Sugar in Baby and Toddler Foods
In my work as a nutritionist, there are a few things that make me angry - Trans fats in fast food for instance. However right up there is the level of sweetness in baby foods. Parents and carers are surprised when I tell them that there are some popular baby food products that are sweeter than Frosted Shreddies.
Although the government recommends that added sugars are not given to children under 4 years, there are a great deal of products containing very high amounts of sugar. And although it may not say sugar (or sucrose) on the label, allowing the manufacturers to label the product ‘no added sugar’, apple puree, fructose, or whatever it may be, is all classified as added sugar.
For example, Aptamil porridge, aimed at infants from 4 months, contains 26g sugar per 100g – more sugar than Frosted Shreddies. And Farley’s Rusks are 29% sugar – the same as Chocolate Digestive biscuits. In fact, some popular baby foods are sweeter than many sugary cereals.
Introducing sweet foods to infants as their very first foods will shape their taste preferences and set their sweetness thermostat at ‘high’. And having a sweet-tooth at such a young age can have a huge impact on future health outcomes. Recent National Diet and Nutrition Surveys have found that toddlers are having more than the recommended daily sugar intake for adults, at over 30g per day.
The NHS Sugar Smart app doesn’t include baby foods, so at the university, in collaboration with the charity Action on Sugar, we are developing an App which will indicate the percentage of sugar in popular baby and toddler foods.
Until the App is available, you can check the amount of sugar per 100g (the percentage of sugar), by looking it up in the databases below:
What is High, Medium and Low Sugar?
These are the official amounts that determine whether a food product is low, medium or high sugar.
Less than 5g per 100g = low sugar
5.1 to 22.5g per 100g = medium sugar
Over 22.5g per 100g = high sugar
What is the Maximum Daily Recommended Amount of Sugar?
The above table show us the maximum recommended daily amounts, and it is recommended that under 4s do not consume added sugar in their diets.
Remember, added sugar is any sugar found in a food other than those found in fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and plain dairy milk
Sugar Databases
Biscuits and Cereal Bars Database Yogurts Database
Coming Soon:
Porridge and Cereals Database
Puddings and Fruit Purees Database