Sugar is naturally present in many foods. We can find it in fruit as fructose, in grains as maltose and in milk, lactose. You have to know that the sugar naturally present in food is not bad; although like everything, beware of excesses. Sugar added to products is a serious problem that today generates millions for the sugar industries. White sugar as such is not very valuable; We can buy it for less than 1 euro per kilo. When this begins to be added to products of higher quality and therefore more expensive, its value increases. Thus, we can find products that are 99% sugar and yet cost more than 2 euros per kilo.
The truth of the sugar industry is a mystery, but one thing is clear: if children become addicted to it, as adults they will consume it too. Addiction to this white powder has been compared to addiction to tobacco. After you stop consuming sugar, the body generates hormones typical of those of the "monkey". In addition, the symptoms resemble those of a withdrawal syndrome. That is why we must be careful with the amounts our children take. It is alarming to see how nobody stops to look at the labels of "suitable" products for children. Many times a child exceeds the recommended daily amount of sugar only at breakfast. And he still has a long day ahead of him.
Names by which added sugar is known
Industries know a lot. And they know that we are informing ourselves of the damages of added sugar. That's why it is increasingly common to find your name hidden behind technicalities that most of us don't understand. In this list you can see some of the names by which added sugar is also known:
- Cane juice
- Molasses
- Honey: although it is natural, the amount of sugar it contains is immense, so adding it to certain foods does not make sense.
- Agave
- Corn syrup or syrup
- Caramelo
- Maple syrup or syrup
- Saccharose
- maltodextrin
- Syrup
Recall that the daily amount of sugar ingested should not exceed 25 grams. With two pieces of fruit a day we would almost reach the recommended daily figure. In our country, an average of 110 grams of sugar is consumed per day, and that is just as harmful for children as it is for adults. But let's focus on children as they are the future. Our obligation as parents is to teach them good eating habits. It is not only about eating and now; success is knowing what to eat, how to eat it, and when.
It is alarming to see how sugar is added without resentment to the meals of the little ones. The organs of our children are in full development and many babies from the age of 3 months begin to eat cereals full of sugar. They have even released a range of cereals with cocoa powder!
Sugar in the diet of our children
Products high in added sugar
There are many, many products on the market with added sugar, from meats to yogurts. Any "harmless" product has the added surprise. Here I collect some of the ones that we offer the most to our children without noticing their composition:
Soluble cocoa
One of the products that we offer our children every day without looking at the amount of sugar that we are putting in them, is this. I will not put brands, but it is one of the best sellers on the market. For every 2 heaping teaspoons, we are giving them 7 grams of sugar. Or what also means adding, without any need, 2 cubes of sugar in your milk.
Instant soluble cocoa
It is quite similar to its companion. This is sold under another nickname but also provides 2 lumps of the 6 recommended by the WHO as maximum daily consumption.
Round cookies
Don't be fooled by its fame. They are the best-selling cookies of all ages. For every 4 cookies, a portion that a 3-year-old easily eats, has 6 grams of sugar, which is almost another 2 sugar cubes.
Patterned cookies
Announced on TV with amazing music and animations. Hopefully our children want to eat them as a fun snack. You should know that for every 4 cookies, you are offering a cube and a half of sugar. And that's not counting that this same brand has cookies with cocoa cream in them, which would double the amount.
Cookies with chocolate filling
Known by all. These royal cookies exceed all recommendations by just 4 cookies. For every 4, you are giving your child more than 8 sugar cubes. This is equivalent to exceeding the maximum recommended dose by 2 sugar cubes. And with only 4 cookies!
Infant cereal powder
Baby food is not released. For every 35 grams of product we find more than 2 sugar cubes. It should be noted that many of these porridges, apart from having added sugar, also contain honey. Others carry cocoa powder. Either way, sugar in the diet of babies should be totally prohibited. We should be more aware of the food that we give to the little ones. Not because it is a children's product means that it is suitable. They cheat us. The first years of a baby's life are what will guide him for the rest of his life.
Chocolate cereals
30 grams is equivalent to a serving, although we usually pour more into the cup. They are "giving us" almost 3 sugar cubes. And this if we analyze the content that the best sellers have; there are other brands that can multiply their quantity.
And so we could analyze many more products. Individually it does not have as much impact: for two sugar cubes you are not going to deprive your child of eating cookies from time to time. But daily and adding each product, the figures are alarming. And here I put the example:
Example of a menu in a school-age child and sugar
Let's suppose that one day of school we offer our son the following menu:
- Breakfast: cereals with milk and fresh orange juice. Amount of sugar: 3 cubes approximately. We do not count the fructose in the fruit.
- Recess time: 2 round cookies and a banana. It is equivalent to 1 lump, varying the amount to more depending on the cookie.
- Dessert at lunch: sugary yogurt for children. It would be 4 lumps, depending on the brand.
- Snack: cocoa cream sandwich. Amount of sugar: 4 cubes depending on the bread and the amount of cocoa cream.
- Dinner dessert: egg custard. An aperitif that adds up to 7 more lumps.
Assuming that the maximum recommended daily consumption of sugar must not exceed 25 grams, or what is the same, 6 sugar cubes, in this daytime example a child would have consumed more than double the recommended amount. In this case it would have exceeded 80 grams of sugar. Although the sugar present in fruit and milk is of natural origin, it must be taken into account since it raises the glycemic index of the blood. In this case we have not counted it, but it would not be necessary to exceed two pieces of fruit per day.
In addition, the fruit is better to offer it in portions since its fructose does not reach the blood as quickly as if you took it in juice or in fruit puree. You have to complete the diet with complex carbohydrates; These give us more energy during the day as they are slow release and are absorbed more slowly. The bad thing about free sugar in the body is that it gives "easy" energy and our body likes. Over time it becomes lazy to metabolize complex carbohydrates and that is why it asks us for more and more sugar.
Remove sugar from the diet of our children
It is not easy to stop using it indirectly since if we read labels, few products are saved. Lately and as we have already said, there are families that are becoming aware of this. The bad comes with people who do not consider it a problem since "all life has been consumed." These people often use phrases like "what a shame, not even a cookie you give your child" or "for a cocoa powder with milk a day nothing happens. We have to remember that whether to consume sugar or not, each family makes its own decision.
We should not get involved in the decisions of others, but there is no worse blind than the one who does not want to see. Despite the studies launched by the WHO and that doctors are warning, there is always some skeptic who questions what professionals say. Over the years, children who consume more sugar will be a good deal for dentists and nutritionists. But above all, they will be good active consumers of the most harmful products for health.