Want to avoid hidden sugars in a lot of children’s food products?
Trying to cut down on added sugar and trying to avoid hidden sugars? Want simpler ingredients for your children? Breakfasts, snacks and drinks are a good place to start. A few easy swaps can give you more control over what goes into their food, while keeping the flavours they enjoy.
At Raww & Bloom, we created Strawberry Swirl to make those everyday choices easier. Our versatile strawberry powder brings fruity flavour to plain yoghurt, milk, porridge and homemade snacks — all from one pouch and only contains natural occurring sugar.
How much sugar are children consuming?
The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, covering 2019–2023, found that children aged 4–10 obtained an average of 10.2% of their daily energy from free sugars. That is around twice the recommended maximum of 5%. Only 8% of children in this age group met the recommendation.
The NHS recommends no more than 19g of free sugars a day for children aged 4–6 and 24g for children aged 7–10. Free sugars include added sugar and sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juices. These limits do not mean you need to count the naturally occurring lactose in plain milk and yoghurt in the same way.
Sugar can add up across breakfast, drinks and snacks, so changing something your child eats regularly can be a useful starting point.
Strawberry Swirl contains no added sugar
Raww & Bloom Strawberry Swirl contains no added sugar. It contains naturally occurring sugars from its fruit ingredients.
Strawberry Swirl gives parents an easy way to add strawberry flavour to everyday foods. Start with a plain base, follow the serving guidance on the pouch and decide what else goes into the bowl or glass.
Five easy food swaps for children
1. Make your own strawberry Greek yoghurt
If your usual flavoured yoghurt contains added sugar or ingredients you would prefer to avoid, try plain, unsweetened Greek yoghurt with Strawberry Swirl stirred through it. Add chopped strawberries or oats for extra texture. You choose the yoghurt, the portion and the toppings.
2. Turn plain milk into strawberry milk
For children who enjoy a strawberry milkshake, mix Strawberry Swirl into plain milk following the pouch instructions. It is an easy way to make pink milk at home without automatically reaching for a sugary syrup.
3. Add strawberry flavour to plain porridge
Choose plain oats and milk, then stir Strawberry Swirl into porridge once it has cooled to a comfortable eating temperature. Top with sliced apple or fresh strawberries if you like.
Starting with plain oats lets you choose the flavour yourself and skip any added sugar in your usual sweetened porridge sachet.
4. Bake strawberry snacks with less added sugar
Strawberry Swirl can bring fruity flavour and natural sweetness to muffins, oat bites and other homemade bakes. Try recipes designed to use less added sugar, rather than assuming every bake needs a generous helping of sugar, honey or syrup.
It is not a direct replacement for all the sugar in a recipe: sugar also affects texture, moisture and browning. Follow a tested recipe, like the ones on our website.
5. Make no-bake strawberry snack balls
Try a recipe combining oats, an age-appropriate nut or seed butter and Strawberry Swirl for an easy no-bake snack. Use a recipe with a suitable binding ingredient and follow the pouch guidance for the amount of powder across the batch.
Dates, honey and maple syrup can all add substantial sugar, so include them thoughtfully rather than assuming a homemade snack is automatically low in sugar.
Simpler ingredients and more choice
Making food at home helps you choose the ingredients that suit your family. If you prefer to avoid particular flavourings, colours or sweeteners, starting with plain yoghurt, milk or oats gives you a straightforward base.
Not every flavoured product is high in sugar, and a longer ingredient list does not automatically make a food unhealthy. Compare labels and focus on the changes that are useful for your family.
Your everyday kitchen helper
Strawberry Swirl can earn its place in your cupboard by helping you make several favourites from one pouch: strawberry yoghurt, pink milk, fruity porridge, homemade bakes and no-bake snacks.
It cannot remove sugar already in a food, but it can help you rethink how you add flavour. Start with one everyday swap and build from there.
One powder, plenty of ways to swirl.Explore Raww & Bloom Strawberry Swirl and our recipes at rawwandbloom.com.
