How to make sure your baby isn’t having too much sugar
Exclusively breastfed babies and formula-fed babies will be getting frequent small feeds that contain all the nutrients they need, including fats, proteins and carbohydrates. When babies start to eat solids it’s really important to try to maintain that balance in the nutrients they eat. Giving them sugary foods and drinks can really disrupt their natural appetite and fullness.
Sugar highs and lows
High-sugar foods cause your baby’s blood sugar to rise very quickly, requiring their pancreas to urgently release the hormone insulin into the blood. Insulin initiates a process where the sugar in the blood is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver. Strangely, this can mean that your baby feels the symptoms of low blood sugar soon after eating sugar.
You probably recognise the unpleasant feelings of having low blood sugar yourself; feeling tired, irritable and lethargic. Similarly your baby may well be cranky and go from energetic to upset very quickly.
Your baby doesn’t need added sugar
Your baby will get natural sugars from your breast milk or formula milk and there are sugars in the fruit they eat. So sweet things, like chocolate, juice and squash, shouldn’t be part of their diet.
Instead focus on foods that have a slow release of energy. Fruit is sweet but it contains lots of fibre too, which means the calories and energy in fruit is released more steadily into your baby’s bloodstream.
In contrast, fruit juices contain lots of sugar (fructose) but without the fibre in the fruit pulp. Giving your baby the actual fruit is a much better way to give them the vitamins they need – it also introduces them to all the amazing flavours and textures.
Combining food groups in each meal
By giving your baby meals that combine the food groups (without adding sugar) you can give them a good balance of nutrients throughout the day.
Keep your baby’s bottle for your baby’s milk
It’s important to remember that nothing should be going into your baby’s bottle besides expressed breast milk, formula milk, or water. You shouldn’t be putting fruit juice, fizzy drinks or squash into your baby’s bottle because it’s not good for their oral or general health.
Tooth decay
Sugar in your baby’s mouth can feed bacteria. The bacteria produce a plaque acid, which can then decay teeth. This decay may lead to toothache, which can be really painful and in some cases requires tooth extractions under general anaesthetic.
High-sugar diets and health
Many doctors and scientists are now reporting that the increased consumption of refined sugar in Western diets since the Second World War has led to increased levels of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
There is lots of hidden sugar in the food we eat every day, especially processed foods, ready meals and fast food. One way to avoid these hidden sugars in our diets and in our children’s diets is to cook simple meals from scratch. There are many convenient, quick-to-cook meals based around fresh and frozen foods that can provide quick, tasty and nutritious meals for the family without needing to buy expensive ready meals. For example, an omelette with tomatoes and mushrooms can be made more quickly than a microwave meal. It can really help your baby to develop a love of healthy, freshly prepared food if you avoid giving them lots of processed meals full of hidden sugar, as once we develop a sweet tooth it can be hard to get rid of.
