No added sugar toddler puddings

[Whathefisgoingon]

I try not to give my 18 month old added sugar, though he will have the occasional half a biscuit etc.

He has the same pudding every day, which is yogurt and a few different fruits. Berries, banana, kiwi etc. It must be getting pretty boring though he still laps it up!

Just curious what you give yours?

@soughsigh thanks - definitely going to give banana custard a go!

Stick to natural yoghurt. Petit filous is full of shite.

Yoghurt and fruit can work for a breakfast. Children don’t need desserts after a meal.

@Whathefisgoingon, no it wasn’t you, it was others going on about unsweetened custard and unsweetened crumble topping. Food should be enjoyed. This is joyless. A friend of mine asked if I could make a cake for her daughter’s first birthday, but stipulated that it should be sugar free. I made a banana one but it wasn’t particularly nice, and certainly not celebratory. My two would sometimes prefer to end a meal with a small piece of cheese rather than fruit. Might that be an alternative for yours?

Banana bread!

Yogurt and fruit. Occasionally a jelly worm or a biscuit as a treat. Who has time to prepare puddings?!

Petit Filous (actually Aldi’s equivalent) & fruit. Sometimes they have an ice lolly (usually Fabs or mini milks) at the weekend or a cupcake that we or the neighbours have inevitably made & shared round!

My kids know that’s what’s for pudding & are perfectly happy with it. I don’t think you need to say it’s pudding really. I just say it’s time for fruit & yoghurt now. Part of the meal.

I’m not against sugar, they have biscuits or ice creams when we are out & about all the time but I do try avoid it for snacks etc. I buy these for the occasionally addition to lunch time or if we are going to softplay etc - none have added sugar.

Organic Gingerbread Men (these are our fav)

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/255335829

Organix Oat Bars

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/301892894

Nakd Bars - come in various flavours, are made from dates & raisins mostly. The choc orange ones are delicious! I give my girls half each.

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/279568413

Puddings here usually yogurt and fruit or sometimes a mini milk ice lolly if her sister has one. Occasionally stewed apple with cinnamon (which I still love myself!).

Neither me or DP do puddings though so I do wonder at what age it is recommended to stop?

Rice pudding www.myfussyeater.com/sugar-free-coconut-rice-pudding-suitable-for-weaning/

@InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream

I really don't understand this demonisation of sugar. Going to huge lengths to ensure a child has 'no sugar' is stupid. They're getting plenty of sugar in fruit. Just keep sweet things in general, including fruit, to a minimum, and to mealtimes, and ensure a good toothbrushing routine if you're concerned.Occasional homemade rice pudding made with actual sugar is perfectly acceptable. Common sense seems to have gone out of the window these days

Same really. I'm on my third baby and she gets way more crap than the other two did - she's not mainlining Easter eggs or whatever but I don't think twice about giving her a biscuit or a petit filous. I've relaxed a lot about all this over the years I've been a parent but I also think often of my cousins - neither of them were ever allowed sugar as children, right up to high school age. I vividly remember their mum smelling their breath at our house once in case me and my brother had shared our smarties with them.

One of them is now morbidly obese and the other has been treated for anorexia. Both me and my brother (who were allowed sugar to the normal level in the 80s) are a healthy weight as adults and always have been.

I don't think making certain types of foods the enemy is healthy.

Nowt wrong with sugar.

Pudding isn't necessary, in suprised you've read that in so many places, but if you do want to give it everyday, then don't worry too much about sugar. Mine had a mini Colin caterpillar the other night, but I didn't give her last nights as she had already had baby crisps and a bit of sausage roll during the day... in my opinion it's about common sense and balance.

Custard and milk puddings with no sugar or anything to sweeten them sound utterly vile.

And so joyless and rather pointless. I agree that just not giving them too much sugar in the first place rather than demonising it is better.

BTW raisins are much worse for your teeth than chocolate.

Raisins are terrible for teeth!

@mistermagpie it depends, doesn’t it. Diabetes is rife in my family. I have two siblings both in their late 40’s diagnosed with type 2. One of their daughters is of a normal weight but diagnosed with high cholesterol at 20! Genetics play a big part.

I want to set my toddler up as best I can. I am sure when he starts school it will go out the window and if he wants to try anything I will let him, but I’m not prepared to give him loads of added sugar and unhealthy foods at 18 months. He doesn’t know what he’s missing, so I don’t see why the idea of sugar free rice pudding or custard seems to terrible to some when to a toddler it could very well be something different and tasty.

My plan is to have a treat day where he can have an ice cream etc, but as I said... he’s my first so time will tell.

Unsweetened applesauce
Carrot or zucchini mini muffins (sweetend with applesauce)
Fruit cut up with cookie cutters into pretty shapes
Chia chocolate pudding made with Stevie
Baked sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg

Sugar free rice pudding and custard will taste like cardboard. Really, you should try it yourself before you inflict it on your child. Rice pudding might be redeemable with some stewed apple and cinnamon, at a push.

It’s like giving a rice cake for a snack - tasteless polystyrene. Why not a piece of whole meal toast with good peanut butter, or some interesting fruit?

And stevie can give you the shits.

Children have a naturally sweet tooth - have you tried breast milk?

everything said they should have a main meal and a pudding twice a day. I guess it’s to ensure they’re taking in enough calories!

I’ve never seen this anywhere and it doesn’t make munch sense to me. You can simply increase food portions to increase calorie intake. Just my opinion but I think getting into the habit of daily puddings - added sugar or not - will lead to an expectation that meals must be followed by a pudding, and as your DCs get older those puddings will most likely involve more added sugar and fats, as much as you try to avoid it now - as they get older they won’t need the additional calories either, added sugar or no it may still lead to over eating. Better I think to have a pudding that contains sugar just once or twice a week.
We have a ‘proper’ pudding maybe once or a week. Otherwise we just have a substantial meal or if DS is still hungry he can follow it up with yoghurt or fruit.