Tooth Calendar Blog
Starting Solids Without Sugar: When Can Babies Have Juice and Honey?
Baby food doesn't need sugar, and no fruit juice or honey before 12 months. How to go slow on sweetness, read labels, and care for the mouth after solids.
At a glance
- Baby food doesn't need any sugar
- No fruit juice before 12 months
- No honey before the first birthday (botulism risk)
When you start solids, you might think, "My baby isn't eating much. Maybe I'll make it a little sweeter?" But the flavors your baby meets now lay the groundwork for future tastes and healthy teeth. Here's why baby food doesn't need sugar, and how to introduce sweetness slowly.
Your baby's taste buds are forming now
Starting solids is when your baby's taste preferences are being formed. Babies naturally lean toward sweet flavors, so if they get used to sweet foods early, they may be less willing to accept less sweet ones. On the flip side, meeting sweetness later is where cavity prevention begins.
Baby food doesn't need any sugar. The natural flavors of grains, vegetables, and fruit are plenty. It's common for babies to refuse a new flavor at first, and many get used to it after tasting it several times.
How sugar causes cavities is simple. Bacteria in the mouth feed on sugar and make acid, and that acid slowly dissolves the surface of the teeth. The more often your child eats sweet foods, the longer the teeth are exposed to acid. Brand-new baby teeth have a thin outer layer, which makes them even more vulnerable.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends keeping the sugars added to food (sugar, syrup, honey) plus the sugar in fruit juice (added, or "free," sugars) below 10% of total daily energy, ideally below 5%. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends avoiding added sugars for children under 2.
Go slow on the sweet stuff
When you make or choose baby food, check these steps.
- Don't add sugar or syrup to purees, cereal, or yogurt. Choose plain, unsweetened yogurt.
- No honey before the first birthday. A baby's gut is still immature, and the bacteria in honey can cause an illness called botulism.
- No fruit juice before 12 months. Instead of juice, offer fruit itself, mashed or cut small.
- Check the 'added sugars' line on store-bought baby foods and snacks.
- Wipe or brush the mouth with gauze or a toothbrush after solids, too. If teeth are in, brush with a rice-grain smear of fluoride toothpaste.
When you read a label, look at the ingredient list along with the 'added sugars' number. Besides sugar, there are many sweeteners with different names, like fructose, glucose, oligosaccharides, rice or corn syrup, syrup, and fruit concentrate. Ingredients are listed from most to least, so if names like these appear near the top, the product is likely very sweet.
Drinks can be simple. For a baby starting solids, breast milk or formula, plus water, is all they need. Offering a little water in a small cup at mealtimes is also a good way to practice cup drinking.
Watch out for these common mistakes.
- Mixing syrup or sweet sauces into baby food to get your baby to eat more
- Handing over a sweet baby cookie every time your baby fusses
- Giving fruit juice or sweet drinks in a bottle or cup instead of water
Little sweet snacks eaten often never give the teeth a break. If your child needs a snack, offer it at set times, and give water when they're thirsty.
Frequently asked questions
Fruit is sweet too. Is it okay to give?
Yes, fruit itself is a great food. Offer it mashed or cut small. But fruit juice, which is just the squeezed-out liquid, isn't given before 12 months.
Is a tiny bit of honey okay?
Before the first birthday, no honey at all, no matter how little. The concern isn't cavities but botulism, so it's safest to avoid even a small amount.
Are store-bought baby foods okay?
They're a big help on busy days. Check the label for added sugars and for words like 'syrup' and 'concentrate,' and choose products without added sweetness when you can.
My baby has no teeth yet. Do I still need to watch out for sweets?
Yes. The tastes forming now carry over into eating habits once teeth come in. Keeping your baby from getting used to sweetness before teeth appear is part of preventing cavities, too.
When to see a dentist
- You see a white band on the front teeth near the gums
- A brown or black spot appears on a tooth
- The surface of a tooth looks chalky white and dull
- Your child often has sweet foods or drinks and you're worried about the teeth
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Sources
The information in this article is for general educational purposes and does not replace professional dental care. Talk to a dentist about your child's condition.