Does adding sugar to a baby’s food help digest better? No. What adding sugar does to baby food is to make it sweeter and hence tastier, which in turn might help you in getting your little one to eat it without much fuss. We, however, do not recommend you go for this easy route of sweetening milk and food so that feeding is not a nightmare for you.
Sugar clearly has no nutritional benefits. But yes, if consumed in small quantities it does not lead to any major health problems. Defining what a “small” quantity is tricky though. What is trickier is to identify the hidden sugar in processed food that we tend to give our kids blindly.
In This Article
- Why Sugar Is Not Recommended For Babies?
- But Then, Our Ancestors Ate Sugar, And They Turned Out Ok?
- So How Can I Feed My Fussy Eater Without Using Sugar?
Why Sugar Is Not Recommended For Babies?
Sugar is not recommended for babies because:
Sugar Has No Nutrition
1 teaspoon of refined sugar is 16 calories and contains absolutely no nutrition – it has no vitamins, minerals, protein, or fat
Sugar Spikes Blood Glucose Levels
Sugar is just a form of simple carbohydrates. And this means that sugar is easily broken down to glucose once eaten and this can spike the blood sugar levels. And since it is easily broken down, your baby will be hungry faster. And he will crave more food that is sweeter
Sugar Can Lead To Obesity
Sugar is directly linked to childhood obesity. And since having one sugary snack will lead to a craving for more, we can see why!
Sugar Can Increase The Chances Of Childhood Diabetes
Sugar is known to trigger the pancreas to produce more insulin than is necessary and hence increase the risk of type 2 diabetes
Sugar Can Lead To Heart Problems
Just like fat, too much sugar can also lead to high blood pressure and heart problems, even in kids
Sugar Can Lead To Tooth Decay
If a baby’s teeth are exposed to sugary food and drinks (especially drinks) for a prolonged time, tooth decay can occur. This is because the bacteria in your baby’s mouth thrive on the sugar and then secretes acids that will attack the teeth.
This is especially of concern for babies who drink sugary milk or juices out of bottles and fall asleep. A certain amount of this milk or juice stays in the mouth, even after the baby gets a chance to swallow it before sleeping off and the concentrated sugar in this leftover liquid accelerates tooth decay
Sugar Can Be Addictive
Once a baby is used to having sugar with most of the food (milk, dosa, paratha, dahlia, and so on), it will be very difficult to grow them out of this habit as they become older. In fact, even as adults, they will find it hard to keep sugar at bay
But Then, Our Ancestors Ate Sugar, And They Turned Out Ok?
This is a common argument used to favor adding sugar to a baby’s food. What we need to understand is that sugar was not as easily available then as now. Sugar was not as refined then as now. And finally, sugar was not as “hidden” in processed food then as now.
The baby cereal you buy from the market or the “health” drink you buy to ensure your baby grows taller and fitter, the biscuits, the chocolates – everything is laden with sugar these days. This means your baby is already so exposed to refined sugar. And once you start adding sugar to home-cooked food as well, the baby will consume well over the limit every day.
So How Can I Feed My Fussy Eater Without Using Sugar?
Refined sugar is really the villain here. Naturally occurring sugars, like fruit sugars, are alright for the baby. So if your baby is refusing to have dahlia, mash a banana and add to it rather than adding sugar to a baby’s food. Or replace plain “boring” milk with fruity milkshakes. You can blend mangoes, strawberries, bananas, or any other seasonal fruit with milk to add some flavor and make it tastier.
You can also add honey, as long as the baby is over a year old (Read: Is Honey Safe For Infants?).
For more ideas on healthy food for your baby, read What Are The Best First Foods For My Baby?.
If you are still having trouble feeding your baby, read Amazing Tips To Tackle Eating Disorders In Toddlers.
