I am dumbstruck; ONE small box of RAISINS has NINE spoon fulls of SUGAR in them, apparently....

[NatalieJane]

So have I got to stop dishing them out as snacks? Or is my sister getting the wrong end of the stick? Or am I the very last person to know this on the entire planet?

I'm afraid all sugars are created equal in the tooth-rotting dept. We simply haven't evolved to eat bucket loads of fruit (seasonal, temperate fruits, yes). The 5 a day brigade would tell us otherwise, But, what else can you give them for snacks? Im stumped, particularly as DD has a peanut allergy

Raisins may be a concentrated source of sugar (which is natural as all the water has evaporated) but they are also an excellent source of iron, as is most dried fruit. Unlike sweets and granulated sugar. I really think there's not contest.

My dd doesn't eat a lot of sweet stuff, but when she does it's dried fruit and it's usually within a meal or with something that will help neutralise the acid, like bread or cheese.

all fruit has sugar in it, fructose!

all carbohydrates are metabolised to glucose in the end, and we would all be in deep shit if it didn't!

Sugards form a natural part of a healthy diet in moderation. Refined sugrads are not needed.

there is also masses of sugar in breast milk!

Dentists would prefer us all to eat intravenously. And only drink water. Nothing is 'good' for your teeth!

Yup, my son got tooth decay from eating raisins which I used as a reward when potty training, but then I think he has inherited my crap teeth not his dad's tough ones, can't do an awful lot about that.

Oh dear, DD is obsessed with raisens. On entering the kitched she starts pointing at the cupbaord shouting Raid-in, Raid-in. She gets through two to three small boxes a day. I thought they were a healthy snack.

I am giving her too much aren't I?

NJ - you missed stolen grapes in the supermarket

artichokes - my DD is the same but then again she does it with cheese too. Just make sure you/she brushes her teeth regularly. DD brushes as a game about 4 times a day so I am lucky I suppose

These dentists are going about it all wrong. If I was a dentist I'd encourage lots of raisin consumption, after all, I'd want my customers to visit regularly!