First foods database
🍬 Sugar for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies have sugar? Babies do not need any added sugar, and the NHS advises not adding sugar to their food. After 12 months, keep sugary foods to small amounts with meals to protect teeth and appetite.
Good source of: Carbohydrate (energy only)
How to serve sugar by age
6 to 9 months
Not needed. Skip sugar in baby food entirely. Ripe fruit such as banana, pear or apple purée naturally sweetens porridge, yoghurt and baking without any added sugar.
9 to 12 months
Still not needed. If you are cooking for the family, set aside baby's portion before adding sugar, and choose recipes sweetened with mashed fruit or dates.
12 months and up
Small amounts of sugar in family baking or puddings are fine now and then. Offer sweet foods with meals rather than as grazing snacks, and keep sugary drinks off the menu, giving water or milk instead.
Choking safety
Sugar itself is not a choking risk, but hard boiled sweets and lollipops are, so keep them away from young children.
Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).
Good to know
- No added sugar for babies under 12 months.
- Sugary foods and drinks between meals raise the risk of tooth decay.
- Honey and syrups count as added sugar too (and no honey before 12 months).
Goes well with
Weaning with OBubba
Log first foods in seconds. OBubba spots the allergens for you.
Track every food your baby has tried, see reactions over time, and let OBubba gently pace new allergens one at a time. Free to download.
Questions parents ask
Can babies eat sugar?
Can babies have sugar? Babies do not need any added sugar, and the NHS advises not adding sugar to their food. After 12 months, keep sugary foods to small amounts with meals to protect teeth and appetite.
Is it OK to put sugar on my baby's cereal?
It is best not to. Babies do not need it, and a mashed banana or a few chopped berries give natural sweetness instead.
Do baby rusks and biscuits contain sugar?
Many do, including some marketed for babies. Check the label and choose products with no added sugar where you can.
Sources
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: What to feed young children
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).