Posted by kathryn in Snacking and Kid's nutrition

Reports on the news and in the papers yesterday about the latest Choice report – this time into kids’ snacks. The foods listed in the Choice study are all targeted and marketed to kids and their parents and most of them are also promoted as being healthy, however they’re shockers.

I’ve talked before about the problems with kids’ food , ie foods that are branded, marketed and promoted to children. Once you look past the dodgy marketing claims, they’re simply poor quality foods. Most of them are high in kilojoules, they contain lots of sugar and are also high in fat. On top of this, they contain few vitamins, minerals or antioxidants, despite the claims on the pack. Most kids’ foods have a very low nutritional value and these are not the foods children should be eating in order to grow up healthy, strong and well.

I’m not against snacks, they are an important part of a healthy diet. I’m also not against treats, however these snacks are often promoted as being healthy and good lunch-box options.

• Arnott’s tiny teddy dippers (strawberry)
• Nestle milo cereal
• Steggles chicken nuggets
• Uncle Toby’s roll-up funprints
• Ribena blackcurrant fruit drink
• Kraft dairy bites snack abouts cheese spread and chicken flavoured biscuits
• Go Natural berry pieces in yoghurt
• The Natural Beverage Company apple naturally flavoured soft drink
• Kellog’s nutri-grain bar
• Ferrero nutella

• a tub of fruit yoghurt
• a slice of bread with jam and banana
• a fruit salad
• a couple of vita-weats with a slice of cheese or vegemite
• a bottle of water and a pre-packaged fruit cup
• some dried apricots and raisins

For more information on kids’ nutrition, browse my archive .

23 January, 2007