Many, probably, will agree that most children are terribly fond of sweet. And it seems that they are ready to eat cakes, sweets and ice cream all day - for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In this regard, parents are wondering how much sugar a child needs? Is it necessary to limit sugar in baby food?
What role does the carbohydrate play in the body?
In children's nutrition, sugar plays an important role, since it is a source of carbohydrates. In the body carbohydrates are split and the final product of the cleavage is glucose. Glucose in its pure form is in fruit, the amount of glucose depends on ripeness of the fetus (the sweeter, the more). If the blood glucose level falls, then there is a feeling of hunger. This is explained by the fact that glucose is a universal source of energy, besides it is a stimulant of appetite.
Carbohydrates are necessary for the child as a source of energy, vitamins (beta-carotene, vitamin C, folic acid). As a source of mineral salts (iron and potassium), organic acids (which improve the digestion process), dietary fiber (prevention of constipation in children). The more one unit of calories of such valuable substances, the more nutritional value of carbohydrate. The daily norm of the preschooler is 150 grams of fruit and 300 grams of vegetables. It is worth noting that sugar, although it has a high caloric value, has no nutritional value.
What proportion of carbohydrates should be in the child's diet depends more on age. The content of carbohydrates in children under one year is 40%. In older children, the content increases to 60%, 10% of which is sugar, including those contained in various confectionery products.
How and when to give the child goodies
The fact that the child loves the sweet is laid in it at the genetic level. After all, even the first meal of the baby has a sweet taste - mother's milk contains lactose - milk sugar. If a child is fed artificially with milk mixtures, he receives not only lactose, but also maltose.
To expand the assortment of sources of carbohydrates can be a gradual introduction of complementary foods - vegetable and fruit juices, cereals, purees, which completely compensate for the child's carbohydrate needs.
Usually they do not contain table sugar - sucrose, so the desire of parents to sweeten the dish to their taste is completely unacceptable, even if it is a desire for noble purposes - that the child is more eaten. This desire of parents leads to distortion in the child's taste sensations, the rejection of dishes without sugar, and as a result of overeating and excess weight.
Table sugar in a child's nutrition can be administered after one year, this applies to sweets, but you need to enter a small amount. Children from 1 to 3 years are allowed to give 40 gr per day. sugar, children from 3 to 6 years old are allowed 50 gr. Sahara.
To begin to give sweets to the kid it is possible from different mousses for which preparation is taken berries - a fruit basis (for example, from fresh-frozen and / or fresh fruit and berries). Then you can start to give marmalade, marshmallow, pastille, various kinds of jam, jam, jam. In the preparation of pastilles and marshmallows the basis is a fruit and berry puree, shot down with egg whites and sugar. For the first acquaintance of the child with marshmallows, it is recommended to choose creamy or vanilla marshmallows, then you can enter marshmallows with fruit additives.
Marmalade is a confectionery jelly-like product obtained as a result of boiling of sugar, fruit and berry puree, molasses, pectin.
Children older than 3 years can be given cakes and small cakes in which there are no fat-based creams. You can also begin to give low-fat types of ice cream (it is not recommended to give a filling).
Regulated amount of sweets: children from 1 to 3 years per day are allowed 10 gr. 3-6 year olds - 15 gr. per day. Any sweets are given either for a snack or after a meal.
A little bit about honey. Honey has a high nutritional value and healing properties. But use in the diet of a preschooler can be limited due to increased allergenicity. Therefore, it is better not to give children up to 3 years as an independent product.