can rise very quickly.
The disadvantages? The appearance of cavities and weight gain if the child has a genetic predisposition to obesity. Too much sugar can lead to health problems. It is best to regulate consumption and establish good habits from the start.
Some useful benchmarks:
- A child does not need added sugar; it has everything it needs for its daily energy via milk (the lactose in breast milk, infant milk), the sugars in fruit (compotes with no added sugar, soft fresh fruit), starchy foods and cereal flours.
- Nevertheless, the sweet taste is a pleasure that should not be deprived of but should be used sparingly so as not to make him dependent on it. Thus, depending on age, we recommend not exceeding the following quantities of sugar:
Maximum amounts of added sugar allowed per day by age
| Age | Amount of added sugar/sugar bar/day |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 to 10g / 1 to 2 sugar cubes |
| From 1 to 2 years | 10 to 15g / 2 to 3 sugar cubes |
| 3 to 5 years | 15 to 20g / 3 to 4 sugar cubes |
| From 6 to 8 years | 20 to 30g / 4 to 6 sugar cubes |
| From 8 to 12 years | 30 to 35g / 6 to 7 sugar cubes |
| Beyond that and in adults | 35g / 7 sugar cubes |
Data based on the recommendations of the Recommended Dietary Allowances
A quota quickly reached, or even exceeded...
Sugar is ubiquitous in many products and it is not easy to assess the amount of sugar because labels are not very easy to understand. Nevertheless, let's take a very quick look at the main consumer products offered to young children:
Sweetened dairy products
Whether fruit or flavoured, they are often a little too sweet for a child. Indeed, a small 50g tub of flavoured cottage cheese can contain ½ to 1 lump of sugar - and double that for a 100g tub. The same applies to fruit yoghurts. The best thing is to choose plain. The child will like them just as much if he or she has not yet been used to eating them with sugar.
Compotes
A jar or small gourd of compote can contain 1 to 2 lumps of sugar. Get your child used to enjoying good homemade compote cooked without sugar (with a vanilla pod, it's delicious) or industrial compote with no added sugar.
Biscuits
Standard biscuits are not designed for young children; they are fatty and/or too sweet. On the other hand, biscuits intended for children (0-3 years) have very little sugar. They must comply with the regulations for products intended for infant nutrition. You can also give your child biscuits that melt in the mouth (usually boudoirs) and check that they contain little sugar (between 1 and 3g of sugar per biscuit). One or two biscuits a day for a child aged between 1 and 2 years is more than enough.
Cakes and pastries
On average, a piece of cake or a pain au chocolat type pastry contains at least 2 pieces of sugar per serving. This is obviously too much for a young child. A child aged 1 to 3 can eat them very occasionally but not daily as a snack. So, unless you can find quality pastries with little sugar, why not, but a little fresh bread and 1 or 2 small squares of chocolate will be a safe bet.
Breakfast cereals
It's all about the dose. From the age of 3, a child can have breakfast cereals, but not more than 30g. At this dose, they will not have more than 2 lumps of sugar in their bowl. A little advice: put the milk in first, then add a nice handful of cereal; note that the milk is to be drunk and not used as a "moistener". Do not serve anything sweet at the same meal, as there is already enough sugar with this amount of cereal.
Jam and honey
They are both equally sweet, with 70-80% sugar. They can be added to plain yoghurt or cottage cheese, but don't exceed a teaspoon; it already contains the equivalent of a sugar cube.
Beware of the risk of botulism: children should not consume honey before the age of one.
Sweets
They should not be suppressed but they should not become a habit or an emotional issue. From the beginning of the relationship with your child, you should think about how to behave when faced with the spontaneous temptation to give your child a sweet or a biscuit to soothe "a big heartache", so that your attitude remains consistent when your child grows up. As far as sugar is concerned, a large sweet contains an average of one sugar cube. Therefore, give occasionally during the week, at the rate of one or two sweets in the day, from the age of 2 - 3 years (beware of the risk of misdirection).
Chocolate
The least sweet is dark chocolate, but of course milk or white chocolate is the one preferred by children. On average, there is one lump of sugar for every two squares of milk chocolate. You should also be aware that chocolate powders are very sweet; on average, they contain 70% sugar and only 30% cocoa; in short, one tablespoon of chocolate powder contains the equivalent of 2 lumps of sugar. If the child is having hot chocolate, don't put jam on his bread; he already has enough sugar in his chocolate milk.
A little advice: offer your child some quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa is a good compromise), the discovery of flavours is very interesting.
Drinks
Water is the best way to keep your child hydrated. If you want to add syrup to the baby's bottles or serve sweetened drinks at the table, the child will develop a taste for it and will find it very difficult to drink water afterwards. This should therefore be the exception. We always recommend water: tap, spring or mineral water with low mineral content.
In conclusion, moderate the use of sweet products but do not ban them, because everyone knows how desirable the forbidden is. It's all a question of dose and common sense. A good piece of advice: give preference to plain products and set a maximum of one to two sweet products per day (for example a little jam on bread in the morning - and one or two biscuits at snack time).
Dr Laurence PLUMEY
Nutritionist. Paris Hospitals IDF
Professor of Nutrition
Author of numerous books for the general public
