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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Do you think I'm being too strict about sugar?

13 replies

redandyellowandpinkandgreen · 28/08/2011 12:33

DS is 9 months and doesn't really have anything containing sugar. He's had tiny tastes of things but nothing more. I buy plain yogurt etc. He's starting nursery soon and I was a bit surprised to see they give flavoured yogurt, jelly, fruit crumble and custard etc. Not just now and again, they have a pudding every day and it will contain sugar. I have asked that they don't give him sugar so he will have something different to the other babies.

I'm a bit torn as I just don't think sugar is necessary but then I don't want him to notice he is eating different things or to get caught up in banning things and making them more attractive. If he was staying at home with me I would have carried on avoiding it as long as possible.

What do you think?

OP posts:

festi · 28/08/2011 12:40

YANBU my dd didnt realy have any sugary based things untill well over 1 year. I did send my own food to nursery though as they didnt provide any. I did some times make my own poached pairs with custard but I wouldnt sweeten the custard just milk and egg. but on the other hand I wouldnt have been upset had someone given dd a sugary desert. I never banned it I just held out untill dd could ask, when she asked for sweets I used to give her dried fruit, but most dried fuits have sugar added. I think she was about 3 when she noticed fruit wasnt actually sweets and rice crackers wherent biscuits.

Pootletrinket · 28/08/2011 21:50

No, DD didn't have sugar until she was over 1 but they did give fruit yoghurts at nursery, which I was OK with but didn't really worry about that tbh - cakes, custard, crumble etc absolutely not..

naturalbaby · 28/08/2011 22:00

i was quite strict with my first and as much as possible with my other kids but we all have a fruit yoghurt for pudding every day. my kids get the kids ones with less sugar in but anyway.
i wouldn't give my kids a jelly, cake, custard type pudding every day so wouldn't be happy if they were being given it at nursery. i try to avoid extra/added salt and sugar as much as possible no matter where they are or who is providing their food. i'm surprised nurseries offer babies sugary puddings like that every day with all the advice against them being flapped about at the moment.

AngelDog · 28/08/2011 22:56

YANBU We don't give our 20 m.o. (PFB!) things with sugar in, apart from the odd occasion when we eat a normal biscuit and can't successfully hide it from him. We don't have puddings either and don't really eat yoghurt, so that's not an issue. But I'm a SAHM so it's not a problem for us.

I wouldn't mind the occasional proper pudding, but I'd be a bit about every day.

Ozziegirly · 29/08/2011 06:58

I am very laid back about food but I don't give DS (1) anything with added sugar as I just think there is no need. Obviously he has the bits in things like sauces but there is no need for a baby to have a pudding, and I don't want him to develop a sweet tooth.

Pootletrinket · 29/08/2011 08:13

I don't think not giving sweet things avoids a sweet tooth, apart from yoghurts at nursery (which she started at nearly 11 months), DD1 had nothing sugary until well after 1 and now, age 5, she's got the sweetest tooth around and is always asking for sweet things (not always getting, but there we are!) and would eat as much as she could, given the choice!

LITTLEGEEK · 29/08/2011 10:01

Are you sure he will be offered the custard and stuff etc in the baby room? Reason for asking is that DS is starting nursery soon and I asked about it. He will be in the baby room and wont have these things but they do offer a small homebaking or apple crumble and custard for pudding etc as they go up the age groups. I was assured that they dont add sugar to anything and that any 'sugary' treats are sweetened with apple or grape juice or the like.

LITTLEGEEK · 29/08/2011 10:03

Oh and YANBU or strict to want to limit the sugar intake.

sparkleshine · 29/08/2011 19:38

At my DS nursery they have puddings and custard etc, but everything is homemade and has reduced sugar and salt. Ive even tried it myself and tastes quite bland.
When they do sweeten food, its usually done with pure fruit juice instead.

Maybe that is what they do at your DC nursery. You can always ask they and let them know of your concerns.

Wish I could avoid DS getting sweet things, but I am such a sucker for it myself, its hard.

MamaChocoholic · 29/08/2011 19:52

I am facing this, as our nursery has just switched from bringing our own food to them providing lunch and tea every day. I'm unhappy because both meals come with sugary puddings (crumble/chocolate sauce, but also fruit yoghurt which I consider sugary). at home we only eat plain. I don't mind an occasional cake as a treat, but twice a day, five days a week? I'm really unhappy, about our 3 year old but also our almost 1 year olds who are starting there. glad to see someone else thinks the same.

one of the reasons the nursery say they're doing this is so that all children eat the same thing. what did your nursery say about your dc having something different redandyellow? my other concern, which probably shouldn't be in weaning, is that 3 yo ds1 won't eat most of the mains they offer, and if he knows there is pudding he'll just eat that, and then come home too full of sugar to eat a proper tea with us.

Original poster

redandyellowandpinkandgreen · 29/08/2011 21:26

They definitely offer the puddings in the baby room. On the day I was there it was jelly, I assume from a packet unless the cook was pureeing fruit and everything, it looked like packet jelly to me anyway. DS got a banana. He's only going two days but I still think one pudding a day like that is too much at this age. It said on their info they limit sugar but I feel a bit like an over protective mum quizzing the cook to check how exactly, I'd rather just say no sugar at all.

They haven't said anything about him having something different (yet). He has another trial this week so I'll ask some more questions. Feel a bit embarrassed to be making such a fuss when I should probably be focusing on how they will stimulate him or something more important!

OP posts:

MamaChocoholic · 30/08/2011 08:38

I don't think you're making a fuss. Early nutrition establishes food preferences, and an early high salt has been demonstrated to lead to high blood pressure in later life. I don't know the research into high sugar and obesity, but I can't imagine there isn't a link. I have to talk to our nursery about this today and feel embarrassed, because I don't want to be seen as an awkward parent, but actually this is something I care a lot about, and I need to see what compromise can be reached. I'm going to keep reminding myself that my embarrassment is nothing compared to my children's health.

Jules125 · 30/08/2011 15:18

I don't think you are being unreasonable. I've just started settling my 8.5 mo DD into a nursery - and yes she had chocolate cake and custard today. Apparently, she loved it so much she just shoved her face in it (and this is a baby who has hardly been eating solids up to now :-).

The way I see it sugar is empty calories - it has no nutritional value. For a DD like mine (very small) who actually does not eat much filling her up on this sort of food might well displace more nutritional foods - and I don't want to risk that.

I'm going to ask the nursery not to give her those puddings from now on. She is only doing 2 days per week - but I still think she'd be much better off without them. To be honest this is my fault as I ticked boxes that she could eat anything last week! However, I reserve the right to change my mind...

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