Sugar is a contentious topic! Particularly when it comes to sugar and kids. In this blog, I’ll share five things that, as a dietitian, I’d love you to know about the different types of sugar and how to manage it whilst not being afraid of it!

Sugar isn’t toxic, and it doesn’t make children hyper!

You'll find a lot of sugar scaremongering online. But the bottom line is that sugar in moderation is safe for children and adults. On the other hand, too much can damage your child's teeth and contribute to weight gain.

Based on numerous studies over several decades, there’s no substantial evidence that sugar causes hyperactivity in children. When do children eat more sugar than usual? Typically when they get together with lots of other little kids at birthday parties and holidays like Halloween. The evidence suggests it’s the event and not the sugar that’s the trigger for the kids to go wild!

Maple syrup and coconut sugar aren’t better than white sugar (they’re just more expensive!)

The clean eating movement has a lot to answer for! And one is the idea that certain types of sugar are healthier than others. You’ll still find celebrity bloggers substituting regular table sugar for ‘unrefined sugars’ like maple syrup or coconut sugar. But sugar is sugar!

Free sugar is what we call any sugar added to a food or drink either at home or by the manufacturer. Or the sugar that is already in all types of sugar, honey, syrups, fruit juice, or fruit concentrates. These are free because they're not inside the cells of the food we eat.

Health bloggers claim that unrefined sugar like maple syrup is ‘healthier because they contain micronutrients like vitamin and minerals. However, in minuscule amounts, they don’t contribute to our nutritional intake unless we eat mountains of maple syrup, in effect cancelling out the benefit. We shouldn’t rely on free sugar for vitamins and minerals. That’s what a balanced diet is for!

It pays to read food labels.

Food manufacturers can’t lie on food labels, but they can be economical with the truth!

As a parent, you mightn't dream of giving your baby a regular biscuit but not think twice about doling out baby biscuits sweetened with 'grape juice concentrate'. But now you know that 'grape juice concentrate' is just another form of free sugar. And guess what? I’ve seen baby biscuits with more sugar than the humble Rich Tea!

So, if you’re buying food marketed for babies or kids, it’s worthwhile checking two things:

Does it contain fruit purée, fruit concentrate, or fruit juice? If so, the closer it is to the top of the list, the more likely this food will be higher in ‘free sugar’ because ingredients are listed in order of quantity.

How much total sugar does it contain?

A quick guide to comparing whether foods are high or low sugar is to see how many grams of sugar the product contains per 100 grams.

HIGH = over 22.5 grams

MEDIUM = 5 grams to 22.5 grams

GREEN/LOW = 5 grams and under

READ MORE: Sugar for a babies-Separating fact from fiction!

It’s not a good idea to put sweets on a pedestal.

Just as we shouldn’t oversell vegetables, we also don't want to talk up or talk down sugar and sweets. It’s best to avoid referring to them as treats altogether. Call them by their name instead. So, instead of “here’s a treat because you’ve been so good”, try “here’s your snack. It’s strawberries and some chocolate” Neutralise their power by offering them matter of factly! When you serve them as part of a meal or snack, let your child decide what order to eat the foods in. Remember your child’s in charge of what they choose to eat from the food you put out.

If we use sweets as a reward or a bribe, we give them a special power. And similarly, if we forbid sweets, we can create an obsession. So, try to be cool with sweets. Decide when the time is right to offer these to your kids. Remember, it’s up to you how often you offer these to your kids.

Feeding your toddler online course explores this idea of being cool with all foods and seven other steps for successful and enjoyable mealtimes.

You’re not depriving your baby by NOT offering ice-cream (despite what your mother says)!

You know that it's your job to decide what food to serve. But it's easier said than done, isn't it?! Especially when it comes to figuring out what you should do about sugar and sugary foods.

The WHO recommends that children under 4 eat as little 'free sugar' as possible. So, it makes sense to hold off on offering babies and young children sugary foods until it becomes overly restrictive (remember, we don’t want to create obsession).

During their first year, your baby is learning to eat for the first time, so stick with foods that you’d like them to learn to enjoy. They’ll have no problems learning to like sweets and sugary foods later on! This is easy to do, especially with a first baby, as they have no idea that they exist. So, if you feel like some sweets or chocolate, just wait until they’ve gone to bed.

Learn more about weaning your baby onto solids with Ready, Steady, Wean Solid Start’s online baby weaning course

As babies get older, grandparents like to show love by being the ‘treat providers. And they might not understand why you’re holding back on offering sugary foods. After all, you ate them, and they didn’t do you any harm! Times have changed, though, and far more sweets now surround kids than ever before. It’s worth sitting down and talking through your parenting approach with grandparents before you get too far down the road and tensions rise. And let them know that there are plenty of other ways they can treat and show love that isn’t food-related.

Caroline O’Connor is a registered paediatric dietitian, lactation consultant, mum of four and founder of Solid Start. She has over 20 years of experience working with babies, toddlers, children and families. Caroline is passionate about sharing professional advice on food, feeding and nutrition through baby weaning and feeding toddler online courses and one-to-one consultations on a range of feeding issues.