Why No Sugar with Babies and Toddlers?

Hi J.,

Sorry if I repeat someone but 31 answers is a long book to read :) Sugar feeds yeast. There is so much sugar in the American diet that over 85% of the population has an unhealthy level of Candida in their body. Candida wreaks havoc in a body and a little one is so susceptible. It is awfully hard to get rid of as well. Most people think they are free and clear of it if there is nothing showing. If something is showing (vaginal yeast, thrush, etc) then the entire body is eaten up with it.

Hope this helps,
M.

J.,
Make that banana bread the same way you always would! No need to do it differently just for baby to have a piece. You hit the nail in the head already - as long as baby has a balanced diet, there is nothing wrong with grown up banana breat at 39 weeks!
Enjoy!

Oh good lord! Let her try the banana bread! She may not even like it and spit it out. I believe in moderation too.

J., I am honestly not trying to be condescending or rude. I really am not. However, just think about what you are asking. It's bad for the same reason it's bad for adults. Not shrink an adult body down to the size of a tiny 9 month old BABY. I mean seriously, sit and think about it.

It's a common sense question, that you are making too difficult. It's bad, because it's BAD. That's why you shouldn't.

P.S.
LOL! Pretzels ARE sugar!! That's what white flour is, you know.

The simple answer is "everything in moderation."

It's been proven that babies given sugar become sugar addicts. I'm not joking. They will seek out sweeter foods and eat primarily those, to the exclusion of other flavors. They'll consider veggies that aren't sweetened to be bitter and refuse them.

Too much sugar also causes weight gain, which means a greater risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol -- three major contributors to heart disease. When you increase those risks in a child, you increase the risk of heart attack at a young age.

Sugar is bad for teeth, and even though "baby teeth" will fall out and be replaced, your baby NEEDS those teeth to be healthy and strong.

Finally, there are better, healthier options out there. Bananas are already sweet. And you can also use unsweetened applesauce as a sugar and oil replacement in cakes.

To baby, that banana bread isn't bland at all. And no, I wouldn't add a bunch of sugar to it. Processed sugar tastes good, but it's just not healthy. Throw another banana in (or let them ripen even more) to get more sweetness.

Because it's empty calories with no nutritional value.
Also kids who develop a sweet tooth early on suffer more cavities and run into weight problems.
I've seen kids who didn't want to wait for a waffle to warm up to just pour syrup on the plate, add butter and lick it up.
(It make me nauseous just thinking about it).
Once they are hooked on sweet - good luck with getting them to eat anything that isn't %99 sugar.
It's really best to treat sugar a lot like something you could easily get addicted to.

Also - our tastes change as we age.
What tastes great to you now did not always taste that way.
When I was five I hated Brussles sprouts and loved Captain Crunch cereal.
Now I love Brussles sprouts and Captain Crunch makes me gag.
I despised coffee before I was 16 - now it tastes great to me.
Your baby is not going to taste the food that's currently yummy to you in the same way.
(Have you tasted formula / breast milk? It's awful. But it's yummy to babies!)

You want your child to experience the flavors of the natural food without extra sugars. You want your child to feel the texture of the food without the added sugars.

Once you add sugars, the child does not want to eat the natural foods. They want to have that extra sweet taste to everything and begin to become "picky".

Babies do not know the ramifications of extra sugar in their diet. We as parents have a bit more knowledge about what goes on in our systems. Please don't take offense to us mommas who have made our own food. I rather enjoyed making my own food and I knew what it was and it was not over processed.

the other S.

PS I witnessed this with my son when he had some syrup added to his water and had plain water, he wanted the sweet water. It took a bit but he got back on track and drank plain water.

I think that part of it is that we are training babies' palates to eat healthy foods from little on up. If they eat sugar a lot, they will learn to not want those foods (like vegetables) that aren't sweet.

Another thing to think about is the way sugar works in the bloodstream. The last thing you want for a baby is a sugar high and consequent crash.

I don't think that organic is all that important, but I do think that you should really consider not putting sugar in anything for her. Your example of banana bread? Bananas are sweet enough. Why put sugar in it just because you like it?

I choose not to give my daughter any sugary foods (like candy) until she was over 2. Sugar is an addictive drug and it lowers your immune system. I didn't want her getting a taste for sweets at such a young age. She is now 7 and still prefers healthy snacks (fruits and veggies) over sweets like cookies, cake, etc. She does like sweets now and then but not all the time.

Because the body is primed to respond to the sugar and reject other foods in favor of it.

Now, way back in caveman times, that was great. Sugar (glucose) is nature's energy storage, and when our hunter/gatherer ancestors found a rare taste of fruit, it made sense for them to grab it before any other animal did. In nature, fruit rarely lasts long on the vine, and the early humans who craved sweetness more got more vitamin C -- more of all the nutrients in fruit.

But, evolution didn't anticipate Nabisco. What refined sugar / HFSC does is it hijacks an evolutionary advantage and makes it toxic. If you prime the palate with refined sugar (and yes, brown sugar IS refined sugar) too young, your daughter will reject every other food there is. I know, because I know and have worked with plenty of children whose lovely, wonderful mothers just wanted to give their cute little baby/toddler a "treat."

Please don't do it. It activates the center of the brain that gets activated in addictions. It leads to a lifetime of health disasters. Think of it like, you wouldn't let a 5-year-old boy drive a car, right, even if he loved cars and would have soooo much fun? No, you'd wait until he was 16 and was bringing home decent report cards.

Save this treat until she's old enough to handle it. Which is not now.

White sugar is not good for anyone. I try not to eat it myself.

I am not saying my kids don't eat it but if your making food from scratch do without the sugar.

It's fine to give them flavorful food, but sugar is the one thing that's so prevalent and risky. It primes the body for diabetes, obesity, etc. It's also pretty addictive in a bad way. We cut out processed sugar not just for baby but for us, too. And we're learning to like a lot of healthy natural foods. It is hard, as an adult, though. And we had to give the candy away! But they were fine with it as they got to pick out a toy instead!

I tried a yogurt tube every now and then for them as a treat but they could not handle it (too much whining for more). So we do plain yogurt with fruit now (smoothies sometimes) and it's gone well. It is hard when they get picky. I had to get rid of anything "good" in the house since my tot begged for it, like Teddy crackers or such. Now his choices are fruit, veggies, cheese or Cheerios, etc. for snacks. We are eating better, too, though!

I am terrified of gaining any extra lbs. as I get older. So far we're all thin. We're really careful though and super active. But my mother is a few lbs. overweight. And it's a slippery slope to health problems and pain so we're trying to avoid it. Not to say I don't enjoy banana bread. All I eat these days are bananas. I guess having no time to cook helps??! It's pretty much grab and go fruits, veggies and protein.

because you are helping them form their taste buds. Butter, white flour, and sugar combinations are particularly bad for empty calories. Just because it also has bananas in it does not negate the butter, flour sugar. Its not a healthy food. Now if you want to give it for fun, I don't see a problem, just as you may let your baby taste cake or ice-cream or any variety of junk food. I think its wise to hold off on those kinds of foods as long as possible though.
Case in point, my whole family switched to a plant based diet. It was a rough transition, but we are all enjoying simple taste where as before we had gotten used to foods full of salt, fat, and sugar. I see the wisdom in not preverting ones taste buds. There is no good reason to prime your child to enjoy a western diet. With eduction many of us are trending away from the standard American diet. Quick breads are yummy, but have virtually zero nutritional goodness.

If you were going to feed her banana bread for breakfast lunch and dinner for a month.. that is one thing.. but I do not think that whether or not you add sugar to the bread will make a big difference in the child.

and you are right.. kids that do not eat sugar as babies become the same picky toddler at age 2 or 3.. and at 5 or 6 when they go to schhol.. they will want to eat the candy in all the other kids lunch.. kids are kids..

I do not have the time and energy to worry about grams of sugar in food. my kids eat a normal balanced diet with candy.. and they are normal weight and height..

I think Christy Lee explained it pretty well.

As a nanny in people's homes, I noticed that the families which introduced sweets earlier had kids who whined and cried for sweets, even at one year old. No thanks! Plus, because we have a history of diabetes in my family, we stuck with mostly fruits and veggies and yogurt for quite a long time. I don't think we introduced grains beyond "o's" until he was at least 1.5; I didn't want a cracker-dependent child who would 'only' eat goldfish or grahams, and I do know kids like this.

I'll also say that personally, some things are way too sweet for my palate. I like a light, little bit of sweet, so I do reduce sugar in most recipes and no one complains--- they are still tasty and sweet enough. We do have some 'sweet' in the house most of the time, but it's a very small part of our diet. One sweet a day is fine, it also helps kids learn to make better choices if they are limited to 'you can have the canolli or a natural soda-- but not both!" Babies and toddlers can't cognitively understand those sorts of choices... they just want more more more.

Anything home made is better than store bought, even if it has white/brown sugar in it. A home baked item will never have as much sugar in it as a processed item.

In banana bread/muffins in particular, since I bake with uber ripe bananas, I half the sugar from the onset. And now I use coconut sugar. Kids can't tell the difference and yes, I would comfortably give this baked item to my babies.

Well, I think, as others have said, as long as it's in moderation, it's fine.
And I think just an assumption that if a baby starts off with sweets that they'll prefer sugary over the other non-sugary foods. My 3 yo daughter started off with the bananas and pears- sweet fruits. Now she is three and really doesn't have much of a sweet tooth. She absolutely loves veggies- broccoli, asparagus, peas, beans, breads, grits, etc. No so crazy on the sweets, including sweet fruits. She wouldn't even touch a cupcake at a party the other day! She will eat chocolate chip cookies and occasionally ice cream, but that's about all as far as sweets go. Candy and such is just not her thing.
My first started off on a non-sugar diet, and now, at 7, eats absolutely no meat and almost no veggies. He loves all fruits and anything sweet.
I think taste buds are just like everything else. They are unique to the individual. Just because you start off eating sweet foods doesn't mean you'll end up filling your body with empty calories.
Besides, they say "you want what you can't have". So let 'em have it. Just in moderation. :)

I have decided I will have a college fund, a therapy fund and a dietitian fund for my kids. I figure whatever I screw up, they can afford to fix later as adults because I am bound to get all the rules totally wrong somehow some way.

On a serious note I believe in moderation and having my children learn under my guidance. Mine eat what I eat and we eat everything in moderation. I hope mine will know what to eat when I am not watching and nothing will lead to binge eating because of the forbidden fruit factor. I have changed how I eat as an adult. I neither blame nor vilify my family. My tastes have changed and my knowledge has broadened. Such is life. Good luck.

It's really a good idea for all of us to limit our sugar intake, and I agree with Angela that if you give baby too many sweets, good luck with the green beans.

But really, in your question you are really talking about two extremes. Your question is, why do we limit sugar. Well, it's a good idea to not have too much sugar. But in your example, you said, "With my first kid, I made recipes out of baby books, with no sugar, eggs, salt, etc."

Limiting sugar doesn't mean no sugar at all! You can give your child some banana bread made with brown sugar. Just don't go overboard.

My reason is that I want him to develop an appreciation for good, healthy stuff before bombarding his tastebuds and chemistry with sugar. I like the fact that I prefer a bowl of fruit or sorbet to a slice of pie. I'm not trying to control that for him, but I want to give him a fighting chance. I'd rpefer that his foundation be raw apples to sugared up apple cobbler.

Oh, and my baby's "baby food" was not even almost bland. It was all homemade and seasoned well. His pear were seasoned with clove, and his apple had cinnamon.

Also, so many people destroy food in the process of PROCESSING it that kids don't even know what the real flavors are. There's always a slab of bacon or too much salt or pinches of sugar or plain ol' overcooking.... There's nothing wrong with the occasional processed dish, but the norm--in my opinion--should be more natural un-messed-with foods.

They've got the rest of their lives to succumb to the call of junk. It doesn't sound like you are even addressing this extreme, but that is where my head goes. Banana bread is fine, to me, because sugar is in an appropriate context. Birthday cake is overboard. That's my logic.

Again... Moderation.

Well, listen to what I did! My first born, my son, I fed only super healthy foods when he was a baby. I made his food and he never had sugar or anything unhealthy. I'd make sugar free whole grain muffins. I remember being so mad at my mom when she was sneaking him a little chocolate when he was 2. He's 9 now and he is a kid who craves sweets and loves junk foods and is very picky. Feeding him healthy foods when he was 3, 4, 5, and up were always a struggle bc there is so little he likes. 5 years after he was born I had my daughter and I just mashed up whatever we were eating, fed her all kinds of things and by then had given up with being super healthy. Her brother gave her tastes of cake and frosting and halloween candy and all kinds of things before she was even one! She is now the 4 year old who LOVES kale and salad and trying new foods. She is the best eater. She loves healthy foods. I say go for it...that banana bread is going to be great.

As with anything else, it's all about moderation. Some moms, especially new ones, just like to keep everything as pure and healthy as they can, for as long as they can, that's all. I know I was that way with my first one (though I never did "baby" food I just mushed up cooked veges and rice, stuff that was easy on their tummies.) Those who are militant about it find out soon enough that restricting the "bad" stuff just make it all that more appealing.

Because when we are first time moms we listen to all the warnings and do what we think is right. Then...we have a couple more and realize that all those warnings are coming from "people" that do not know you and your baby and you start to realize (like you are doing now) that "hey, wait a minute, a little bit of mama's homemade banana bread for my toddler isn't such a bad thing after all." I really think its all about portion and moderation. A little sugar isn't going to hurt. But there are those parents out there that if told on a national scale that a little sugar isn't all that bad, they would go overboard and not realize that in moderation, things like sugar and salt are ok for anyone.

So make her that banana bread and don't worry a thing about it!

Let her eat the banana bread (however you make it)! My girl is a very healthy eater AND has a sweet tooth (loves her snacks, ice cream, candy)--just like her daddy! She's also right in the 50th percent for weight (has been between 15-50% since birth, she's now almost 5). I let her eat sweets (oh my!) and have candy (what!) and even drink sodas (gasp!). Of course, it's child-sized portions (and the sodas are only occassional and small amounts), but at some point in her life she's going to have to learn to self-regulate and if I can help her start working on that now, that's what I'll do.

Anyways, we just had a friend over yesterday and the girls were thirsty (mine is almost 5 and hers is almost 4)--for lunch they each had a glass of water with their turkey-on-wheat sandwiches, and we had just gotten back from some very active playing at the park, so I asked if her daughter could have a juice box. Mom replies "oh, I don't know... how much sugar is in them?" I said that I had no idea, but I could water it down for her. She asked me to pour out about 3/4 of the juice and fill up with water. Fine with me. So, her daughter got 1/4 juice and mine got the "full" power! I'm not out to get anybody's kid "hyped-up" on sugar, I just know what works for us and I think that since these things (sweets, candy, sugar, sodas) are present everywhere we can't make them "taboo" to our kids (or ourselves).
Anyways, give that baby some banana bread!

I, personally, see nothing wrong with a 10 month old have a little sugar now and then. Mine certainly did.

Try adding applesauce to the recipe instead of sugar/oil for anyone at any age. I'd be careful about breads at 9 months, most babies don;t have enough teeth to grind bread down into small pieces and then it creates a choking hazard. Yes, they can get it down, saliva just makes it mushy enough to go down but, can still create a choking hazard. Good Luck with the bread, C. S.

At nine months, my daughter ate pretty much anything she could gum. I didn't forbid sweets, just made sure she had more nutritious fare before the sweets. Nothing wrong with sugar in moderation.

Gosh I am hearkening WAY back with 19 and 16 year olds, but I heard it was so that they develop a taste for non-sweet stuff first. Once they get the sweet stuff good luck with the green beans. :P

I also think more is known today about the harmful health effects of refined sugar.

Have you ever tried coconut palm sugar? I make cookies with that one and it has a lower glycemic index than regular sugars. That being said, some environmentalists are against coconut palm sugar.

Good luck.

It's not necessary and she won't know it's missing. On the other hand, a little bit of sugar in a banana bread won't hurt her, and the rest of the family can eat it too... No biggie. If you were giving her cola in a sippy cup, then I can see the panic. Otherwise, chill out people, lol!!

I've never heard that you have to limit sugar for babies. In fact, in most parts of the world babies eat whatever their parents do... just softer so they can chew. So yeah, but sugar in things. But add spice too! You don't want to train your baby to love just sugar. Put in cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, any other spices you can find. You'll have a better eater as s/he grows up!

I don't buy into that silliness. Feed the baby whatever you are eating. I never made separate food for my kids from the time they could eat table food. I did make all their baby food from scratch and breastfed. I let my kids eat treats daily, I rarely say no. But the catch is that they don't really ask for them. In fact they've had 1 piece of halloween candy so far. After my 9yr old son ate the piece of candy he said he wanted a piece of fruit cuz he just ate something unhealthy.

We ran errands saturday evening and nothing was around us but a McDonalds. This was my kids opportunity to eat whatever they wanted. Here is what was ordered; husband Big Mac super sized, 9yr old son ate a filet o fish, 8 yr old DD grilled chicken sandwich, 6 yr old DD southwest grilled chicken salad. Both my girls accidentally got crispy chicken and they refused to eat it cuz it wasn't healthy; their words not mine. I told them they should eat it but they still refused.

My husband and his twin sisters were not allowed to have sugar as kids, a granola bar had too much sugar in their moms eyes. Now as adults they all have major sugar problems; they see sugar they eat it. My SIL's both have eating disorders.

Unless there are health concerns that run in the family like diabetes, overweight, high cholesterol etc, I wouldn't worry about too much sugar or fats.

Now I'm off to make some banana bread, they yummy kind.

With my first we did foods, not spices, etc.. He eats very bland.. Chicken, burger etc.. with nothing on it.

My daugther on the other hand, I added a few more spices here and there, she loves to dunk, infact.. honey mustard goes great on eveything.

I think the limit on sugar is more so that is not all they want/crave/eat.. Having it in one treat a day is fine.

I truly think feeding kids solid menu's of sugary foods and high junk food amounts is good for them. BUT kids don't need to be on such limited diets.

Banana bread is a good source of nutrition, as is oatmeal cookies. I think you can feed her what she likes and will eat. When my daughter was a baby we fed her a jar of egg yolks every day. They were fine for baby's. Then they decided they weren't good for baby's and now they are okay again.

Following what someone else says is good for your child is, well, to me, it's just no one's business but yours.

because there is no need to have them eat sugar
because it just trains them to want sweet things
because the longer you hold them off on sugar the better and easier time you will have of having them chose the healthy stuff
because sugar is addicting
because sugar does nothing for a body that is a long term benefit
because there are so many other options

Now, banana bread, as long as it does not have honey, cause that causes botulism even if cooked/baked, then add some sugar since it's really the bananas that are giving most of the sweetness.