Is Toffees or Chocolate healthy for Toddlers?

How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?: Toffees are very popular among children for a long period. As toffees are so colorful and very tempting, thus children become so much attracted to them.  Nowadays, toffees take a place in almost every baby’s diet as it is super delicious but toffees are nothing but sugar candy. It is loaded with food color, sugar, preservatives, and other harmful chemicals. It has zero nutritional values. Due to its colorful look, and yummy and flavorful taste, children become so addicted to it. However, toffees are not a healthy option for children as well as for adults.

What are the types of toffees?

How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?: There are different types of toffees available in the market. Like chewy toffees, gum toffees, candy toffees, jelly-based toffees, crystallized toffees, lollipops (stick candy ), crunchy chocolate, dark chocolate, etc. All these types of toffees are very harmful not only for babies but also for adults. The main ingredient of these toffees is sugar. Only dark chocolate is a healthier option than others. 

At which age I can give toffees to my baby?

How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?: Toffees are highly flavorful and different toffees have different tastes. Though it tastes good using it in your daily diet is terrible for both your baby and you because the main ingredient of coffee is refined sugar which is known as ‘white poison’. On the other hand, some chocolate or cocoa-based toffees contain caffeine, which is a stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. Due to the presence of caffeine, children become addicted to it. Taking caffeine in excess amounts can lead to a lot of health issues like anxiety disorder, diabetes, diarrhea, high blood sugar, etc. 

So it is not recommended to take toffees in daily life for both babies and adults, and you should strictly avoid toffees before 2 years of a baby.

The difference in the amount of sugar and caffeine in different toffees:-

How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?: There are different types of toffees already discussed in the 2nd paragraph. These all types of toffees contain sugar and caffeine in different amounts. Such as –

1. Milk-based chocolate like milky bars contains sugar and no caffeine. 
2. Milk and cocoa-based sweet Cadbury contain 20 milligrams of caffeine per 100 grams and sugar. 
3. Dark chocolate contains 12 milligrams of caffeine per ounce and no sugar. 
4. Candy types toffees generally do not contain caffeine. It is full of sugars and food colors and preservatives.  
5. Chewy candies are mainly made up of sucrose, edible gelatin, starch, and a lot of refined sugar.

At which time you should avoid toffees to the baby?

1. You should not introduce the taste of chocolate to your baby for up to 2 to 3 years. 
2. If you notice any digestive problem or stomach ache or gastroesophageal reflux then please don’t provide him chocolates. As chocolate can create acid in the stomach. 
3. You should avoid caffeine before bedtime. Due to the presence of caffeine, the sleeping cycle of a baby can be destroyed. Thus baby may awake the whole night. 

What is the safest alternative to chocolate?

How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?: You can use dark chocolate instead of milk bar or candy or toffees.  It has several health benefits such as. 

1. It is full of antioxidant which is good for skin, hair, weight loss, and ultimate health. 
2. It reduces blood sugar and blood pressure level.
3. It reduces stress.
4. It boosts your metabolism rate. 
5. It cut bad cholesterol whereas boosts good cholesterol. 
6. As dark chocolate is free of refined sugar so it is low in calories and of course a better option than candy. It improves your brain function. 

What is the worst type of candy?

How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?: Gum candy and jelly-based candies are the worst types of candy. Chewy candy is worst as they are present in the mouth for a long time thus oral health becomes hampered. 

Bad effects of eating toffees regularly:-

How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?: Toffees are very popular among children not only in India but also in the whole world. Toffees are generally made up of a lot of sugars. Due to the sweet taste of candy children become so addicted to it. There are a lot of harmful effects of eating toffees and chocolate. 

Such as :

1. Obesity:- Almost all toffees contain so much refined sugar, which means extra calories. Thus you easily put on weight due to consuming chocolate regularly. Abdominal obesity also increases if u are taking toffees regularly.
2. Diabetes:-  If u consume toffees on a daily basis then your sugar level may spike. Insulin levels also may up which leads to anxiety, mood swings, headache, etc. 
3. Cavities in teeth:- chewing gummy candy can damage your oral health. It can to the growth of bacteria in the mouth and thus causes a bad smell in the mouth. Eating so many candies can lead to toothache and cavities in your teeth.
4. Effects Immunity power:- Eating candies daily can decrease your immunity power.  Though it is not a direct process the excess sugar can suppress your immune system as sugar can defend the immune cell. 
5. Addiction:- Some chocolate has caffeine which can cause several health issues if taken in excess amount. Due to its yummy taste and presence of caffeine, your child becomes habituated to taking it daily thus he becomes addicted to it. 

How to minimize the effect of eating toffees:- 

How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?: There are some points if you keep that in your mind then you can minimize the harmful effects of eating chocolates. Like :

1. Minimize the amount of eating chocolate.
2. Try to give chocolate to your baby only on weekends or on some special occasion. 
3. You can replace toffees with dates, honey, fruits, dry fruits, etc. 
4. You should brush your baby’s teeth after consuming toffees, chocolate, soft drinks, ice cream, etc. 
5. Don’t give candies to your baby before sleeping time.
6. Keep the candies away from your children. 
7. Don’t provide candies to your children routinely. If you give it on particular days then they become used to it. Thus they become addicted.

Conclusion (How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids?):

You or your baby may feel wonder while you are chewing or enjoying toffees or chocolate due to its yummy taste but ultimately you are enjoying slow poison that will hamper your health indirectly.

In this article, we discussed How good are Toffees for toddlers and kids? And the bad effects of consuming toffees daily. I think you will be benefited if you are reading it thoroughly. If there is more information to you regarding this then please inform us below in the comment section. 

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