Skip to content 
Maybe you’re worried that your child isn’t eating as much as he should, and you’re wondering if adding flavor might help.
Or are you using a hypoallergenic, hydrolyzed formulaand you see that it stinks and maybe it doesn’t taste good either.
Or maybe you’re mixing feeds and find that the milk you’re giving doesn’t taste like breast milk…
Whatever reason you have for considering adding flavor to your baby’s milk, it’s important to understand what’s already in the formula, and why, in most cases, adding flavors or sweeteners is not a good idea.
Why you should not sweeten milk
If you’re thinking about sweetening your baby’s food, a simple sweetener may seem obvious, but it’s important. no to do this. The formula is already sweets and sugar in one way.
Just as natural lactose is designed to be sweetened, formula manufacturers add sweeteners to their products. This may include corn maltodextrin, sucrose, corn syrup or lactose.
Babies need carbs to grow properly, and the sugar in milk provides them. But adding too much sugar can be harmful – your child does not need, and should not have too much.
Added sugar can give them a taste for sweet foods and contribute to overeating and the risk of obesity later on. For this reason, European legislation prohibits the use of simple sugars such as corn syrup in formula, and more European organic formula brands use nutritional lactose instead.
How about adding some flavor?
If you find that it’s a struggle for your baby to finish feeding, or he’s losing weight, you’re probably desperate to find a way to get him to drink more milk. This is a problem that is very common in babies with a hypoallergenic form, which tastes different from the normal form. Some children refuse these special methods because of the side effects.
You can breastfeed if you want your baby to drink, but only if the pediatrician agrees. They may offer a small amount of non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring, or a small amount of fruit juice or puree, if they have already weaned. Do not add fruit flavor or puree to babies who have not been breastfed, as they need to be used to digesting other foods first.
If you want to taste, always do it carefully, and not without a doctor’s advice.
Do some foods taste better than others?
Apart from hydrolyzed formulas, many fussy babies find natural formulas, which are more appealing than conventional formulas.
If your child is struggling with over-the-counter medications, try a European organic brand. These noodles are often easier to digest and closer to breast milk than store-bought.