Cane sugar vs. splenda for toddlers?

Question

Is it better to give kids sugar free juice, jelly, Popsicles and etc..... that are sweetened with splenda or other sweeteners or is better to give them regular juices & etc...... that are sweetened with cane sugar?

Answer 1

It's much better to give them fresh fruit, juices, jellies, etc. that aren't sweetened with anything but the natural sweetness of the fruit. We get into a habit of eating way too much sugar. Much better is helping your child learn to enjoy foods they way nature intended, not with added sugars, salt, etc.

Answer 2

I too suffered for a very long time from using Splenda in my coffee every morning.  I now check every label of anything "new" I'd like to try for sucralose-- some Orbit gums have it, Propel, G2, almost ALL sugar free products, anything under the South Beach diet, it's in a lot of stuff!  As an adult, it effected me in the WORST way any "sugar substitute" could-- so I can only imagine what sucralose would do to a toddler!  Don't use it!  Let the kids have regular popsicles every once in a while-- otherwise buy those long skinny ice trays that you can make your OWN popsicles... blend up some fresh/frozen fruit, add natural fruit juice and water and pop them in the freezer!  voila!  

Answer 3

I wouldn't give them either, although if I had to choice, it would be cane sugar.

Unfortunately, in today's food industry, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is quickly replacing cane sugar. Recent studies have found HFCS to be worse than cane sugar.

Avoid sweeteners altogether. Give your toddler fruit and naturally sweetened juices

Don't use Splenda at all!



I like to say sucralose, not Splenda, because that is what Splenda is. And it is in a lot of stuff. From fitness water to tomato sauce. Sadly, the package doesn't have to say Splenda, or diet, to have sucralose in it. You have to read labels. So, you might still be using it and don't even know it!



A lot of people, including myself, have gotten/are getting sick from it.



Sucralose is poison. It ruined five years of my life. I had a laundry list of medical problems while taking it. I went to several doctors. I had a dozen different tests. I was told that I had a number of different problems. I was on different medication for many years.



The slogan, "Made from sugar..." is very misleading. Splenda might be made from sugar, but it is far from sugar. The resulting chemical is an organochloride (chlorocarbon). Organochlorides are typically poisons.



carbon monoxide - made from oxygen so its like a breath of fresh air.