Does your baby have something sweet at each meal?

[Lu28]

Before I started weaning, I was determined I wouldn't give something sweet after everything savoury because we hardly ever eat puddings at home and it's not something I want Aisling to get into the habit of. However, quite often we're having to give her something sweet because she's eaten everything savoury I have to offer!

Just wondering what everyone else does and if there's a reason to give something sweet at each meal?

 

[kirsten1985]

I am not planning on giving sweet stuff regularly as like you I don't want her to get used to it or come to expect it.

I don't think there is any reason to give sweet stuff after every meal.

Maybe just offer her more savoury if you don't want her to have sweet stuff all the time?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I don't think there's a reason - just social convention I guess! As Kirsten says, I think letting her eat savoury until she's full is a better option.

 

[abour]

well my son gets board quickly so after couple of spoons he shuts his mouth !
i started giving him fruit puree , yogurts or pudding after his meal to fill him up
i personally think it's really right but if u have other options to let him eat well be my guest

 

[goddess25]

I have been giving Euan fruits and yoghurt.

 

[mamalove]

I give fruit purees and yoghurts for dessert after each meal.

i still do it with my daughter as well,she always has fruit after all her main meals.

 

[mamalove]

forgot to add: all my children prefer savoury to sweet and they never refuse their food.

 

[Lu28]

I suppose seeing as I want her to eat the same as we do at meal times and we don't have desserts then I'd prefer her not to either. She doesn't need anything after brekkie which is sweet anyway. It's really just lunch and dinner. I've found that she'll seem as though she's full but if something sweet appears then the appetite reappears! I don't want her to be hungry but I also don't want her to hold out on me because she thinks something sweet is coming! Clever babies... I guess she won't end up hungry because she'll have her milk feed anyway, must be strong.

 

[miel]

lu28..consider fruit/fruit puree as sweet?

or it's just about when you give her ? after diner it's not ok but for breakfast it will be fine for exemple?

i am just getting info

 

[Lu28]

Hi miel!

Personally I'd consider fruit and yoghurts etc to be something sweet and I'd prefer to give them as a snack when we get to that stage rather than a dessert. She's never had anything sweet other than fruit or yoghurt and I don't plan on starting on the baby dessert jars, again just because it's not something we routinely have at home and I'd like her to eat the same as us.

Breakfast is porridge with mashed fruit stirred in so that's fine. I think it is just something sweet after every savoury meal that bothers me, I don't want her to get into the habit of that when it's not something we do.

 

[miel]

make sens ...thanks !

 

[katycam]

I give Austin a pudding of some sort after his lunch and dinner, normally a petit filous or a jar of pudding.

 

[Happy]

Phoebe has a yogurt or a mashed banana after her lunch. Occasionally she will have an organix rusk.

 

[Pyrrhic]

I don't see the need personally for Niamh.

After lunch she'll get either a natural organic yogurt or some fruit slices(as part of her 5 a day) but that's it. She doesn't get something sweet after her breakfast, nor after dinner. I don't want her getting into the habit of not eating properly, or expecting something 'nice' when she's older for eating all her dinner. Eating all her dinner is normal behaviour and I don't intend to reward for it every time.

 

[alice&bump]

katie just has a sandwich for lunch, but after her tea she always has some fruit. we dont eat puddings normally, but i see it as a nice way of rounding off her meal. we used to give her yoghurts aswell, but she's going thru a stage of spitting it out into her hands and re-feeding herself it...not nice!

we dont really do snacks, so having fruit after her tea is just a way of getting her 5 a day into her!

 

[Faerie]

Only just started with Sofia.. but worried she's got a sweet tooth already! I guess breast milk is really sweet so it's natural. Her favourite thing so far is stewed prunes, oh, and malt loaf, which I don't think was the best thing to give her!

We don't have a sweet after meals either, so like you I wouldn't want to get her into the habit. Think when look at 5 per day it's meant to be 3 vegetable to 2 fruit.

 

[polo_princess]

Brooke has something sweet at lunch and dinner, usually fruits for one and yoghurt for the other. She has no problem eating her savouriy up first.

 

[spunkytigrr]

I stick w/ the fruits as sweets... if you give artificially sweetened food at a young age you're desensitizing their palate so that the naturally sweet things (like fruit) don't taste as sweet any more and they need the artificial sweetness for it to taste sweet. (similar to a druggie needing more to still get high, hah!) You should hold off on all junk and sugars as long as possible!

Here's a short bit of a nutritional post I wrote a while back:
A child’s preference of food is formed during his first four to five years of life- beginning as early as infancy. The food you serve him will impact his choice of food for the rest of his life. This is a powerful concept to keep in mind… you are making an impact on your children's life-long health whether you realize it or not. It’s in your power to make it for the good. Giving them a strong nutritional start not only helps their health in the immediate future, but provides them with ongoing positive habits, making up an important component of their lifestyle as an adult. By educating yourself in this area and making healthy decisions, everyone benefits. (if you want to read the rest of it, it's here)

Anyway, they don't know what they're missing until you give it to them, and the longer you hold off on it, the better. If your baby's a good eater anyway then be happy and give the most nutritional start to life that you can!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I agree spunkytigrr. I am always shocked to see artificially sweetened foods for babies - I don't know why anyone would want to fill their baby with empty calories...

 

[Lu28]

Anyway, they don't know what they're missing until you give it to them, and the longer you hold off on it, the better. If your baby's a good eater anyway then be happy and give the most nutritional start to life that you can!

This is exactly the argument I've been using with most of my family and DH's family who can't understand why we won't "try her" with a bit of ice cream or chocolate or cake etc etc. They think I'm being cruel not giving it to her - she doesn't know any different! And she might thank me when she's older if she doesn't inherit my chocolate addiction!