As parents, we see labels on our foods such as ‘low in salt’ and we believe this is healthy for our tots to eat. Are we right to trust these labels or should we look more closely at the products? We all know that too many sweets, fizzy drinks and crisps are bad for our children, but when it comes to seemingly nutritious foods, there are still some pitfalls to avoid.
We asked children’s dietician Judy More, author of Teach Yourself Feeding Your Toddler (Teach Yourself, £8.99), to identify some common pitfalls.
Pasta sauces
A tomato-based pasta sauce isn’t in itself unhealthy, but try to opt for homemade versions when you can. As Judy explains, “Processed sauces are too salty for your child to eat every day.”
The main problem, however, tends to be how you serve your pasta dishes. “It’s quite common for mums to give their toddler pasta with a sauce and some cheese,” says Judy. “That can be quite calorific, and it isn’t a balanced meal – you’ve missed a great opportunity to give your child a portion of vegetables. So give less pasta and sauce, and include a vegetable or salad on the side.”
Another easy way to include vegetables is to stir them into the sauce – crunchy veggies like broccoli and peppers work well. “You should also make sure you give your child fruit at breakfast, and include a vegetable and some fruit at their other meals,” advises Judy.
Cereal bars
A cereal bar could seem the obvious healthy alternative to chocolate – with fruit, nuts and wholegrains, surely it has to be a more health-conscious snack option? Not necessarily.
A Which? report found that some cereal bars have more sugar and fat in them than popular chocolate bars. They may also contain high levels of saturated fats, which are linked with obesity, and trans fats, which you want to avoid in the diet.
“Although most trans fats have been removed from foods by manufacturers, some cereal bars may still contain them,” says Judy, “so you should always check the ingredients on the label.” When you’re checking food labels, the higher an ingredient is listed on the label, the more of it is found in the food – so if sugar’s high on the list, for example, it’s probably best to steer clear.
Expert Tip
If you are giving your toddler pasta for dinner, do sprinkle a little cheese for calcium, but reduce the portion and add a side of vegetables.
Judy More, Children’s dietician
Cheese
“Cheese is nutritious and high in calcium, which is important for children,” says Judy – they need it for healthy bone and tooth development. “Children should have three servings of dairy products a day, and cheese is a great way to provide one of these,” she adds.
But it can also be high in saturated fat and salt. Between the ages 1 and 3, your child shouldn’t have more than 2g of salt a day – and it adds up quickly, especially with processed foods. “It’s best to only give cheese once a day,” says Judy. This can be on its own as a snack, or grated over a dish such as pasta.
High fibre
You’d think that high-fibre cereals such as Bran Flakes would be a good breakfast for a toddler as they’re high in fibre and fortified with vitamins. “However, they’re not suitable for toddlers,” says Judy. “Very high-fibre foods contain phytates, which bind with other nutrients and remove them from the body.”
This means your child won’t gain all the nutritional benefits of other vitamins and minerals in her food. Such cereals are best avoided until she’s older – opt instead for sugar-free muesli or porridge topped with fruit.
Dried fruit
Dried apricots, figs, dates or raisins may seem like a simple way to give your toddler a serving of fruit, but you need to be aware of the levels of natural sugar they contain. “Dentists say that if you give dried fruit as a snack, it sticks to the teeth, which encourages cavities,” says Judy.
And some dried fruit, such as cranberries, have added sugar, too. Don’t cut it out altogether, though. “It’s nutritious and a good source of iron,” says Judy. “But keep it to mealtimes, stirred into porridge, cereal or yogurt.”
Mums' stories:
“Her tummy was swollen and sore”
“I used to give Angela lots of fibre – pasta, brown bread, All Bran – but then realised it was too much for her. She stopped going to the toilet, sometimes for as long as five days. Her tummy was swollen and sore. Now I limit the fibre in her diet and give her natural live yogurt each day.”
Felicity, 36, mum to Angela, 3
"I have cut down on my daughter's dried fruit"
“I used to give Isabelle lots of dried fruit as I thought it was a healthy way of giving her snacks. Then I read that it’s high in natural sugar, however, which isn’t good for her teeth. I still give her dried fruit now, but I’ve cut down the amount.”
Jennifer Herring, 26, from Somerset, mum to Isabelle, 18 months
