Of course, it should, but there's no need to demonize it. Sugar consumption contributes to the formation of cavities and increases the likelihood of obesity. Early exposure to sugar-containing products leads to a higher preference for sweet foods later on, which can result in a limited diet.
Pediatricians, in their practice, try to delay the introduction of sugar-containing products into children's diets as much as possible. Instead of offering children various sugary items, offering them more fruits and healthy, natural snacks is better. The key is that unprocessed fruits and vegetables contain "natural sugar," but after processing, such as turning fruit into juice, the sugar becomes "free" and is less desirable for consumption. There’s no need to add sugar to complementary foods deliberately, but if you've made cheese pancakes, a pie, or another treat and then given it to the child – that's not a problem.
Pediatricians, in their practice, try to delay the introduction of sugar-containing products into children's diets as much as possible. Instead of offering children various sugary items, offering them more fruits and healthy, natural snacks is better. The key is that unprocessed fruits and vegetables contain "natural sugar," but after processing, such as turning fruit into juice, the sugar becomes "free" and is less desirable for consumption. There’s no need to add sugar to complementary foods deliberately, but if you've made cheese pancakes, a pie, or another treat and then given it to the child – that's not a problem.
The daily sugar intake norms for children of different ages are:
- 2-4 years: girls 15g (3.5 teaspoons), boys 16g (4 tsp)
- 4-7 years: girls 18g (4.5 tsp), boys 20g (5 tsp)
- 10-13 years: girls 22g (5.5 tsp), boys 23g (5.5 tsp)
- 13-15 years: girls 24g (6 tsp), boys 27g (6.5 tsp)
- 15-19 years: girls 28g (7 tsp), boys 37g (9 tsp).