I'm trying not to give dd sugar before 1 year, but...

[mybabysinthegarden]

... I've started to wonder if the various apple juice-sweetened things I've been giving her are really any more virtuous. I'm just going to warn you, the following betrays the obsessive first-time mum thinking I've been doing about this, so those of you with little tolerance for PFB syndrome, stop reading now. I have been reading about science and everything.

My understanding was that the advantage of fruit juice-sweetened rice cakes, biscuits, etc. was that the sugar in apple juice (fructose) was less refined and had a lower GI than table sugar (sucrose). However it turns out that the GI of the sugar in apple shoots right up once you extract it (i.e. juice it) out of the apple. I've also discovered that sucrose actually has fructose in it and is in fact a slightly more complex sugar than fructose, which would make you think that it would be slower to elevate your blood sugar. I got this agave nectar stuff the other day, which also claims to be healthier than sugar, but I can't see how boiled condensed agave juice is any less refined than boiled refined sugar cane juice, i.e. golden syrup.

A mate of mine is researching for a programme about nutrition at the moment and she said she interviewed an expert who knows things about such things about this and he said that he would put sucrose over fructose in his tea every time. He did say that he was appalled at the presence of sugar in so many baby foods, but this was from the point of view that it was giving babies the taste for sweet things too early in life. Which surely apple juice-sweetened things do, too?

??You've really thrown meon the whole science side of things

But i'm a believer that all ricecakes/biscuits made for babies are a waste of time and often not to be trusted anyway.

Just give your baby the same healthy food that the rest of you eat is surely better way. Water to drink then you don't have to worry!

A bit pissed so your post mkaes no sense but nowt wrong with sweet stuff (breast milk sweet).Just keep away from mega processed crap and you will be fine.

I would suggest looking for more savoury options as snacks, but check the labels as even they have some sugar in. And go with fresh fruit. I think trying to reduce the amount of sugar children are exposed to is good, particularly as so much is hidden in foods. But why use sweetened rice cakes and not plain ones?

I am doing the same with DS2 and did with DS1 - and have currently started negoiations with the headmaster to remove high sugar deserts from the school menu on a daily basis. 3yo's don't need artic roll, chocolate whip, rice crispy cake and iced finger sponges on a daily basis. Managed really well with DS1 but DS2 is a bit more of a struggle although he only had his first taste of chocolate today and he is 12mths and that was by accident as he helped himself to a chocolate finger from another childs plate!!

If you are mostly feeding her home made, healthy food, which it sounds like you are, then I honestly wouldn't worry about a timy amount of sugar regardless of GI. The high Gi will be balanced by the low GI foods she eats eg proteins and vegetables. As long as you don't give her processed junk foods and too many baby 'snacks', it won't do any harm. Relax and let her enjoy a bit of sweetness!

Fruit (and indeed breast milk) is full of sugar.

If you mean you are avoiding processed sugar, well, then fine. But she will still like sweet stuff, it's bred into us all, or we die as infants.

Ah yes goodness I see moondog has posted the same!

Thanks all, I had my suspicions about the fructose thing (despite the fact my bottle of agave nectar says 'suitable for diabetics on it) as in the U.S. the cheap high fructose corn syrup that lurks in absolutely all processed food is blamed for the population's burgeoning fatness and diabetes problem. Thanks for that link, moon!