Most parents can relate to this effect chocolate has on their little ones; a dramatic burst of energy after eating chocolates (due to the presence of high quantity of refined sugar and caffeine) followed by a dip in energy levels which causes them to throw tantrums, concentrate poorly, and also results in restless sleep.
Parents are aware of the ill-effects of chocolates and other sugary products on kids but the problem is that its very difficult to avoid them.
Your grandparents, uncles, aunts, and even neighbours will offer chocolates to your kids whenever they get an opportunity to do so. Even in schools, every now and then, there’s somebody’s birthday and your child gets a chocolate to eat in school.
And kids being kids, are unable to resist chocolates and cakes.
In the long terms, sugar can be really bad for the health, but in the short run, it could cause caries (cavities) in the tooth, which can be really painful for the child, besides of-course being expensive.
Eating chocolates in moderation is okay for older toddlers but should be avoided for toddlers under the age of 2 years.
The Mayans considered chocolate to be the ‘food of the Gods’, but we recommend cutting down on chocolates and look for healthy substitutes.
You may make home-cooked desserts like Sheera and Kheer.
In case, you’re looking for something that looks like chocolates, you may consider nutrition bars that look and taste just as yummy as milk chocolates but contain no (or much less) refined sugar or stimulants, so your child’s blood-sugar levels doesn’t shoot up drastically.
Low sugar chocolates for kids
Nestle India to cut sugar content in chocolates
Parents, if you are looking to buy chocolates, check out Nestle products. Nestle India has relaunched less sweeter Milkybar; KitKat, Munch and other chocolates to follow.
Sugar reduction in chocolates is achieved with the help of artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame or sucralose. But this affects taste, because of which most players restrict the effort only to a few variants.
However, its great to see companies taking the lead in reducing sugar content in their products.
Nestle India has relaunched its chocolate brand Milkybar, reducing sugar content by 10 per cent and increasing milk content by 8 per cent. In recent times, global majors such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have committed to cut salt and sugar in their brands, due to increasing demand for healthier products among consumers.
After Milkybar, a less sweeter KitKat and Munch bars could be introduced – the other two key brands in the company’s chocolate and confectionery portfolio in India.
“This is the start of our journey on reducing sugar content in chocolates and confectionery, and increasing wholesome ingredients in them. The effort on Milkybar was a result of a collaboration between Nestlé’s global and local (India) research and development wings,” said Nikhil Chand, general manager (chocolates and confectionery), Nestle India.
In recent months, Nestle has fortified Maggi, Milo (health drink) and Ceregrow (infant food product) with micro-nutrients, in line with its global guidelines on health and wellness.
Nestle SA, Nestlé India’s parent company, had earlier this year indicated that it was reducing salt and sodium in Maggi noodles, cutting sugar in chocolates and confectionery and coming out with low-sodium and low-sugar variants in dairy and infant nutrition.
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