Raisins

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

Ds loves raisins, would eat them all day everyday if I let him.

My question is, is there any harm in letting him have a portion of raisins every day, as his snack? I know it's not great for his teeth, but he is very good brushing them. Nutritionally though, is it a problem, should I be trying to vary his snacks, or should I just give him what he likes?

TIA

[albertasweetpea]

Great question Caroline...anxiously awaiting an answer too as I was wondering the same thing today for Molly! Great minds think alike. 
Seems like such a great, nutritious snack...they must be OK??

[ryan's mum]

I don't think it's a problem if it's just a snack .If you give too many then they can have a laxative affect

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

Thanks Nadia

Tell you what, sometimes we need that laxative effect

No, I did just mean as a snack, he has a few when he wakes up from his nap.

[~Faye~]

Shay loves them too, he'd eat them all the time if he could I agree with the laxative effect, partly why we use them!

Faye

[ryan's mum]

If i could just get Ryan to eat them he would benefit  The closest he's got is chewing them

[mari]

Listen to this.
One of the children that I childmind is a very poor eater, I mean, she cried when I put a dinner with vegetables in front of her.  So I am always trying to sneak the odd healthy snack here and there and have had some successes.  Well, the other day I gave a little box of raisins to all of them and they all sat and happily ate them, she came after she finished the box and asked for more, which I happily gave her, without a word, as if you make too much fuss she won't want them, it was only a little box.  Then her mum came to collect her and asked her what she was eating, and she showed them to her mum who said 'oh they are nice, good girl, they are very good for you, I will have to get you some if you like them'  She immediately came to the kitchen and threw them in the bin saying that she doesn't like them!!

What do you all make of that one?

[SallyDom]

I got confused a little while back at our mum and babies group. One week we had a weaning session that said how great it was to give dried fruit as a healthy snack but the next week it was about toothcare and the hygienist said to avoid dried fruit cos the acid in it rots teeth really quickly. She said the best snack to give was chocolate as it doesn't stick to teeth as much as other stuff. How strange, never heard anyone advicating chocolate before!
Sal

[ryan's mum]

Now Ryan would love that idea . We don't give too much fruit as he has reflux  , he's at risk of rotting teeth with this !

[SallyDom]

We can't seem to win sometimes can we!

[binxyboo]

I like that about chocolate~ not for lo, but for me......I think raisins are fine. Have you tried cranberries and dates?

[Diegos Mama]

Yes, Diego was at the dentist last week and every time we go they mention raisins and fruit snacks.  They say if you give them you need to brush immediately after they consume them.

Another little tidbit the dentist gave out was they're finding sports drinks to be worse for teeth than soda!

Grapes can have that laxative effect too, maybe try those instead of raisins sometime.

As for having them daily, what my concern would be is that they're really quite sweet and you could be setting up a liking for sweets early.  I'm more for fresh fruits than dried for that reason.