Giving young children sweet foods at an early age may influence their eating habits and make them less willing to try vegetables and other less-sweet foods, according to nutrition experts.
Frequent exposure to sugary foods during early childhood can develop a preference for sweet flavours, potentially making it difficult for children to accept a wider variety of foods as they grow older.
How do sweet foods affect children's eating habits?
Infants have a sensitive sense of taste. Regular exposure to sweet foods may influence their food preferences and make them less receptive to other flavours.
This could limit dietary variety and increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies if children consistently reject certain food groups.
Which ingredients should be avoided?
Added sugar, corn syrup and other sweetening ingredients should be avoided in foods given to children under 12 months of age.
Honey should never be given to infants younger than 1 year because it can cause infant botulism, a potentially serious illness.
Excessive protein intake may also place additional strain on children's kidneys and has been linked to an increased risk of obesity later in life.
What should children eat?
Breast milk is the ideal source of nutrition during the first six months of life. When breastfeeding is not possible or sufficient, an appropriate infant formula may be used on medical advice.
At around 6 months, nutritious complementary foods should gradually be introduced alongside breast milk or infant formula.
Offering children a variety of simple, nutritious foods can help them become familiar with different flavours and develop healthier eating habits.
