Chocolate: when to offer it to children?

The period of food introduction raises many doubts in everyone who is part of raising a child, after all, food it is responsible for child growth and development, along with other factors, of course. In this sense, a recurring question is when can a child eat chocolate, so today we will explain to you when to offer this food.

Read more: Children prefer natural foods to processed products

Introduction of complementary feeding – What are the recommendations?

The Ministry of Health has a 2019 Food Guide for Brazilian Children Under Two Years, which contains very rich information on how to conduct both breastfeeding, which must be exclusive up to six months and complemented up to two years, but also the introduction of food additional.

It is important to mention that children's diet should be as natural as possible. That is, rich in fruits, vegetables, greens, eggs, lean meats and legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.). On the other hand, processed foods should be avoided as much as possible, at least up to two years.

When can a child eat chocolate?

First, let's analyze the composition of chocolate? It is a food made from cocoa and, depending on the chocolate, there are different percentages of cocoa in the composition. In addition, it contains sugar, fat, and most also contain milk. Some types of chocolates may have other ingredients, but that's the basis.

The Guide for Children Under Two Years of Age recommends that sugar not be part of the diet of children in the first two years of life for several reasons, including them: favors the emergence of obesity and diabetes, promotes the formation of cavities and makes the child refuse foods with a natural flavor because they get used to the taste sweet.

That is, there are good reasons why children should not consume chocolate before the age of two. After this period, although consumption is already acceptable, it should not be frequent for the reasons mentioned above.

Also, when offering chocolate, prefer those with a higher percentage of cocoa in the composition, as they contain less sugar. And despite all the pressure involved in food introduction and the industry's great stimulus for the consumption of sweetened foods, remember: love is already sweet enough, take care of the health of your little ones!