Sugar content & Tooth Decay in Toddlers

It's been shocking to hear that around 1 in 10 of 3 year olds have decaying teeth. Sugary drinks and fruit juices have been blamed along with busy parents not brushing their childrens teeth in the morning.

Drinks such as Capri Sun, Ribena, Cola's, pure fruit juices and pre-packaged smoothies have come under fire as many are frequently being given to little ones instead of drinking water. Giving such drinks can cause tooth decay and parents are being advised to limit the frequency and volume of such drinks. 

So where does this leave pouches? Are these also causing tooth decay?...well, if given at the same frequency as drinks then let's be honest, they would. Most parents wouldn't give multiple snacks or puddings to their children so pouches shouldn't really be tarred with the same brush....when used in moderation.

"The more often your toddler has sugary foods or drinks, the more likely they are to get tooth decay (dentists recommend that children should have sugar-containing foods and drinks no more than four times a day)." *

In addition to moderation we should also consider what we put in our pouches (a luxury we have when using reusable pouches).....and portion control!

The below table lists the sugar content of various fruits commonly used in smoothies. As you would expect some fruits contain more sugar than others so in order to limit the amount of sugars that you give to your child it would be sensible to use lower volumes of the high sugar content items and more of the lower. You could also look at adding low sugar vegetables such as Spinach, Kale or avocado to your smoothies to add extra nutrients without increasing the sugar levels.

Total sugar content in grams per 100g of fruit** and popular yogurts (4g = 1 teaspoon)

We all know that fruit juices and smoothies are a great way to provide you and your children with all the fantastic vitamins and nutrients that we require from fruit but portion control is required.

A Nom Nom Kids reusable food pouch holds upto 120ml of smoothie, puree or yogurt. It's true that these items can be high in sugar but they are also very good for your children so our pouch actually helps regulate the amount of sugar your baby or child is getting.

Drinking water between meals and brush twice a day maybe old advice but it's still the best advice..

*quote from the British Nutition Foundation from bbc.co.uk

**Extracted from The Paleo Diet