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If you’ve found your way here, you might also be curious about how sugar is affecting your kiddo.

When I started to see the effects in my daughter (a quick rush, followed by the crash), I went down the whole rabbit hole. Decades of research have linked sugar to several adverse health effects in children: metabolic diseases, behavioral disorders and hyperactivity, tooth decay and childhood obesity. The list goes on.

Major health organizations, including the  U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recommend that children under age two consume a diet with no added sugar. After age two, most guidelines suggest keeping the sugar count under 25 grams per day. That is roughly six teaspoons.

But keeping sugar in check isn’t always easy, especially in the U.S., where sweet, grab-and-go snacks are almost everywhere. Added sugars seem to sneak into just about anything, from bread and sauces to dressings and drinks — not just candy. 

And of course, many of these processed options are cheaper and more convenient, which is a tempting draw for parents trying to save time and money.

When my daughter turned two, I started letting an occasional sugary snack slip into her diet, and, unsurprisingly, she started to develop a sweet tooth. That’s when the begging began: cereal, ice cream, chocolate…she was hooked.

I started looking for healthier alternatives, but once a kid is introduced to sugar, it seems the ‘regular stuff’ just stops cutting it. To be fair, I get it. I also get the occasional sugar craving. 

Earlier this year, I skipped my usual Sober January and instead tried a month without any added sugar. The results were impressive: more mental clarity, fewer bizarre cravings and no energy crashes.

I wanted my daughter to experience the same benefits. So I did the research to find kids’ food brands that actually offer zero-added-sugar options. That’s when I settled on Little Spoon’s better-for-you options.

Little Spoon is widely considered the best of baby food, and many of my mom friends who’ve used it agree — the delivery service saves time and energy. It is a bit pricier than your typical store-bought brand, but discounts are available. Right now, customers can use the code ‘YAYSPRING50‘ for 50% off their order.

The company delivers straight to your door, with flexible à la carte and subscription options. Its menu is impressively wide, with plenty of tasty, kid-friendly favorites, from Mac and Three Cheese to Chicken Super Nuggets, squeezable Smoothies and melt-in-your-mouth Puffs for snacking. Kids love the classic options, and health-conscious parents can feel good about the nutrition, too.

The brand is proudly “junk-free,” avoiding over 100 common grocery store ingredients, including high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and coloring agents. Many of their options are organic, non-GMO, and Clean Label Project–Certified. Little Spoon’s baby products are always tested for heavy metals, with standards inspired by the European Union.

Most importantly, plenty of Little Spoon products have zero added sugar — which is exactly what I was looking for when I embarked on the sugar-detox journey with my daughter.

Over the course of a week, I transitioned my two-year-old back to a completely zero-added-sugar diet. With Little Spoon, it honestly didn’t feel like a heavy lift at all. It took the guesswork out of meal planning and spared me from obsessing over every ingredient on the label.

Our Little Spoon box arrived at my door with a variety of meals and snacks to keep my toddler on a nutrient-rich, healthy diet. The brand works with experts to design options tailored to kids’ unique developmental needs, so I never worried about whether she was getting enough protein, fiber or carbs.

The fact that it’s delivered straight to my door in clean, BPA-free packaging is just a wonderful bonus. It saves me so much time in the kitchen, and she gets very excited to dig in (practically unwrapping the Plates herself). Something about the see-through seal seems to make the meals even more fun.

Of course, not everything was an instant hit, but most of Little Spoon’s products won her over — and I believe they helped curb some of those sugar cravings.

My toddler devoured the Classic Breakfast Plate and slurped down the Smoothies and Yogos like candy. She and I are both fans of the Puffs, which are perfect for snacking on the go, and manage to sneak in a variety of fruits and vegetables that I’d usually have to barter with her to get down.

She was slightly less enthusiastic about the Broccoli Bites, and the hidden butternut squash in the Mac and Three Cheese may have caused a curious pause before she slurped it down. But the good news is that Little Spoon’s Plates offer a wide variety, so there’s probably something on the plate to satisfy every taste and texture preference.

What I also love about the brand isn’t just the clear ingredients (and many options with zero added sugar), but also the way it introduces children to new flavors — all while keeping portions, textures and bright colors that kids enjoy.

I didn’t notice a difference in my daughter overnight, and it will take some time on a zero-added-sugar diet to see how it affects her attention span, energy levels, behavior and overall health.

But already, I have noticed a small, but meaningful change: when she does ask for something sweet, she’s easily satisfied with a Little Spoon Yogo or Smoothie, and that’s really all I could ask for: small, simple changes that are easy to implement and make an impact on her long-term health.

For any parent who wants to take a proactive approach to their child’s diet, Little Spoon is a great step in that direction. If their health today can influence their outcomes tomorrow, I’m willing to start now.

To evaluate Little Spoons’ kids’ food delivery service, I considered a few different factors: the ingredients and nutrition quality, packaging and delivery, menu variety as well as safety and testing standards.

This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Writer/Reporter. As a health-forward member of Gen Z, Miska seeks out experts to weigh in on the benefits, safety and designs of both trending and tried-and-true fitness equipment, workout clothing, dietary supplements and more. Taking matters into her own hands, Miska intrepidly tests wellness products, ranging from Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint Longevity Mix to the viral Oura Ring to Jennifer Aniston’s favorite workout platform – often with her adorable toddler by her side. Before joining The Post, Miska covered lifestyle and consumer topics for the U.S. Sun and The Cannon Beach Gazette.