While yoghurt often gets a health halo and is a convenient snack, it’s important to remember that not all yoghurts are created equally. Some varieties can even be unhealthy for children.
Zandile Gxabane from Pretoria, who makes her own yogurt, says one of the primary concerns with yoghurt, especially flavoured varieties, is the added sugar content.
“Except for sugar, there are no specific ingredients in yoghurt that make it unhealthy. However, I make homemade yoghurt for my children using three ingredients and ensure to use less sugar, so I’m able to control the amount of sugar intake from their yoghurt,” she says.
Flavours appeal to children
Although she believes that yoghurt has health benefits for her child’s development, Thandeka Mnyeni from Utrecht in KwaZulu-Natal says when not taken in moderation, it becomes non-beneficial.
“Yoghurt promotes my daughter’s development and bone health. However, if she has a lot, her mood becomes joyful and her appetite increases. I believe that the sugar content and artificial flavours and colours that seem appealing to children can also contribute to yoghurt being unhealthy.”
Dietitian Lerato Radebe from Johannesburg explains that yoghurt is a nutrient-rich food that is included in food-based dietary guidelines across the world and can provide a significant amount of key nutrients to the diets of children and adolescents, particularly protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and phosphorus.
Weighing the pros and cons
“Yoghurt consumption in children is likely associated with a healthy lifestyle and dietary behaviours.
“In addition to being nutrient-rich, yoghurt is an excellent substitute for high-energy, nutrient-poor snacks and can thereby help children and adolescents develop healthy snacking behaviours that promote energy balance.”
Dietitian Lerato Radebe
“Furthermore, the nutrients and ferments contained in yoghurt have been implicated in gut microbiota modulation, and there are emerging benefits of yoghurt consumption for bone health, weight maintenance, and cardiometabolic disease prevention.”
According to her, yoghurts marketed for children may contain more free sugars (those added to foods by the manufacturer, cook, or consumer) or added sugars (syrups or sweeteners added to food) than those for adults.
“The high sugar content can increase the risk of dental caries in young teeth. For this reason, it’s best to read the label and avoid yoghurt that has sugar, usually in the form of sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup in its ingredients.”
Dietitian Lerato Radebe
“Diets high in free sugars are also linked to obesity, and the World Health Organisation advises that the intake of free sugars should be restricted to less than 10% of total energy.”
Additionally, Radebe advises that it’s best to buy plain or Greek varieties and flavour them yourselves with fresh fruit and a little bit of honey. She also reminds us that children should be given yoghurt in moderation.
“While yoghurt can be good for health, we still need to ensure children consume it within the recommended portions of 1-2 portions a day to avoid the possible drawbacks.”
ALSO READ: Infant nutrition: Take care of what you feed tiny tummies
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