Sugar in children’s diets: How parents can get cravings under control

Oh, those looks that seem to burn reproachfully through my jacket. I stare at the child in front of me with tunnel vision to block out the opinions of the other parents in front of the ice cream parlor – and because otherwise there is a risk of a bloody mess. The child, eleven months old and smeared with sticky brown, grins euphorically. My daughter eats her first chocolate ice cream. Far too early, according to the parents’ guide, the fate of a second child. The burden is not heavy, judging by the look on her face.

Sugar in children’s nutrition is one of the major controversial issues among parents. In the first year of life, nutritionists advise against any added sugar, after which consumption should be as low as possible. Easier said than done.