Healthy lollipops for children. Sweets for children: what mothers need to know. High in calories Rich in protein and fat

“Long live cakes!
Any! All kinds!
Puff, sand,
Crispy and juicy.
Curd cheesecakes,
Rolls and buns.
And pies with poppy seeds!”

Sergey Mikhalkov

All children, without exception, have a real sweet tooth! They are ready to eat all sorts of sweets day and night and often agree to make concessions for the sake of one piece of candy. For example, eat a bowl of porridge or clean up your toys.

However, most parents try to limit the amount of sweets in their children's diet. After all, its excess at an early age often leads to various diseases and also has a bad effect on the condition of the teeth.

And yet you shouldn’t completely deprive your child of the pleasure of eating “sweets”! Children simply need to replenish the energy they expend during active games, as well as nourish their brain cells. Sweets do an excellent job with this task, but if you give them to your child, you should follow some rules.

Rules for eating sweets:

1. You can eat sweets only after meals. And then you need to rinse your mouth or brush your teeth.
2. Don’t make sweets a forbidden fruit, otherwise your baby will want “at least one piece of candy” even more.
3. When visiting, as an exception, allow him to eat a sweet treat.

Now let's find out which treats are good for children and why.

Marshmallows and marshmallows

These sweets can be safely given to children over 2 years old, since they are considered the most harmless for a growing body.

Agar agar, which is extracted from red algae, is rich in iodine, iron and calcium.

Marshmallows (like marshmallows) are made from fruit puree, sugar and egg whites. It acquires its most delicate, airy, creamy form due to natural thickeners such as agar-agar, gelatin or pectin. But vegetable and animal fats, flavors and synthetic dyes are not included in marshmallows, so they are easily and quickly digested.

It is known that pectin perfectly removes waste and toxins from the body, reduces cholesterol levels and improves metabolism. Agar-agar, which is extracted from red algae, is rich in iodine, iron and calcium. A gelatin has a positive effect on the child’s hair, skin, muscles and blood vessels.

Marmalade

Another favorite children's sweet is marmalade. In composition, it is very similar to marshmallows, since it also contains natural thickeners gelatin, pectin or agar-agar. The rest of the marmalade consists of fruit juices, syrups and sugar.

This delicacy is considered light and dietary. It can be given to children starting from 2 years old, since it does not contain any harmful additives or fats.

And kids really love this type of marmalade, like chewy jelly candies. They are thicker and denser due to the addition of beeswax. Now such sweets are produced in the form of various figures or animals, with the addition of natural juice and vitamin C.

Chocolate

Pediatricians recommend delaying introduction to chocolate until the age of 4-5 years. Children should be given milk and white chocolate, but it’s better to avoid black. After all, the latter contains the most cocoa powder, and some children are allergic to it.

And yet chocolate is a healthy treat! It is recommended for schoolchildren to eat during exams to get rid of stress, as well as to improve immunity after illness. After all, it contains antioxidants that help resist various infections and have a positive effect on the immune system and metabolism.

Meringue

Meringue contains only sugar and egg white, and therefore it is completely safe. Its beauty lies in the fact that it can easily be prepared at home: just beat the ingredients into a stiff foam and bake in the oven in the form of small cakes.

And if you take care and do not overcook this yummy in the oven, then the inside will turn out to be a soft and viscous mass. Just like chewing gum, only healthy!

Dried fruits

Everyone knows that dried fruits are beneficial for both adults and children. They contain a lot of vitamins and microelements; they stimulate the functioning of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract.

If dried fruits look beautiful, bright and perfectly smooth, then some kind of “harmfulness” has probably been added to them.

Raisins, dried apricots, figs, prunes— these are the dried fruits that can be given to children as young as 2 years old. Moreover, pay attention to their appearance: they should be natural and unpretentious. If they look beautiful, bright and perfectly straight, then some kind of “harmfulness” has probably been added to them.

But what you shouldn’t buy for children is candied fruits. They are high in sugar and low in nutrients. In addition, they are made from exotic fruits, to which a child may be allergic.

What else can be attributed to “correct” sweets? This is ice cream made from high-quality milk, preserves and jams, honey. All this can be given little by little to children if they are not allergic to anything.

And here unhealthy sweets- these are all kinds of caramels, lollipops, popsicles, chewing gum, sweet soda and other useless products. They add a bunch of flavors and artificial colors, but they have no nutritional value.

So, we can conclude that sweets in large quantities are harmful to children’s health, but you should not completely protect your child from their favorite ice cream cake. It is important to teach your child how to properly consume their favorite treats and choose only the healthiest ones.

As the name suggests, the main part of the composition of all sweets is sugar. Therefore, sweets are not good for a child. This is a delicacy, a dessert. Sweets should not be the main element of a child's diet. Which sweets for the child will they be less harmful? Let's figure it out together.

Good for digestion Low-calorie Hypoallergenic

Among the sweets, we can distinguish a group that is prepared on the basis of fruit puree with the addition of sugar, pectin, agar or gelatin. Some also add egg white. The beneficial ingredients in these sweets are pectin, agar, gelatin and pectin-rich fruit puree.

This group of sweets includes marshmallows, marmalade, pastille. Nutritionists allow these sweets to be given to children in kindergartens and schools.

These sweets have a beneficial effect on digestion and have a delicate texture. They can be consumed as a treat in small quantities by children from two years of age and by children with diseases of the digestive system (after consulting a doctor).

They are the lowest in calories compared to the others.

They have very little protein, so they are less likely to cause allergies. Among this group of sweets you can find hypoallergenic ones, those that are suitable for children prone to allergies. Allergy sufferers need products with the simplest composition, without flavors, dyes, nuts and other additives.

Paste

Pastila is a delicacy known in Rus' since the 14th century.

Its required components are

• Whipped applesauce from sour, green varieties of apples such as Antonovka or from sour berries - lingonberries, rowan, currants.
• Honey or sugar.
• Beaten egg white (may or may not be added).

Store-bought marshmallows usually contain sugar or molasses, not honey. In addition, pectin, agar-agar, gelatin or starch can be added to industrially produced marshmallows for the purpose of thickening.

In addition, the composition may contain natural or identical natural dyes and flavors.

A mixture is made from all these components, which is applied in a thin layer to fabric stretched on special frames or on parchment paper, then dried in an oven or electric dryer. Then, layer the dried layers on top of each other or roll the marshmallow into rolls.

The calorie content of marshmallow is about 325 kilocalories - this is slightly more than marmalade, and one and a half times less than chocolate. The carbohydrate content is about 80 g per 100 g of marshmallow. The protein content varies depending on whether the marshmallow contains egg white from 0.5 g to 1 g per 100 g of product.

There is a ready-made sugar-free marshmallow on sale, in which the carbohydrate content (13 g per 100 g of product) and calorie content (52 kilocalories per 100 g) are significantly reduced.

Pastille, like marmalade, contains pectin, which is beneficial for microflora and intestinal motility. Helps remove toxins from the body.

It is impossible to get any useful vitamins or minerals with marshmallows, unless the manufacturer specifically added them there. Then this is indicated on the packaging.

Pastille is allowed to be given to children no earlier than two years old.

Marshmallow

Marshmallow is applesauce or fruit puree, whipped with sugar and egg white; pectin, agar-agar or gelatin is added to the finished mixture as a thickener. The composition of marshmallows is similar to marshmallows, especially those that are produced industrially and contain egg white and a gelling agent (pectin, agar-agar, or gelatin).

Marshmallows differ from marshmallows in the method of preparation; marshmallows are not laid out in thin layers during the cooking process. They are constantly whipped during the cooking process at all stages so that the mixture is airy, formed from the marshmallow mixture and dried at room temperature.

The calorie content of marshmallows is approximately the same as marshmallows: 326 kilocalories per 100 g. The composition is also very similar. Marshmallow contains pectin, so it is considered a relatively healthy sweet for the body.

Marshmallows can be consumed by children from two years of age.

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High in calories Rich in protein and fat

The next group of sweets consists of nuts or seeds, sugar or honey, some contain flour, starch, and fruit juice. Nuts are definitely a healthy component in these sweets. They contain valuable protein, very healthy fats, and magnesium. You can read about the benefits of nuts

But these sweets are highly allergenic. In addition, they are very high in calories. These sweets can be enjoyed by a child from 3 years old. Allergy sufferers should avoid them.

This includes kozinaki, churchkhela, halva, grilled meat, sherbet, nougat.

Churchkhela

Churchkhela is an oriental sweet consisting of nuts, grape or pomegranate, apple, apricot juice and flour. In addition, the composition may contain dyes, flavors, and sugar. Churchkhela is a higher calorie sweet than marmalade, marshmallows, marshmallows and Turkish delight. It contains nuts, so it is rich in healthy proteins and fats, but due to the nuts, this sweetness becomes much more allergenic.

The composition of churchkhela depends on the composition of the nuts included in it, therefore it is distinguished by significant diversity. Allowed for children from three years old.

Nougat

Nougat is an oriental sweet consisting of sugar or honey and roasted nuts. In addition to these essential ingredients, nougat may contain egg white (white nougat), cocoa, chocolate (dark nougat); sometimes vanilla, cinnamon, dried fruits, and vanillin are added to nougat. The calorie content of nougat is about 400 kilocalories. Nougat contains valuable proteins and fats, but the main component in it is still carbohydrates. Nougat is allowed for children no earlier than 3 years old.

Kozinaki

Kozinaki is an oriental delicacy that was originally prepared only from honey and walnuts. Nowadays kozinaki is prepared from sugar syrup and any kind of nuts, as well as sunflower and sesame seeds. The original composition of kozinaki was much healthier than the modern one. Kozinaki is one of the highest calorie sweets. The calorie content of kozinaki is 530 kilocalories. Kozinaki is suitable for children from 3 years old.

Halva

Halva is an oriental sweet made from nuts or seeds (sunflower, sesame), and sugar, with the addition of a foaming agent - a substance that gives halva a layered structure (licorice root, marshmallow root or egg white). With halva, a child can get a lot of magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

Halva can be used for children from 3 years old.

Grillyazh

Grillage is a sweet made from fried nuts with sugar, similar to halva, calorie content 482 kilocalories. Can be used for children from 3 years old.

Sherbet

Sherbet is an oriental sweet, which is a sugar fudge with nuts.
Its calorie content is 417 kilocalories. Sherbet can be used for children from 3 years old.

Turkish delight

Lokum - occupies an intermediate position between two groups of sweets. It may be closer in composition to the first or second group of sweets.

Lokum is an oriental sweet made from starch, molasses and sugar with the addition of nuts or fruit juices. Colors and flavors may be added. This sweetness does not contain pectin, agar or gelatin as a mandatory component (although sometimes manufacturers add them). Therefore, sweetness does not have a beneficial effect on digestion, intestinal microflora, etc. - it is just a tasty treat, which, if consumed in excess, can lead to caries, obesity, etc.

Children's delight is possible from two years old. Turkish delight with added nuts can be enjoyed by children from three years of age.

Chuck-chuck

Chak chak is an oriental sweet made from flour, eggs, and honey. Allowed for children from two years old. It can rather be classified as a flour product than as a sweet.

Composition of sweets table

Grief cue Shoko fret (72%)

Mar meh okay

Pass tila

Church Hela

Cozy naki

Shcher bet

Grill yazh

Bel ki, G

Zhi ry, G

Coal water, G

Collapse small, G

Cell chatka, G

Potassium, mg

Nat riy, mg

Kal tions, mg

Phos for, mg

Mage niy, mg

Vita min RR, mg

Vita min AT 2, mg

Vita min A, mcg

Vita min IN 1, mg

The list of sweets can be continued endlessly.

To prevent sweets from harming your child, you need to

• Do not buy sweets for your child by weight. Harmful microbes grow well on sweet media, especially with gelatin or agar. Sweets must be packaged in airtight packaging and not have contact with air. I have observed cases of food poisoning in those who ate churchkhela and Turkish delight from street stalls. All the dirt from the hands of sellers, from the respiratory tract of interested passers-by and simply from the street collects on these sweets.
• Be sure to read the ingredients on the package.
• Be sure to check the expiration date of the product.
• Limit the amount of sweets to 20-30 g per day.
• Give them only for dessert after meals.

I hope the child will enjoy the sweets. I wish you bon appetit!

It is impossible to imagine the modern world without sweets; there are thousands of varieties of each type. Take, for example, chocolate - it can be milk, bitter, with various additives: nuts, dried fruits, marmalade, etc. However, many of them contain many harmful substances that do not have the best effect on our body. Many problems can be avoided if you prepare sweets for children yourself from healthy ingredients.

Review of the most famous delicacies

The modern market of delicacies is presented in a huge assortment. All kinds of candies, marshmallows, chocolate bars, cookies, as well as all sorts of things brought from China - they all look so delicious that even adults can’t resist, not to mention small children. Here are, perhaps, the most favorite sweets of children: chocolate bars from Snickers, Twix, Kinder, gummy snakes and bears from Fruittella and many others. Unfortunately, most of them contain harmful substances. For example, caramels contain flavorings and colorings. are the most dangerous treat for children, because they stick to the teeth and get stuck in them, and if the child was unable to thoroughly clean the oral cavity, then the development of deep caries is guaranteed.

What sweets can children eat?

Our body is very susceptible to all additives of chemical origin, and children - especially. That is why it is very important to feed your child only natural foods containing beneficial substances. However, not all little pranksters eat vegetables and vitamin-rich salads; almost all children love sweets. If your baby is one of them, then offer him natural treats.

Here is a list of the most healthy and at the same time delicious treats that nature itself generously shares.

1. Dried fruits are a storehouse of vitamins that children need so much. Prunes contain B vitamins (B 1, B 3, B 5) and mineral elements such as sodium, magnesium, potassium and iron. And dried apricots and raisins are rich in potassium (K) and beta-carotene - these substances are involved in almost all processes associated with metabolism in the body.
2. Marshmallows and marmalade - these treats are loved not only by kids, but also by adults. If the composition does not contain dyes and there are no group E additives, then you can safely give children fruit or berry gummies.
3. Halva is a delicacy that came to us from the East. It is made from nuts or sunflower seeds, and white sugar is also added in large proportions. For this reason, it is recommended to limit children's consumption of halva.
4. The most healthy and irreplaceable sweets are, of course, fruits! Fresh apples, pears, peaches and citrus fruits are much healthier, so don’t rush to make juices from them. Ripe gifts of summer and autumn must be present in the baby’s daily diet. If your child refuses them, then try cutting the fruits into beautiful slices, decorate with icing and serve this assortment on his favorite plate.

Drinkable sweets

In Soviet times, the favorite drink of many children was sparkling water. Remember when they sold it in small trailers? There were practically no artificial colors in it; it was prepared in a special way from ordinary water and fruit syrups. Modern drinks contain a lot of harmful dyes, so it is better to give children natural sweet drinks. The five healthiest drinks include the following:

• Compote - it can be cooked from any fruit or dried fruit, and even without sugar it turns out very rich and sweet.
• Fruit juice - brew from berries, or frozen ones.
• Juice - prepared from a variety of fruits, it is recommended that young children dilute the freshly squeezed drink with a small amount of warm water.
• All kids love cocoa, and if you cook it with fresh whole milk, there will be even more benefits for the child’s body. Cocoa powder contains a lot of mineral elements: phosphorus, potassium and iron.
• Kissel is very useful for children with various diseases; it envelops the child’s stomach and prevents problems with the mucous membrane.

The following drinks are also very useful: rosehip tinctures, herbal teas with mint or lemon balm and fermented milk drinks.

Harmful sweets

It's no secret that much of what is sold in supermarkets usually contains a huge amount of chemical additives. For this reason, parents should read the ingredients of any baby product very carefully before purchasing it. The most harmful sweets include the following:

• Lollipops (such as Chupa Chups) have the most destructive effect on children's teeth, so it is better to replace such candies with natural gummies.
• Fizzy drinks - they are usually very bright in color, children like their "explosive" effect, which actually acts as a reagent for ice - it corrodes and destroys the mucous membrane and stomach.
• Instead of nutrients, chocolate-wafer candies contain products such as soy, margarine, palm oil, sugar and dyes, which disrupt the metabolism in the child’s body.
• Carbonated drinks, without exception, contain a huge amount of sugars and substitutes. Once in a child's body, they can cause diseases such as diabetes and disorders of the hormonal function of the pancreas.

However, you should not categorically prohibit your baby from eating sweets, because it is thanks to sugars that our body is provided with the necessary carbohydrates. They are needed for growth and formation of nerve cells, and they are also powerful antidepressants. A child who does not get enough sweets becomes whiny, irritable or aggressive.

Homemade treat: varieties

Every caring mother simply must be able to prepare homemade sweets for children, so that they turn out both tasty and healthy! It's no secret that children often refuse to eat dishes that have become commonplace, which is why mothers have to take a creative approach to cooking. To add variety to your child's daily menu, use the following list of tasty treats that you can prepare at home. So, the easiest delicacies to prepare:

• ice cream (can be made from both fruit and dairy products);
• aspic jellies;
• chocolate pieces with dried fruits;
• marshmallow (from apples);
• natural marmalade.

Below you will find original recipes for sweets for children that you can prepare yourself from natural and healthy products.

Natural marmalade is a storehouse of vitamins

Every day, millions of mothers around the world face many challenges related to raising their children. What sweets can children eat? It is this topic that is a stumbling block between young mothers. Some believe that children should be pampered and allowed to eat whatever their heart desires, but most have a different point of view. They are confident that children deserve to eat high-quality products, which should include healthy sweets for children. Here is a recipe for unusual marmalades that even the most spoiled toddler will definitely like!

Necessary ingredients: gelatin - 20 g, orange juice - 0.5 cups, lemon zest - 50 g, sugar - 300 g, water.

Step 1. Prepare jelly (pour gelatin with juice and leave for 10 minutes).

Step 2. Cook the syrup over low heat: add 5 tbsp to the sugar. l. water and cook until it is completely dissolved, then add citrus zest.

Step 3. Pour the gelatin mass into the prepared syrup, stir thoroughly until smooth. Pour into molds and let cool.

These gummies can be eaten every day, because they are full of vitamin C (due to the addition of citrus fruits).

Homemade chocolate: the simplest recipe

The most favorite treat of adults and children is chocolate. How to cook it at home so that it is not only tasty, but also healthy? We are sharing the simplest recipe. So, for cooking you will need the most common products: butter - 50 g, cocoa powder - 5-6 tbsp. l., milk - 200 ml, sugar - 2 tbsp. l., and maybe a pinch of cinnamon.

Step 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add cocoa, sugar and milk alternately.

Step 2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Boil.

Step 3. Pour into molds and let cool. The finished pieces can be placed on a saucer and served with tea.

Chocolate sweets for children, the photos of which you see above, can also be prepared for adults.

Chocolate bar options

You can experiment endlessly with chocolate; it always turns out to be amazingly tasty treats. The following ideas will help you diversify your choco dessert.

• During cooking, add pieces of nuts and dried fruits to the chocolate mass; the best combination is obtained with candied fruits and raisins.
• The finished mixture of cocoa, milk and sugar can be poured into molds from a set of chocolates. When they cool down, they will look very beautiful and appetizing.
• You can add a little hot pepper to your homemade delicacy. Remember that real chocolate was made by the Mayans? They brewed it with red pepper; such a drink was considered a “fiery gift of the gods.”

Every toddler loves to eat sweets. But what they will be: harmful or beneficial for the child’s body depends largely on us parents.

It is no secret that a child’s immunity is directly related to his nutrition. And if the baby periodically eats sweets and chips, washed down with soda, then it is not surprising that he often gets sick. All products containing GMOs, as well as excessively rich in sugar or, on the contrary, salt, are, to put it mildly, not very beneficial for children's digestion. And, unfortunately, modern sweets sold in stores are no exception.

In addition to the fact that they contain a huge amount of very harmful additives: artificial colors, flavors, antioxidants, they also include too much sugar and carbohydrates. And, as you know, children usually choose things that are brighter and tastier. And they don’t even suspect that the taste comes not from the product itself, but from the powder that was added to it. Uncontrolled consumption of such “sweets” certainly has a detrimental effect on children’s health and sometimes even leads to early obesity if the child is genetically prone to being overweight.

But you can’t deprive children of the most precious thing, because for any child, eating sweets is a kind of recharging with positive emotions and energy. In order for it to be correct and not harmful to health, you just need to choose safe, natural and healthy treats.

Safe sweets

In order not to overload the child's body with all sorts of chemical additives and dyes, choose more natural sweets. Here are some of them:

1. Dried fruits and candied fruits. Due to the fact that these are natural sweets that nature itself gives us, they are enriched with many useful vitamins. For example, prunes contain B vitamins and are also rich in mineral elements: iron, magnesium and sodium. And dried apricots and raisins provide our body with potassium and beta-carotene, which is involved in all metabolic processes. Such delicacies are useful for children of any age to maintain immunity, and especially for schoolchildren during periods of great mental and physical stress.
2. Fruits . In terms of usefulness, they are not inferior to dried fruits. Every child's daily diet should include fresh fruits and vegetables. They are rich in fiber and help improve digestion. Some children, for example, prefer carrots to all sweets; for them it is sweeter than any chocolate bar. And in Portugal they generally consider it a fruit and make jam from it. If your baby doesn't like to eat fruits or vegetables, try being creative and changing the presentation. Give them not in whole form, but in beautifully cut pieces and laid out on a plate in the shape of a sun, a bunny or a bear.
3. Pastila and marshmallows. As a rule, they are made from natural ingredients and do not contain harmful substances.
4. Halva. Another type of treats made from natural nuts or seeds. But due to the large amount of sugar in its composition, children should not be given a lot of this delicacy.
5. Honey It contains a large amount of nutrients: amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins. In addition, honey is a natural remedy for incipient coughs in children. Thanks to its beneficial and anti-inflammatory properties, it relieves pain symptoms and promotes rapid recovery. However, it is worth considering that honey is a fairly allergenic product. Therefore, it should be given to children only if the child is not prone to allergies.

Recipes for homemade and delicious sweets

But what about your favorite sweets that have nothing to replace? Chocolate, marmalade and glazed curds. They are easy to prepare at home. Every mother should be able to prepare healthy sweets that always delight children. And if your daughter or son also helps with this, then the delicacies will be eaten very quickly, because something prepared with your own hands is always tastier. Here are some original recipes for making homemade goodies.

Chocolate paste

Ingredients:

• butter - 50 g
• cocoa powder - 5-6 tbsp. l.
• milk - 200 ml
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l

Preparation

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add cocoa, sugar and milk one by one. You need to cook over low heat, stirring constantly and then bring to a boil. In order for our paste to take the shape of chocolate, pour it into some container and let it harden in the refrigerator.

Glazed curd bars

Ingredients:

• Cottage cheese 200g
• Sugar 1 tsp.
• Butter 1 tsp.
• Vanillin 1 tsp.

For the glaze:

• Chocolate 100g
• Butter 50g

Preparation

First, let's make the filling. Grind the slightly heated butter well with sugar and vanillin. Then add cottage cheese and rub the whole mass just as well until it has a homogeneous consistency. Transfer the resulting mass using a pastry bag or a regular plastic bag (you need to cut off a corner on one side) onto parchment paper. You need to squeeze it out into small cubes, so that we can make our future cheese curds, about 5-6 cm long. We put them in the freezer for 1-1.5 hours. Once they are frozen, we begin preparing the glaze. To do this, melt the chocolate pieces and butter in a water bath over low heat until smooth. Then we glaze our cheese curds, stringing them onto wooden skewers and pouring chocolate over them one by one. After this, you will have to wait a little longer until the finished cheese curds harden slightly in the refrigerator (put it in the freezer for 20 minutes).

Tangerine marmalade

Ingredients:

• Tangerines 5 pcs.
• Carnation 3 pcs.
• Gelatin 1 teaspoon
• Sugar 0.5 cups

Preparation

Peel the tangerines and squeeze out the juice. Then put the juice on the stove and add cloves, cook for 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar and gelatin, cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The mass should thicken enough. It’s easy to check by dropping a drop of marmalade on the lid and seeing if it retains its shape, then it’s time to turn it off. Pour the slightly cooled mixture into shaped molds. Then we leave the marmalade to harden in a cool place.

Children will happily eat such homemade sweets and learn to prepare healthy delicacies with you that will bring only benefit and joy.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is to treat the baby to sweets or a delicious children's dessert, because everyone knows how much children love sweets. But can children have sweets, especially at such a tender age?

If you look at it, this desire of adults is dictated more by the need to be happy themselves, looking at the child, than by his real needs at this age. The fact is that the period of introducing complementary foods is a complex and rather lengthy process of restructuring the child’s body during the transition from milk nutrition to new foods. This stage is considered critical in the life of every baby. This is due to the fact that the digestive, immune and other systems of the child’s body, which take part in adaptation to a new type of product, are still very immature, the intestinal microflora is delicate and vulnerable, and the slightest disturbance in nutrition can cause significant harm to the little person.

The main task of parents in the first year of a baby’s life is to introduce him to basic foods (vegetables, cereals, meat, fruits, yolks, dairy products, fish), adhering to the complementary feeding scheme, which is designed taking into account the child’s physiological readiness to accept and assimilate new food. The introduction of foods and dishes that do not correspond to the physiological capabilities of the baby can lead to disruption of adaptation and provoke the development of allergic reactions, digestive disorders, intestinal dysbiosis and other unwanted problems.

For this reason, you should not rush to give your child sweets until at least 10 months, until the main complementary foods are introduced.

Can a child have sugar?

Dessert for children as a “sweet spot” at the end of lunch is introduced into the baby’s menu only in the second year of life. If parents still decide to pamper their little gourmet earlier, they should choose the right “goodies” that are suitable for the baby’s age and will not harm his health.

Dangerous! Unfortunately, the category of children's desserts often includes products containing sugar and other refined products, hydrogenated fats, and harmful food additives. It is better to postpone acquaintance with such “goodies” until later.

Desserts for children: basic rules

We note the following requirements for children's desserts:

• Culinary delights for the little ones should contain products already familiar to the baby, otherwise the dessert may cause allergies or problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
• Desserts for children should be easy to digest, consisting of a small number of ingredients, so as not to overload the child's immature enzymatic system.
• Desserts without sugar are ideal for children, as they do not lead to the child developing food allergies, caries, excess weight, or disruption of the digestive system.
• When preparing desserts for children under 1 year of age, it is not recommended to use additives such as honey, gelatin, cocoa, spices and herbs due to their high allergenicity. “One year olds” are allowed to use semolina as a thickener for desserts.

Sweets menu by month

• 6 months: for dessert, the baby can be given fruit and fruit and berry purees.
• 7 months: baby biscuits, unleavened biscuits, biscuits without additives (no more than 15 g per day, i.e. give one biscuit or one biscuit).
• 8 months: fruit and milk purees and juices.
• 10–11 months: mousses from berries and fruits
• 12 months: soufflé, puddings (from cereals, cottage cheese, fruits and eggs), jelly.

Advice! Any soufflé or pudding must contain beaten egg white, which is highly allergenic. Therefore, it is preferable to use less allergenic quail eggs for making puddings and soufflés and include these dishes in the baby’s diet only if egg white is well tolerated. Mothers of children with allergies should generally postpone introducing their baby to desserts for children containing brightly colored fruits and berries (red, orange), eggs, whole cow's milk until 1–1.5 years.

So, a balanced diet will provide the baby with everything necessary for full growth and development, and too much variety in foods will only put unnecessary stress on the little body. Be patient, and after a while you will be able to treat your beloved child to various and tasty dishes without harm to his health.

Dessert recipes for children over 10 months

Baked apple

Compound:
1 apple.

Cooking method:
Wash the apple well in running water, cut it in half, put it in a baking dish and cover it with a lid. Bake for 15–20 minutes at 180°C. For children under 1 year of age, it is preferable to cook baked apples in a double boiler for 20 minutes.

Mousse made from fresh or frozen berries

In summer, mousse is prepared from fresh berries, and in winter - from frozen ones (you can use red and black currants, cranberries). Frozen berries should be quickly defrosted immediately before consumption, since when thawed they lose their bright color, fresh appearance and inherent taste.

Ingredients for 2 servings:
1/2 cup berries;
1 tbsp. spoon of semolina;
1 teaspoon sugar;
1 glass of water.

Cooking method:
Sort the berries, rinse, rinse with cold boiled water, and mash with a spoon. Pour hot water over the berry pulp and boil for 5–7 minutes. Then strain and rub through a sieve, add semolina and cook the fruit semolina porridge until tender. Cool the finished porridge slightly, pour in the berry juice and beat until a thick foam-like mass is obtained so that its volume doubles. Pour the finished mousse into molds and leave to cool in the refrigerator.

Apple and carrot soufflé

Compound:
1 carrot;
1/2 apple;
1/4 egg;
1 teaspoon semolina;
1/2 tbsp. spoons of butter;
1 tbsp. spoon of milk.

Cooking method:
Peel the carrots, chop finely and simmer until soft for 7–10 minutes in 1/4 cup of milk diluted with water (1 tablespoon of milk per 3 tablespoons of boiled water). Beat the mixture with a blender and put on fire, add semolina, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let the mixture cool. At this time, beat the egg white and divide it into 2 parts. Add the yolk to the carrot puree, stir, then pour in the whipped white. Grate the apple and mix it with the remaining whipped egg white. Grease the mold with oil and place carrots and apples in layers. Cook the mixture in a double boiler for 25–30 minutes. You can also prepare the soufflé in a water bath; to do this, place the mold with the mixture in a pan of boiling water so that the water covers it by about 2/3. Cook the soufflé at a low simmer, covered, for 25–30 minutes.

Curd and banana soufflé

Ingredients for 2 servings:
50 g cottage cheese;
1 banana;
a little lemon juice.

Cooking method:
Grind the banana in a blender until smooth, lightly sprinkle the banana mixture with lemon juice to prevent it from darkening. Then add cottage cheese and beat again.

Banana dessert with cookies

Compound:
100 g baby yogurt without additives;
1 baby cookie;
1/2 ripe banana.

Cooking method:
The banana is peeled, cut into small pieces, mixed with yogurt and sprinkled with grated cookies on top.