Children and sugar: Start healthy habits early

Most people know that too much sugar increases our risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease, but a recent study showed a sugar addiction can start before toddlers reach their first birthday.

According to WRAL's Dr. Allen Mask, if you don't carefully check the labels of foods and drinks you give your toddler, you may be surprised at how much sugar they are actually getting.

"Kids ages six to 11 months, or under one, are actually consuming about 60 percent of their sugar from added sugar," said Jennifer Hyland, a registered dietitian with The Cleveland Clinic. "That means they're not getting it from fruits and vegetables naturally -- they're getting it from the foods that have the sugar added to them."

Researchers followed more than 800 children between the ages of six months to two years old. They found that 99 percent of the toddlers between 19 months and two years old consumed an average of more than seven teaspoons of added sugar each day. That's more than what's recommended for a child over the age of two.

Many foods with "hidden sugar" might seem healthy at first glance, like yogurt, granola bars, applesauce and even peanut butter.

Hyland suggests parents take the time to read nutrition labels, and, whenever possible, stick to whole, non-processed foods.

"You have unsweetened apple sauce or natural peanut butter that are great healthy, nutritious options, but then you have the other alternatives unfortunately that have the sugar added to them, and if the kids are started on that young, that's what they grow up being introduced to and that's what they end up liking," said Hyland.

Hyland recommends children under two years of age have no added sugar. Children older than two years should have no more than 25 grams, or six teaspoons of added sugar per day.