I have to confess - my god, I do a lot of soul baring on this website - that I am a foodie, although perhaps not in a traditional gain/binge process - I don't overeat, I just enjoy what I eat. I also love diets (ugh, scratch that, I just really enjoy food.) I have read all the books on diets from the 90's hit book, The Zone, to the most recent craze, The South Beach Diet which ironically did not include any of those fabulous drinks with umbrellas in them, go figure (I felt cheated). My fascination with new eating processes is a strange attraction really, I get more turned on by news of trans fats than I do about Posh's new Bob haircut or Kylie's Cargo pants. (I need special care!)
    Being a lover of food and watching the information flow across mediums like the telly and internet, I am really intrigued by the sugar debate. I have a 1 year old son, Constantine-Antonio, with whom I am very actively involved in his nutrition and eating habits. Although he has a daily carer, I supervise his meals and work with her on everything that goes into that little angel's mouth.
    The Ribena confession (which didn't shock me) and the threads about water and sugar make me really wonder how much is too much and where does it end. My eternal quest for knowledge led me today to the Huggies Australia Website, and into the little nutrition section. I was happily clicking my way to enlightenment when I can across a recipe for stewed fruit which was recommend for kids under the age of 1. The first ingredient was...you guessed it...white sugar! I clutched the pearls and with mouth agape began frantically looking for the truth on whether we should be adding sugar (other than what is found in nature) to our children's food?
    My reading tells me that sugar is enemy number one in a healthy body only seconded to bad fats. It raises insulin levels, causes serious diseases, behavior problems (just check out a kids birthday party after a lolly bag session - it's insane!), cravings and rots teeth. My upbringing was old-school. My parents were just coming out of the 60s and the fog was clearing and sugar was given/allowed on special, not daily, occasions like birthday cakes and special company. Desserts were not a daily happening, and sugar was NOT a part of the food pyramid. Now, I watch parents stopping at the servo with for an after school snack and I am horrified with what these kids are coming out with. They aren't eating apples and milk. And guess who is paying for it literally and eventually - the parents, in probably more ways then they imagine.
    Obesity is expensive not just unhealthy. The cost of treating obese kids, dental bills, time off from work to take them for treatments, the self esteem issues around it - it all adds up in places we don't even acknowledge. I appreciate that we are all going to die someday of something, but are we doing our kids a dis-service by not giving them the best choices and not saying no to sugar. How much is too much and how much (other than what comes naturally in our food that doesn't have added sugar - like apples) do we really need? This is the point that perplexes me today. My son gets 2 serves of fruit a day - usually a banana with his breakfast and an apple in the afternoon for snack. I don't dress it up with anything other than its natural state. I know that as he gets older, he will get influenced by marketing geniuses that put messages all over every eye surface available, but I believe that palates are trained devices, and if I can keep him loving fresh, not processed foods, he will prefer them in the future, but I would love some feedback from others who try to live "with no added sugar". For anyone who would like weaning tips or child nutrition info for healthy eating, email me for my free newsletter or click on to www.stagescookbook.com.