2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
According to He alth Canada, a child who consumes too much caffeine may experience anxiety, irritability, headaches and sleep problems. If the child is taking medication, it is recommended to ask the pharmacist if caffeine interacts.
Chocolate is often a favored food during the festivities. We know that it is necessary to limit its consumption for its content in sugar, fat and… caffeine. This is especially true in children since they are more sensitive to it. To help parents, He alth Canada has issued recommendations for the maximum daily amount of caffeine a child should ingest.
Maximum daily intake of caffeine in children
| Age | Maximum daily intake of caffeine |
|---|---|
| 4 to 6 years | 45mg |
| 7 to 9 years old | 62.5mg |
| 10 to 12 years old | 85mg |
| 13 and over | Varies by weight, but no more than 400mg of caffeine per day |
There is no reason to demonize chocolate andmake a forbidden food. However, the responsibility lies with the parents to offer it on an occasional basis because even if chocolate contains antioxidants, the fact remains that it also contains sugar, fat and caffeine. In the table below, the amount of caffeine in some common foods is shown.
Caffeine in chocolates and some drinks
| Foods containing caffeine | Serving size | Milligrams of caffeine(Approximate values) |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa powder | 20g / 60ml | 52mg |
| Dark chocolate, 70-85% cocoa | 1 ounce or 28 g | 24mg |
| Dark chocolate, 45-59% cocoa | 1 ounce or 28 g | 12mg |
| Milk Chocolate | 1 ounce or 28 g | 7mg |
| Square baking chocolate, unsweetened | 1 ounce or 28 g | 23mg |
| Square Baking Chocolate, Semi-Sweet | 1 ounce or 28 g | 17mg |
| Chocolate Pudding | 100g | 6mg |
| Chocolate Milk | 8 ounces / 237 ml | 8mg |
| Tea bag | 8 ounces / 237 ml | 50mg |
| Drip coffee | 8 ounces / 237 ml | 179mg |
To avoid exceeding the caffeine limit in children
Cake and muffin and pudding
For a recipe of a dozenhome-made muffins or cupcakes, the amount of cocoa powder rarely exceeds 60 ml (1/4 cup) of cocoa with this amount a muffin will contain less than 4.5 mg of caffeine
Chocolate Fondue
- Predetermine the quantities of chocolate offered for each.
- Invite children to cut the fruit with a suitable knife or use a cookie cutter to give them fun shapes which will make the fruit just as appealing as chocolate.
- Offer fruits that children especially like.
Chocolate Milk
Dilute chocolate milk equally (or more) with unflavoured milk. In addition to diluting the amount of caffeine, you also dilute the amount of sugar… one stone kills two birds
It is possible to limit the amount of caffeine consumed by a child and even an adult, by cooking and having a little creativity!
Resources
Children and Caffeine
Canadian File on nutrients
