NO CANDY, ICE CREAM OR CAKE, FOR KIDS UNDER 2
Parents now have an extra reason to say no to candy, cake and ice cream for young children. The first U.S. government dietary guidelines for infants and toddlers recommend feeding only breast milk for at least six months and no added sugar for children under 2 years old.
“It’s never too early to start,” said Barbara Schneeman, a nutritionist at the University of California, Davis. “You have to make every bite count in those early years.”
The guidelines stop short of two key recommendations made by scientists advising the government. Those advisers said in July that everyone should limit their added sugar intake to less than 6% of calories and that men should limit alcohol to one drink per day.
Instead, the new guidelines stick with previous advice: Limit added sugar to fewer than 10% of calories a day after age 2. And men should limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day — twice as much as advised for women.
“I don’t think we’re finished with alcohol,” said Schneeman, who chaired a committee advising the government on the guidelines. “There’s more we need to learn.”
The dietary guidelines are issued every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The government uses them to set standards for school lunches and other programs.
Other highlights:
† Babies should have only breast milk at least until they reach 6 months old. If breast milk isn’t available, they should get ironfortified infant formula during the first year. Babies should get supplemental vitamin D beginning soon after birth.
† Babies can start eating other food at about 6 months old and should be introduced to potential allergenic foods along with other foods.
“Introducing peanut-containing foods in the first year reduces the risk that an infant will develop a food allergy to peanuts,” the guidelines say.
There’s more advice than in prior guidelines for pregnant and breastfeeding women. To promote healthy brain development in their babies, they’re advised to eat eight to 12 ounces of seafood per week and to choose fish — such as cod, salmon, sardines and tilapia — with lower levels of mercury, which can harm children’s nervous systems.
Pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol, according to the guidelines, and breastfeeding women should be cautious. Caffeine in modest amounts appears safe, according to the guidelines, which say women can discuss that with their doctors.