How much sugar should children be eating?
The WHO Sugar Guideline recommends a maximum of 10% energy from free sugar and suggests a further reduction to 5% energy could be even better for health.
What are Free Sugars?
The WHO defines Free Sugars as any Monosaccharides or Disaccharides added to food and drinks by the manufacturer, cook, or consumer and those sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
Monosaccharides include
- Fructose
- Glucose
- Galactose
Disaccharides incluse
- Sucrose
If you are looking for further information on sugar, and the differences between all the sugar types available then be sure to check out my original sugar article. It even covers off whether there is a healthier sugar or not!
What sugars are not included?
The WHO stipulates that fructose intake from fresh fruit sits outside of the recommendation as does the naturally inherent lactose found in dairy products. So fresh fruit and unsweetened dairy products can be eaten without worry.
What is the daily sugar intake for a one year old?
For a one year old the WHO guidelines equates to 2 to 5 teaspoons of free sugar ( the added type sugar per day).
To see the guidelines for other ages and to see how much sugar is in common foods be sure to check out my ever growing sugar gallery
Do you worry that your children are eating too much sugar?
How do you deal with it in your house?
