Sugar or Sweetner

[singlewiththree]

I have a hangup over "sugar free" drinks. Two of my daughters are intolerant to sweetner and most artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. To combat this they have water, fresh fruit juice or high juice, obviously with sugar and not "sugar free". What is OFSTED's take on juices. I know a while back it was the in thing to have sugar free juice and wherever you go people still ask for it however I always ask the opposite!

Paula W

[crazybones]

No idea. We dont do juice in this house as my son has a citric acid intolerance. One mum has been reminded constantly but she still sends a child with juice in a bottle every morning. Milk and water only here. Costs me a fortune in fruit because they all want to non-citrus fruit that I buy for him.

[sarah707]

Anything is fine with parents permission.

I don't ever have phenanylene in the house though as it is linked to all sorts of nasty diseases and banned in some countries... so I go for the sugar versions too.

We rarely have squash though - except older ones.

For littles it's milk at snack, water through the day plus one glass of fresh juice (watered down 50/50 for sake of teeth) at lunchtime to contribute to the 5 a day aim. :D

[balloon]

I will not use anything that has aspartame as a sweetener as it's very nasty stuff so we usually go for milk, water, or not artificially sweetened drinks.

I think that all Sainsbury's cold drinks/squashes are now aspartame free but don't know if other companies have followed suit yet.

[madasahatter]

According to information I have from the Children's Food Advisory service (admittedly linked to Organix foods) one of the information sheets states that it is illegal for manufacturers to put artificial sweeteners in foods specifically marketted to under 3's. (Obviously things like ribena, fruit shoots etc are not marketted to under 3's.)
My take on it is that I don't give any of the children in my care anything with artificial sweeteners (I always take my own drinks to toddler groups etcas they tend to use cheap squash). Also don't be taken in by the 'kind to your teeth' marketting. All fruit juices are acidic, whatever the sweetener, and therefore they all can potentially cause tooth decay. It's all a matter of when you serve the drinks (ie. with meals) and dental hygiene.

[Alibali]

Aspartame is a nasty one, we dilute fresh juice and offer milk or water.

[allinatiz]

Hi.

I mainly offer water and milk but I have it written in my policies that any juice I use will not contain artificial sweeteners. My inspector didn't comment on it at all.

[miffy]

My inspector was keen on water being freely available to the children

Miffy xx

[Twinkles]

Same as most of you water or milk only.

[gooseygirl]

I think water is the best drink in the world and its free. I give milk or water to the litle ones too. They have access to water at all times.

[Rubybubbles]

My inspector was keen on water being freely available to the children

Miffy xx

same when I had mine years ago!

I offer milk or water or watered down fruit juice:laughing:

although my own kids have the sugar free juice:panic: for school in their lunch box bottles! didn't know they were that bad to be honest oh no I feel guilty now

has anybody any links to share?

[Pauline]

has anybody any links to share?

Food Standards Agency report:

http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/additivesbranch/sweeteners/55174

[Pedagog]

We only have water, milk or freshly squeezed juice. My daughter has weak tooth enamel so has to be careful.

Definitely no sweeteners, and my daughter is diabetic, we were actually advised by the dietitian that it was better for her to have sugar than sweeteners.

I have to admit, I do occasionally have some lemonade for me.:) Does that make me a secret lemonade drinker.:rolleyes:

[Rubybubbles]

Food Standards Agency report:

http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/additivesbranch/sweeteners/55174

thankyou will take a look later:thumbsup:

[gemhei]

I have no idea, but pure fruit juices can be worse for teeth than sugary juice. We only have water and milk here because thats all my own children drink so thats hat everyone else has and parents say thats fine.