If your baby never ate sugar, when did you allow it?

picturesandpickles · 18/05/2021 21:50

When we started going to toddler groups there were biscuits etc. I didn't have a cake for 1st birthday I don't think.

We took the view though that we would be more healthy at home so we didn;t have to bother out of the house so much. Then you can avoid all the from other people.

We avoided all the regular sugar intake that is in a lot of kid's diets, e.g. only plain yogurt, only sugar-free cereals/breakfast, no jars of sauce, no ketchup at home and you can stop worrying about the odd bit of cake I think. Most days my kids (much much bigger now) are still only getting about half the recommended maximum daily amount of sugar. Measure your daily sugar intake rather than the special occasion stuff.

Dustyhedge · 18/05/2021 21:55

Child number 1 I made a sugar free cake for her 1st birthday. Think she was 2 before she had any chocolate and I was strict for a while after that. Child no.2 was well acquainted with cake well before her first birthday.

Yogamummy23 · 18/05/2021 21:58

We made a pancake stack cake for DD 1st birthday. She’s just turned two and she had a sponge with icing this year for a little party. I think the above advice is sensible - if we’re out and she’s offered she has a small amount of cake etc but not at home. We also try to keep ‘unnecessary’ sugar out of the diet eg no sugared cereal, squash or jam/spread.

DorotheaHomeAlone · 18/05/2021 21:59

None of mine had sugar until their first birthday when they all had home made Victoria sponge cakes! Cream, Jam, Cake, Baby. Good times! We didn’t open the flood gates after that either. They got a bit here and there until about 2.

Original poster

EscapingLondon · 18/05/2021 22:03

Yeah that's really good advice @picturesandpickles thank you. We avoid all sugar at home, as you describe, so it's just having one eye on when she starts socialising more with other kids and grandparents. I might stick to a sugar free birthday cake this year.

OP posts:

FedUpAtHomeTroels · 18/05/2021 22:04

We did give a small piece of cake for each ones 1st birthday, but went back to normal and left out any sweets until much older, they got some pudding occasionally nearer to two. Watered down fresh juice about two.
Sweets made an entrace around 3 when with other families, but none have a major sweet tooth.
Dd would leave sweets and chocolate if she wasn't hungry.

supernooodle · 18/05/2021 22:07

Can I ask people... what is the point of this?

gingerbiscuit19 · 18/05/2021 22:10

Mine probably had a fruit shoot for their first birthday

So long as it's part of a balanced diet it's fine. Restricting something makes it seem far more exciting than it actually is.

RockPainting · 18/05/2021 22:10

Mine started inhaling haribo age 3-4 when the class parties started...

Sorry I'm being a little facetious there but yes, what's the point of this?

picturesandpickles · 18/05/2021 22:12

@supernooodle

Can I ask people... what is the point of this?

What is the point of not eating too much sugar?

Sugar is unhealthy and can be addictive. Sugar consumption in western societies is at a level that causes ill health quite widely.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/

Merchymor · 18/05/2021 22:16

When they started going to birthday parties and it was unavoidable!

I didn't expressly ban sugar and junk food but as we made their food and chose what to buy in to the house then we just chose healthy food.

They weren't fussed on sugary stuff for years. They do like it now though.

Thatisnotwhatisaid · 18/05/2021 22:21

I made sugar free cakes for all of mine on their first birthdays. I was quite strict with my DC’s diet and they didn’t eat sweets until they started school at 4. I still draw the line with them all at fizzy drinks, they only get those for very special occasions like birthdays and Christmas. They ate small amounts of chocolate probably from 2 onwards but yeah, I was a bit tight . I just don’t think a 1 year old needs sugar.

Eileen101 · 18/05/2021 22:24

I can see your point in the question OP.

We stayed away from sugar and salt in our eldest's diet on the basis that he didn't need it and it's bad for his teeth - why give him something that's bad for him until he knows he's missing out? It wasn't an approach that people with a sweet tooth in my family agreed with, because they wanted to share cake with him.
We used some as motivation for using the potty at 3, but don't make a big thing of it. He doesn't have a sweet tooth and yesterday he asked for a bit of his Easter chocolate for the first time since Easter Sunday so we said yes. There's definitely some logic in not making it 'forbidden fruit' I think. If he begins to ask regularly, we'll look at some rules like after tea at the weekend unless it's an occasion etc. So in answer, 3 really. At about 2.5, he came back from nursery with a small bar from a birthday, but rejected it once I'd opened it for him because it was melted after he carried it all the way home.

bathorshower · 18/05/2021 22:26

If you're avoiding sugar, I hope you're avoiding dried fruit. Raisins are about 60% sugar (see www.fatsecret.co.uk/calories-nutrition/generic/raisins?portionid=54043&portionamount=100.000 for example), which is a much higher proportion than any cake I've made....

mummysharkk · 18/05/2021 22:27

I'm still funny about mine having sugar!

1st birthday was first cake (little fairy cake).

I do have treats in like cake / biscuits because I hope to teach they can sit in the cupboard and eaten in moderation - usually twice a week at home.

Managed to keep mine away from sweets so far- I wouldn't take into a shop and say 'pick your chocolate/ sweets' yet.

On the flip side though I realised how harsh I was when in the supermarket dc pointed to coco pops and said they're only for grown ups aren't they...? So now every few weeks I get a little variety cereal pack so they don't miss out.

Meals out/ parties are no restrictions at all as it's about enjoyment.

It's a balance and teaching good choices but I do see friends dc's who were given sweets age 1-2 demanding sweet drinks nowadays and only eating chips/ nuggets etc and I do think it's related.

Pinchoftums · 18/05/2021 22:31

We waited until their first birthday and then really only allowed when at nursery aged three. Our rational was that many of the kids around here are obese (about 25% by year six) and we knew they would be around a cultural of sugar and snacks so wanted to get their taste buds set on less sweetness. Worked for 3 of them, much prefer savory than sweet and one will eat everything equally.
It may not be true but so think you can train your palate to prefer less sweet stuff and be open to a wider taste. Humans naturally crave sweet and salt as they are meant to be hard to come by in our more natural environment. So we need to minimalse it where it is so readily available.

mayblossominapril · 18/05/2021 22:35

Don’t make it forbidden fruit, my mother did that with me and I can’t get enough sugar. With my brother she was much more chilled and he ate sweets, drank fizzy drinks, etc. He hardly eats anything sweet now.
She does admit it was one of her parenting fail with me but at the time it was the thing not to give out sweets or anything sugary.
DS I have always allowed some sweet things and cake. He has tried fizzy drinks, obviously not given a whole pack of sweets but it’s a regular part of his diet and to be fair he’s not that bothered.
DD still under one has had plenty of cake but not the icing and the odd cup of squash (does help the medicine go down) and a few chocolate buttons occasionally.
I would be quite happy for dd to eat the cake but I would take most of he icing off because I’m a sugar addict and she’s too young for loads of cake icing.

DoAsYouWouldBeMumBy · 18/05/2021 22:40

Mine had no sugar till first birthday - I think that was a Victoria sponge I made. No chocolate till 2. I wasn't strict about it after then, but he turned out not to have a sweet tooth, doesn't even like juice, so it's never been an issue since. He eats some biscuits here and there but prefers rice cakes. DH and I are totally mystified, because we could snack (unhealthily) all night long, so he doesn't get it from us 🤣

GrumpyHoonMain · 18/05/2021 22:41

@EscapingLondon

I know some parents won't agree with this approach, so this question is really only for those who didn't feed their babies any sugar or nasties. When did these types of foods get introduced into their diet?

My baby is 11 months and grandparents want her to have a chocolate birthday cake with coloured icing etc for her 1st bday. Whilst it's fine I'm sure, and we will probably just go ahead, it made me think about when we start to feed her this stuff and why. Obviously there will come a time where we can't control it but at the moment she doesn't have a clue and she only really eats at home or with us anyway - so we may as well stay healthy.

If your baby ate really healthily, how and when did you start allowing unhealthy things?

I let him have a little cake from weaning. But I do make cakes at home so I didn’t see the harm. We don’t eat sweet stuff often but when we do I let him eat as much or as little as he wants. He’s 17 months now and one of the few kids who won’t go crazy eating cake / chocolates / sweets.

GrumpyHoonMain · 18/05/2021 22:44

@bathorshower

If you're avoiding sugar, I hope you're avoiding dried fruit. Raisins are about 60% sugar (see www.fatsecret.co.uk/calories-nutrition/generic/raisins?portionid=54043&portionamount=100.000 for example), which is a much higher proportion than any cake I've made....

They’re high in calcium and fibre too - so the sugar isn’t digested as quickly. So no, not quite the same as the processed stuff in cake

bellsbuss · 18/05/2021 22:56

I was really strict with my first 2, no juice , no sweets or chocolate until they were about 3/4. By child number 4 I think he was having fruit shoots and all other kinds of treats by age 1 he doesn't crave it crave it like my first 2 though and nor does my third child.

Kinsters · 19/05/2021 01:49

I think everything in moderation. My 17 month old has the occasional biscuit snack, maybe an ice cream if we're out somewhere, she'll share pudding if we get one. Basically we just have her eating what we eat. We don't have sugary drinks in the house or much chocolate and don't binge on biscuits or whatever so I'm happy with her following our diet.

Kinsters · 19/05/2021 01:53

Op - my opinion would be that if you'd have a cake for your birthday then have one for your baby and just let her have a taste. She probably won't eat very much anyway. My daughter mostly just played with her slice of first birthday cake. Maybe licked a bit of icing.

MrsTerryPratchett · 19/05/2021 02:03

I was an added sugar avoider but I think it's worth saying breast milk has quite a lot of sugars in it so no one is avoiding giving sugar to their babies unless they are starving them!

Divineswirls · 19/05/2021 02:26

1st Birthday party is pretty standard for first taste of sugar. A nice chocolate cake is perfect.

My DC only had the option of drinking water at home for years. No juice or squash at home but they could have it anywhere else if they wanted.

Now they're teens we have juice and sugar free squash and in the summer sugar free fizzy soft drinks.

We also never had sweets in the house only fruit. That's changed now too but they're pretty good at regulating their intake as they get a set amount of sweets and crisps for the week which they have to make last. Obvs they'll still buy their own if they want but having access to it means they dont seem to go crazy.

If your baby never ate sugar, when did you allow it?

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