Children and sweets are closely intertwined concepts. It is unlikely that a child will be found who will be completely indifferent to sweets. But everyone knows that excess sugar brings harm to the body, especially children. So how to be? Completely eliminate from the diet or limit the amount? Are there healthy treats for kids? Let’s try to figure it out.

The love of children for sweets is connected not only with taste preferences. Foods high in sugar contain carbohydrates, which help replenish energy, and also take part in the development of the child’s body and brain activity.

Sweets also release endorphins, which elevate your mood and make you feel better.

Lack of carbohydrates can lead to a violation of the metabolism of fats and proteins. But in today’s world more often you have to deal with the problems of excessive consumption of sugar.

Excess sugar in the body causes:

increase in fat mass;
metabolic disorders;
development of food allergies;
violations of the liver and pancreas;
diabetes;
other consequences of childhood obesity.
Even healthy treats should be consumed in limited quantities. And the harm from some goodies far exceeds the pleasure received.

What sweets should be avoided?
The most harmful sweets are carbonated drinks. They have an extremely negative effect on the body. The composition of such drinks includes a huge amount of sugar and sweeteners. For 250 ml of sweet water, there are about 5 teaspoons of sugar. And acids (malic, citric and others), an indispensable element of fizzy drinks, accelerate their absorption into the blood, which leads to significant stress on the pancreas and the digestive system as a whole. Carbonated drinks contain dyes, flavors and other chemical additives, the negative impact of which affects not only the work of the digestive system.

The second place in terms of harmfulness is occupied by lollipops and all kinds of chewing and sucking sweets. In composition, they are close to carbonated drinks. Such sweets are advertised and sold specifically for children, but it is advisable to completely refuse them. The well-known and beloved by children Chupa Chups also belongs to this category.

The high sugar content reduces the amount of vitamin B in the body, which causes obesity, diabetes and reduced immunity. The use of these products contributes to the destruction of tooth enamel and caries.

Adults should also refuse carbonated drinks and various sweets. Of course, a fully formed body is much stronger, but why risk your health if there are less harmful delicacies.

What sweets can children eat in limited quantities?
The limited use of some sweets will only benefit the baby. These goodies include:

chocolate;
marshmallow;
halva;
marmalade.
The sugar content in these products does not exceed reasonable limits. In addition, they contain useful substances and vitamins.

Halva is a completely natural dessert. It contains vitamins A, E and group B, which strengthen the immune system, improve memory and the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and also have a positive effect on the development of the child.

True halva can cause an allergic reaction. Give it to children after 5 years.

Chocolate bars and sweets contain potassium and bioflavonoids. Now chocolate has appeared on sale with the additional addition of calcium, iron and other vitamins. When choosing chocolate for a child, you should carefully study the composition: it should not contain antioxidants and preservatives. And, of course, we are talking about quality chocolate, not bars. You can treat a child with chocolate no earlier than 3 years.

The choice of marshmallows and marmalade should be approached with caution. They contain useful substances such as pectin and gelatin. The first has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and the second strengthens hair, nails and skin. But often these products include dyes and flavors. Before buying these sweets for your child, study the composition and give preference to products with natural ingredients. Marshmallows and marmalade can be included in the diet after 2 years.

All these sweets, if consumed excessively, will negatively affect the health of the crumbs. One or two marshmallows, a few marmalades, a slice of chocolate – let the baby eat one thing a day. Moreover, there are sweets that will only benefit children.

Healthy sweets
Some sweets can be eaten almost without restrictions:

fruits;
berries;
honey;
dried fruits.
It’s completely natural foods rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Eating fruits and berries increases immunity and strengthens the body. True, it should be borne in mind that some of them can cause an allergic reaction.

Dried fruits can be given to children as early as a year and a half. But it should be understood that these should be dried, not candied fruits. Dried fruits contain a lot of potassium, calcium, iron, and they also contain pectin.

Everyone knows about the benefits of honey. It will support the immune system, nourish the brain with glucose, and improve the functioning of the digestive system. It also strengthens the skeletal system and maintains hemoglobin levels. Despite all its useful properties, it remains a hypoallergenic product, so you should not offer it to allergic children. You can give honey to children from the age of one. The daily dose of honey varies from 1.5 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons, depending on the age of the child.

Sweets for babies
Often parents try to sweeten the life of babies in the first year of life, and give them sweetened water to drink. Doing this is not worth it. Babies don’t need extra sweets. Breast milk and complementary foods with regular food (milk, fruits, vegetables) fully cover the need for carbohydrates in babies. And excessive sugar content in the body can cause allergies, colic, dysbacteriosis and bloating.

Accordingly, nursing mothers should adhere to a special diet, limit the amount of sweets and allergenic foods.

Note to parents
Sweets should be given to the child after meals. The remaining plaque reduces the harmful effects of sugars on tooth enamel.
It is necessary to strictly observe the measure. It is difficult for a child to give up sweets, and parental control will help not to go beyond reasonable consumption.
Toddlers, like older people, have a poorly developed taste, so they prefer extremes: very sweet and very salty. It is necessary to develop taste habits in childhood so that they do not result in problems in the future.
When choosing sweets for children, it is worth giving preference to products made from natural ingredients. Fruits can serve as an excellent dessert that combines benefits and rich sweet taste. Other goodies can be consumed only in limited quantities. And from foods with an excessively high content of sugars, dyes, fragrances should be avoided altogether.