hi, i just would like to know how much sugar a toddler should be having in a day. what is their rdi of sugar??? ive just been reading articles on understanding the nutritional information on food packaging that we buy from the supermarkets and i actually get it lol

one thing i didnt know is that there are the hidden sugars in foods that appear as different names in the ingredients list tongue the other thing i found out is that the ingredients in the lists are actually in order of most to least in terms of its wieght in the food tongue

anywayyyy i cant find rdi for toddlers.. and was wondering if anyone had any ideas.

thanx heaps

Hi!
I think the RDI for sugar is actually 0g as sugars are considered empty calories!
Woah, my kids are certainly consuming way too much daily in that case - as am I!!
The October 2010 edition of Super Food Ideas magazine has a good little table showing nutrient targets for toddlers, children and teens. Interestingly it does not include sugars!

Toddlers shouldn't be having any sugar. Of course they are probably going to get some anyway - in the form of natural sugars like in fruit and as you have probably picked up there are added sugars in almost everything packaged, this is why it is a good idea to limit pre-packaged and processed foods as much as possible and stick to whole foods and homemade smile

hi there,

i suggest you read a book called Sweet Poison. I am reading the follow up book titled The Sweet Poison Quit Plan and it is really quite scary to think how much sugar we as a society are eating.

The book doesn't actually mention how much sugar we should or shouldn't be eating, basically suggesting that none is best. from my own research, the recommended RDI for adults is somewhere between 40-50 grams. A child would no doubt be much less than that.

Once you begin taking more notice of the sugar content in a food item, you will notice that sugar is in everything and in scary amounts!

I really recommend you read this book for yourself and learn how to eliminate sugar from your diet.

I dont think there is such a thing as an RDI for sugar and the nutritional panels on most products would relate to adults not toddlers.

I agree with Ruby Gloom, you want to be minimising sugar intake (along with fat and salt), if sugar is listed in the first three ingredients or a high percentage if depicted that way on packaging then its not something you want to give them. Most of the packaged "kids" products are high in sugar, steer well clear of all those "fruit" products like fruit rope, string, fruit bars... all are more sugar than anything else. They can get natural sugars from fresh fruit.

Have a look here for guidelines in the five food groups for toddlers:

http://www.kidspot.com.au/Toddler-Eat-Toddler-healthy-food-pyramid+3132+3+article.htm

hi, thanx for your replies. i agree with everything you guys are saying 100% i think i just need to be "sugar aware" i guess. it was a topic i didnt understand but now im a touch more knowledgable. as little sugar as possible.. and trust me i am one of those mothers who is freakishly anal about pre packaged products heaps. thanx heaps