Quick! Can I add sugar to a rice pudding that will feed the family, incl 7mo?

[babypowder]

I had contemplated making rice pudding tonight, but I don't normally feed DD2 anything with added sugar. Would it be bad? Or do I have to sweeten it with apple juice or similar (I know, fructose is a sugar as well!)

Go for it, in the quantity they eat it won't be a problem. Everything in moderation. Rice pudding is yum, will you make one for me too?

A bit of sugar every now and then isn't going to harm them. As I have found out, it is very difficult to exclude sugar completely without compromising everybody else's diets.

Personally, I would add the sugar, but maybe not as much as you would normally. But either way, you and the rest of the family can always sweeten it to taste after it has been served.

If you are following the recipe on the pack I tend to find that halving the sugar they suggest is plenty sweet enough anyway.

Thanks! I seem to have become a bit of a food fascist since DD1 was born, and poor old DD2 is bearing the brunt of this! I'm certain I didn't worry about these things 5 years ago.

Or you could mix in mashed banana to feed dd, I used to do this for dts

try adding nutmeg and cinnamon as well

DD2 thinks everything is flavoured with mashed banana

sounds lovely, best for the baby to fit in with the family i'd have thought. so long as you have a decent diet, that is.

We do have a decent diet, IMO. We all had fish with spicy lentils and peas for tea (DD2 loved it, even if she did get very messy!) But I have started worrying such a lot about salt in food, whether LOs should be exposed to processed sugars, etc. On balance, a little sugar isn't going to hurt is it?

personally i don't think so, but you have to do what you feel comfortable with. i never worried a lot about salt either, tbh, because i do all the cooking so i know i don't add any. so things like cheese and bread weren't a huge concern to me, but i know other people are more cautious.

sugar is not necessary an evil thing a little organic brown sugar in a rice pudding would be fine IMO, it is not really the same as the processed white sugar covering a doughnut for example ! children do need a varied diet and you sound like a very caring and concientious mummy - please could i have fish and spicey lentils sent round to my house for dinner tonight.

I use coconut milk which means that you don't need to add extra sugar as it's very sweet although you could add pureed fruit to regular stuff if you wanted to avoid sugar but as the others have said. Sugar isn't necessarily a bad thing. I don't like cows milk hence why I use coconut.

oh, thanks for this thread...great reminder to mkae rice pudding! Ds(4) and dh aren't keen and I LOVE it, must get dd (10 months) on my side!

I would add a little sugar and give everyone else some jam or honey to sweeten theirs more, if they want to.

mummydoc, is organic brown sugar really any better than processed white? This is a genuine question because if it is I'll switch. DSs have got used to having a little sugar on their cereal in the morning and I feel guilty about it.

not really sure about sugar , but i like the idea tha tit is unprocessed - though that could be gibberish for all iknow - we eat all organic and preservative free so no choice for me.