Am I the only one worried about how much sugar there is in baby food?

[connyrabbit]

Even Hipp, good old organic Hipp, does baby puddings that are insanely sweet. If they're too sweet for me to eat them, does it not mean they should be too sweet for my baby? I know babies have a sweet tooth, but is that really something we want to surf on?

I can't see anything about this anywhere on Google, just things like "if you don't like it just make your own food!" and I don't think that's an acceptable reaction from consumers / mums.

We're just being bullied into giving our kids diabetes and god knows what cancers by those big brands and the sugar lobbies. Sugar makes a product popular and is addictive so garrantees sales I guess. What can be done?? Does it matter to anyone else?

I was going to post 'make your own food' till I saw you didn't like that response. Why not forget yucky mush - just do BLW and give your child whatever you're having - much less hassle and worry all round

??

the best answer is to not buy the products, and hit them in the part that hurts most - their profits

You don't need to use jars, as pp says do blw

is it added sugar though or natural sugars from the fruit? I avoided the ones with added sugar but still expected there to be a lot of sugar to the the sugars present in the fruit itself

I do make most of his food, percypig, but it would be nice to be able to have a fall back option sometimes.
Like this week for instance. It is just so hot at night here that he hasn't been sleeping so I am so tired I can't face cooking for anyone!

I'm part of the make your own brigade I'm afraid - which I think is an acceptable reaction. As my family has grown (in size as well as up) I've relied on processed food less and less and I can honestly say its no more convenient than whizzing up what we are having, or, as Percypig suggests, BLW.

DC4 has had very few, if any, jars, has eaten with the family and was on 'proper' food with no problems at all.

Perhaps mix up the fruit puree with some natural greek yogurt? Or skip pudding altogether.

mash a banana and/or avocado and you have a quick pudding in a couple of minutes

I think its the concentration of fruitsugars rather than added sugar, same as in smoothies which are loaded with natural sugar. But you do have to watch some fromage frais and yogurts which are aimed at children as sugar is often the second listed ingredient.

Vote with your feet OP.

Yes you are the only one who is worried. Personally I add SPOONS of sugar to DD's babyfood as I am worried that it is not sweet enough.

Processed adult foods are high in sugar and salt... so not sure what you were expecting other than "make your own" really!

most baby food (especially Hipp) is sweetened with grape juice or honey though, not sugar. lots of calories, and babies like sweet things (probably because they need lots of calories). They don't cause cancer or diabetes.

If you are bothered about sugar, why give puddings at all? They aren't necessary. If you do want to give a designated "pudding" you don't even have to make your own -- it's easy to buy, say, plain yogurt or fruit. Complaining that sweet processed foods have sugar in does seem a bit OTT, I'm afraid.

There was a similar[[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=am_i_being_unreasonable&threadid=797998-in-not-wanting- to-give-sugar-to-my-baby#16286972 thread a few weeks back - you may find some of the suggestions helpful .

sorry here

Thanks LIZS interesting reactions on that post. It has made me realise that I have asked this question in the wrong place. England has an amazing variety of baby food brands (plum, organix, ella's k and so on) and I live in Switzerland and the lack of choice here is apalling. Nestle and Hipp. That's it. Can't wait to be back!