Surprisingly Unhealthy Kids Foods

Surprisingly Unhealthy Kids Foods
By Susan Burke March, MS, RD, LD/N, CDE

Read Kids’ Food Packaging From Back to Front!

It’s the front of the package that’s designed to fool you.  OK, the obvious…there is no fruit in “Froot Loops”, and most concerned parents know that.  But, the manufacturers cleverly place sugary cereals strategically in the aisle, so that parents need to be equally armed to avoid impulse shopping.  The latest ploy is branding sugary cereals—in bold letters—“Now with Fiber!” or “100% of Daily Vitamin C”!  Cut through the madness, and read the package from back to front, namely, read the ingredient label first.  Even if it says “whole grain”, all too often the second, third even fourth ingredient is usually sugar, with a healthy dose of other sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors. 

But some other foods are a bit harder to discern.  And after consulting with some of my “Mom” friends I’ve come up with a few more.

Anything that’s marketed to kids as “100% Natural”; “Healthy”; “No Artificial Ingredients”.  Parents lose their minds when reading labels, hoping that the food will appeal to kids’ taste buds.  But, kids and all humans have an innate preference for sugar—after all, Mom’s milk contains lactose, or milk sugar.  And because our labeling laws do not require manufacturers to break out added sugar from innate sugar, consumers are often confused.  So, here’s a tip:  Read the package, from back to front.  Take a look at the ingredients, if you’re interested in buying products without artificial colorings, flavors, excessive sugar and salt, then be sure they’re not listed as any of the first five ingredients, because ingredients are listed in descending order of volume.  Meaning, the first few ingredients listed are what make up the product.  

Kid’s Yogurt: Take a healthy food like yogurt, full of calcium and protein, vitamin D and magnesium, then add lots of sugar and candy (sprinkles!) and transform it into dessert.  Worst is the ‘yogurt fun foods’ in plastic tubes, meant to be frozen and thrown into kids’ lunchboxes.  After the first ingredient, which as hoped for, is milk, come high fructose corn syrup and sugar, artificial flavorings and colors.  Stay wholesome by staying simple.  You can freeze any wholesome real yogurt and put in your kid’s knapsack…and ditch all the additives. 

Lunch Kits:  It must be tempting to believe the front of the package—“Wholesome”, “cool”, “awesome”.  Give them what they want, says the package, which means salty, sweet, and sweet—and some hydrogenated fat (crackers), more salt (nitrate-preserved) meat, and lots of sugar (‘juice-drink’) all in a plastic non-recycled container. These are cheap, very high in calories relative to weight, and the ingredient list is enormous, full of preservatives, artificial colors and flavors.  Far better to take the extra 10 minutes to make a turkey sandwich, throw in a cup of unsweetened applesauce and let your kid buy a carton of low fat milk.

Instant oatmeal:  Looking for convenience and nutrition, parents make the mistake of reading the front of the package for descriptors such as “wholesome” and “nutritious”.  We know that kid’s cold cereals are sugary to the extreme, but convenience packages of instant oatmeal are no exception.  Read the ingredient label first—one teaspoon of sugar equals four grams: some of the “maple” or other favors have more than 12 grams per serving.   Buy whole oats, microwave for a minute in a glass dish, stir in a quarter-cup of raisins, cook one more minute, and Sweet!

Granola: To me, granola is a ‘code word’ for—sugar. Parents may think granola is “natural” but granola is typically a very calorie-dense food, not nutritionally desirable, due to so many calories from oil and sugar.  Read the serving size first—there’s no standardized serving size for cereals, and some granolas’ list the serving size as a mere quarter-cup, with about 160 calories per serving—no one is satisfied with just a quarter-cup of cereal.  Granola typically features a number of different sweet ingredients, some which may sound healthful, but again, sugar is sugar, and all of it, maple syrup, cane sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, agave nectar, honey—are recognized similarly by your body, and are all different ways to say more calories!

Juice drinks:  It’s easy to be fooled again.  The front of the package features appealing photos of fresh fruit, words like “100% of the daily value” make it seem as if your kids are better off drinking juice than, say, water or milk.  Many, although advertised as “natural”, contain artificial sweeteners; some contain only fruit juice concentrates, and are little more than sweetened water, enhanced with extra vitamins. Best is 100% natural fruit juice, not concentrate.  Juice should be limited to one serving daily for kids, and for parents who are watching their weight, remember, calories in fruit juice are equivalent to soda—no fiber here, and a very quick way to get excess calories.  Pack an orange, an apple, or a cup of applesauce.

"Breakfast" bars: – Cereal bars, granola bars, breakfast bars—the first ingredient is usually refined flour (even enriched), then sugar, sugar, sugar.  Instead give your kid a cup full of yogurt and stir a cup of crunchy low-sugar cereal into the cereal.  I think that substituting a bar for a breakfast is a bad idea.  Better is whole grains, a fresh-fruit smoothie with cereal, even a tuna sandwich on whole wheat with an orange (who says you have to have cereal for breakfast?  Have lunch for breakfast and breakfast for lunch).

"Fruit snacks": There is no fruit in kids’ fruit roll-up-type snacks.  The front of the package may feature photos of fruit, but the ingredients tell the tale—high fructose corn syrup, sugar, dextrose, and more…artificial flavors, fruit flavors, artificial colors.

Microwave popcorn:  Popcorn is a great snack, but not when it’s loaded with hydrogenated fat (trans fat), artificial flavors and preservatives.  Additives make it high in fat calories relative to volume, and often the microwave popcorn is loaded with hydrogenated fat.  Make it better!  It’s so easy, with an air-popper: pop up a few cups and enjoy.  For a heartier snack, toss the hot popcorn with some grated cheddar cheese. 

Fat-free foods: Just because something is fat-free, it doesn’t make it calorie-free, but most parents (and kids) will choose a “free” food regardless.  Doesn’t make it healthy, doesn’t make it better.  For example, advertising chocolate syrup as “always fat free” doesn’t make it an everyday food.  When fast food apples come with ‘low fat caramel dipping sauce’ I’m offended.  Apple slices have only 35 calories per pack; but they’re served with a 70-calorie portion of “low fat caramel dip”.   “Low fat” doesn’t mean anything in the context of sugar—there’s no fat in this product anyway, so why pretend that it’s somehow better because it is low fat? 

Rice cakes: many parents, concerned about their children’s weight (and after all, more kids are overweight or obese than in any time in history, and are predicted to have a shorter lifespan than their parents—another historical first) are packing rice cakes as snacks.  There is little nutritional value in these white rice snacks, and if they’re flavored, they’re usually little vehicles for sugar or sodium.  Instead: pack whole-wheat pita chips (make your own: slice into quarters, spray with cooking spray and toast) with some hummus or peanut butter.

Peanut Butter: Most parents know that peanut butter is a good source of protein and calories, and most kids’ menus include this favorite.  But, all peanut butters are not created equal.  Even within brands there are some much better choices.  Make it simple; there should be one or at most two ingredients—peanuts and maybe salt.  Skip any that have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat; stay clear of the jars of peanut butter ‘n jelly: read that ingredient label because it’s full of high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and other unwelcome additives.

Kid’s Meals: Most of the time they’re an insult to parents and kids alike, usually fried chicken nuggets, fried chicken, cheesy pizza or mac ‘n cheese.  High fat, high sodium fatty foods.  Insist your kid be able to order a half-size portion of adult foods—you set the example.

Fast food kids:  A study (found in ScienceDaly.com 2008) found that only 3 percent of kids’ meals served at fast-food restaurants met federal dietary guidelines.  In this context “happy” means fatty meat, processed white bread, fried potatoes (high calorie and sodium-soaked).  A “juice drink” is no different than regular soda—usually sweetened with about 10 teaspoons of sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup per serving. 

Fish Sticks: One label advertises this frozen product as a better-for-you fish, and another has a special “kids menu”, but frozen fried fish is fat-laden and loaded with artificial ingredients.  Fish “tenders” are all battered and fried.  Grill or bake fish—even easier than frying, and fast, too. 

Organic: The truth is, if it’s sugar, it’s sugar—organic or not, high fructose corn syrup, honey, cane sugar or white, maple syrup, or agave nectar—all nutritive sweeteners have approximately 16-20 calories per teaspoon, and negligible nutrition—said differently, they are empty calories.  I took a cruise through the breakfast aisle, and found “organic toaster pastries”.  Parents need to know, organic or conventional, there is no difference in the long run.  If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast that’s convenient and portable, choose a toaster waffle with whole grains. 

Registered and licensed dietitian Susan Burke March, MS, CDE, is the author of "Making Weight Control Second Nature: Living Thin Naturally” – a book intended to liberate serial "dieters” and make living healthfully and weight-wise intuitive and instinctual over the long term. She may be reached online at www.SusanBurkeMarch.com.